ESSAY QUESTION:
"Children today have an unprecedented number of options when it comes to entertainment. Since no parent can be aware of all of these options, it falls to the entertainment media to ensure that their content is suitable for young consumers."
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
RESPONSE:
Some people think that onus to ensure suitability of entertainment content for children is on respective entertainment media. While many others believe that responsibility of ensuring children's exposure to right entertainment content is of parents. This is a contentious issue. However, a closer examination reveals that it's entertainment media's responsibility to ensure right entertainment content for children.
First reason is that in today's world technology is changing at a very fast pace. Parents are unable to match pace with children in terms of learning about these technologies. For instance, While many children in developing countries know how to operate internet, very few parents know how to do so. Thus, parents are not equipped to keep a check on the entertainment content available from various sources.
Second reason is that whenever someone is stopped from doing a particular thing, he beomes even more eager to do it out of curiosity. To illustrate, if parents stop children from watching a certain movie at home, children might try to watch it at a friend's house. Therefore, even if parents keep a check on the entertainment content that children watch, children, out of sheer curiosity, will find a way to watch it somewhere else.
Admittedly, in this age of globalisation, same products are being used in all the countries. Different countries have different cultures. Therefore, entertainment content which is suitable for children in one country might not be suitable for children in another country. Therefore, it's difficult for entertaiment media to control it. However, the sensitivity of the issue demands that entertainment media invest in resources and technology to adapt the content according to cultures in different countries.
In summary, while there are many arguments to be made for both the sides, it is clear that entertainment media is better equipped at controlling the entertainment content for children. Moreover, media while drawing profits from showing the content has the responsibility of making it suitable for the children. Hence, onus of controlling the entertainment content for children is on respective media.
"Children today have an unprecedented number of options when it comes to entertainment. Since no parent can be aware of all of these options, it falls to the entertainment media to ensure that their content is suitable for young consumers."
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
RESPONSE:
Some people think that onus to ensure suitability of entertainment content for children is on respective entertainment media. While many others believe that responsibility of ensuring children's exposure to right entertainment content is of parents. This is a contentious issue. However, a closer examination reveals that it's entertainment media's responsibility to ensure right entertainment content for children.
First reason is that in today's world technology is changing at a very fast pace. Parents are unable to match pace with children in terms of learning about these technologies. For instance, While many children in developing countries know how to operate internet, very few parents know how to do so. Thus, parents are not equipped to keep a check on the entertainment content available from various sources.
Second reason is that whenever someone is stopped from doing a particular thing, he beomes even more eager to do it out of curiosity. To illustrate, if parents stop children from watching a certain movie at home, children might try to watch it at a friend's house. Therefore, even if parents keep a check on the entertainment content that children watch, children, out of sheer curiosity, will find a way to watch it somewhere else.
Admittedly, in this age of globalisation, same products are being used in all the countries. Different countries have different cultures. Therefore, entertainment content which is suitable for children in one country might not be suitable for children in another country. Therefore, it's difficult for entertaiment media to control it. However, the sensitivity of the issue demands that entertainment media invest in resources and technology to adapt the content according to cultures in different countries.
In summary, while there are many arguments to be made for both the sides, it is clear that entertainment media is better equipped at controlling the entertainment content for children. Moreover, media while drawing profits from showing the content has the responsibility of making it suitable for the children. Hence, onus of controlling the entertainment content for children is on respective media.
