Speech

The Danger of Movie Previews

            Television censorship has been around for several years in order to protect our younger generations. Lately, the quality of the censorship has decreased and what children watch has fallen out of the control of anyone. This is a very alarming to those concerned about the future of those generations. In order to protect the youth and innocence of these children we must educate ourselves in the best way possible and protect them at any cost. One of the issues we have yet to be able to control is the viewing of inappropriate movie previews. Highly rated movie previews should not be allowed to be shown on television stations watched by young children. Show on television also have ratings and if a child is watching an appropriate show they can still see movie previews for over rated movies. This can be very damaging for a child to witness, it is not well known by anyone therefore hard to prevent, and the effects can last a life time. 

            The effects of inappropriate movies can be very traumatic for anyone, especially children. 18% of children age ten to twelve are already watching rated R movies. The same effects can occur by simply watching a preview for a movie rated too high. For every ten images seen, two will stay in a child’s memory for weeks at the least. When watching the previews they can cause nightmares, flashbacks, confusion, feeling dazed, fear, anti-social behavior, increased aggression, and being frightened easily and often. Most of these symptoms can last for six months. An innocent child suffering for six months. They did nothing to deserve this and it was no fault of their own. In order to protect these defenseless children we need to do a much better job censoring these previews. The outcome, if we do not change our ways, will be catastrophic. Witnessing these previews over and over is too damaging and cannot go on any longer.     
            Not many people think about the previews of a moving be a problem. When a movie is made the next step is to advertise the movie in the best way possible. That is done by taking the “best” parts of the movie out and making a 30 second to a minute clip about the movie. In other words, the scariest, funniest, most entertaining, or most inappropriate scenes from the movie. If that movie is rated R then shouldn’t you have to be able to see the rated R movie in order to see the preview? This is not the case. Television shows have ratings as well. This issue is that a rated R preview could premier on a television station where the shows are only rated PG. In a survey I administered in February 2013, 60% of people did not know of this as a problem. This was very alarming and needed to be fixed.

            When a child has a traumatic event in their lifetime they all react differently. Some can block it out and show no emotion to the experience at all and others find it more difficult to deal with. Neither way of coping is good. To ignore the situation can leave unresolved issues and only puts off the situation until to many emotions have built up it is too difficult to deal with. Others that have an immediate reaction might seem to feel better about the experience in the long run, but they will always have difficulties with it. This is most likely because children at that age level do not have the mental capacity to differentiate what is real and what is not. That being the reason for ratings that bane the exposure of inappropriate material. No issue can be resolved without proper treatment. This is happening every day and all over the world. Not everyone is, nor can be, helped successfully. When the situation goes on like this the children only suffer. With all these issues unresolved for so long we are building up an enormous emotional problem. Over time the victim can develop a fearful and negative view on the world. Psychologically, they will be mentally scared, which can affect their behavior in years to come. We have yet to find a solution to this problem and no one can afford to wait any longer for one. These life lasting traumatic events need to be stopped and that will not happen on its own.   

             This is a problem and will continue to be until action is taken. People need to take responsibility for what is being viewed on television. The public must be informed about the dangers first. With this being so unknown, makes it even more sever. While this problem cannot be solved overnight, it still needs a solution put into action as soon as possible. Waiting too long to act on this issue will be catastrophic. Be responsible for yourself and others around you and remember ratings are in place for a reason. No child should have to be afraid of falling asleep at night. Reoccurring nightmares torturing them every night. Wait to see inappropriate movie material at an appropriate age.    

Documentary

https://www.wevideo.com/hub/

Annotative Bibliography

“Children’s Exposure to Violence”

There has been a concern for the viewing of movies because of the context ever since film industries started. Children’s exposure to media was an immediate concern. The public health was being jeopardized. The actions in films were being imitated by adolescent children and the concern grew. Studies were conducted to see the exact effects of these movies. Based on those studies, the rating system was created and television censorship was introduced. Inappropriate material was trying to be prevented from impressionable children seeing them. More studies conducted in 2004 uncovered that children are still being exposed to this material. The source was not specified, but it is a possibility that the source was partly previews of the highly rated movies.     

“Movie Previews on Video Rentals”

A study was done on movie previews on video rentals to examine the prevalence of violence and sexuality. This experiment was done to test the quality of the rating system. The result showed that the video game and movie ratings are too low and not strict enough. Because the system was too weak, children were being exposed to inappropriate material that should not be seen by children at that age. They organized the different categories which qualified a movie to be rated a certain way. The result showed that “sexuality was also prevalent though less frequent than violence and most likely to appear in PG-13 and R-rated previews.” When such movies were viewed, the resulting reaction was extreme increased aggression.

 

“Frightened Reactions to Mass Media”

This study was done on older teens, late teens or early twenties. 138 out of 153 people or 90% were frightened by media shown on television. This is very alarming because if it is frightening for adults then it would be extremely traumatizing for children. The same broadcast was available for the viewing of anyone. Later studies showed the possibility of these fears to media shown on television as a threat to mental health. Films showing in local theaters were also examined and all could fit into a category containing inappropriate material.

Work Cited

Thompson, KM. “Children’s Exposure to Violence”. Mar. 15 2013. Mar. 15 2013. <www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15520625‎>.

Oliver, MB. “Movie Previews on Video Rentals”. Mar. 15 2013. Mar. 15 2013. <www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1207/s15506878jobem4602_7>.

Harrison, K. “Frightened Reactions to Mass Media”. Mar. 15 2013. Mar. 15 2013. <www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1207/s1532785xmep0102_1>.

Anderson A, Craig. “Effects of Violent Movies and Trait Hostility on Hostile Feelings and Aggressive Thoughts”. Mar. 15 2013. Mar. 15 2013. <www.psychology.iastate.edu/faculty/caa/abstracts/1995-1999/97A.html‎>.

 

Academic Summary

Craig A. Anderson, author of “Effects of Violent Movies and Trait Hostility on Hostile Feelings and Aggressive Thoughts”. He argues that violent media increases aggression. This has been debated and researched for years. Finally, a consensus has been reached. The topic was supported, by experts, on both sides and now there is enough evidence to prove that Anderson’s opinion can be considered fact. The results have found that observing violence in the media can significantly increase the violence of the observer. He claims that viewing inappropriate material can be dangerous for the viewer. In the past, researchers have been afraid to test this theory because of the possible effects. Although many felt this way, experiments have been done to test this matter. This was the only way to prove the idea of the suspected dangers. Anderson develops this claim by fist stating his point several times in different ways and then showing the proof and evidence to support it. He then introduces more information about experiments done and data collected. Anderson cleverly uses repetition in the article to make the topic more emphasized and relatable. He does this by stating the same phrases in different terms or simply restating a previous statement. Anderson dose this in a very subtle way. He uses this strategy very subtly and unrecognizable. This helps the reader understand his point without having to reread several times. Lastly, the author branches off the main topic and explains different points with graphs and charts. The experiment he provides explains his point, once again, and uses them as examples. His main idea is similar to my topic, but not identical. This is most likely because my topic is very unrecognized. That being said, there is some irrelevant information, but everything supports his topic. Craig Anderson’s purpose is to inform more about this instance and the results. This issue can have severe consequences and in order to keep the public safe this problem needs to be more well-known. Anderson shows that the responsibility falls on the parents. They need to be held accountable for what younger generations are viewing. This is imperative that people learn more about this issue and the hazardous effects it can cause.              

PSA: Previews

PSA: Previews

Narative Poem

Endless Torture

Boom, crash I can’t look

I have to hide my eyes

I’m watching a scary movie

And I don’t know why

 

The plot is going to change

The music is getting deeper

I must get out of hearing range

Or I’ll have nightmares all night long

 

My mom says it’s just a movie

But can’t she see

I’m terrified

So again I hide

My eyes stay behind my hands

 

It’s too late

I can’t get the images out of my mind

This will be a long night

 

In my bed I lay wake

I don’t trust my dream to be safe

Foolishly I fall asleep anyway

 

Chasing, running......Nooo!!!

Panting, breathing hard, sweating

I need help, I’m trapped

 

Huuuuuuu! Gasping for air sitting up in bed

It’s was just a dream

A terrifying one

It’s over, I’m safe

But it’s not completely over

Night after night, it’ll happen again there’s no changing it

I can’t escape this torture

 

It’s only four in the morning, but I can’t go back to sleep

I won’t, not now

The fear, it’s overtaken my body, I have no control, no choice

I’m afraid to shut my own eyes

 

As fast as I can I turn on the lights

Running there and back

Back to the safety of my bed

This won’t last long, there’s school tomorrow

My eyes are heavy

They will collapse any second now

I need sleep

Giving in to my body’s cries

I shut my eyes in hopes I will be lucky,

Lucky enough to get a wink of sleep on this torturous night

 

I wasn’t so lucky

Waking up again in terror

It too late to go back to sleep this time

I have to get ready for school

 

Walking the halls

I’m tiered, unfocused, a mess

 

I’ll be okay though

This isn’t the first time

I shouldn’t be, but I’m used to it now

Sleepless night after night

It’s a pattern that never ends

Noel Cassidy

Ms. McKoy

English II

28 February 2013

Movie Previews: Dangerous

Hypothesis:

Most people think that only a movie causes a negative effect on someone, but I believe that a movie preview shown on TV can have that same effect. In my survey I think adults will start to realize that this is an issue and it will make them think of these previews as a problem appose to harmless.

Context:

My target audience is adults because I want to prove to them that this is a problem and make them realize it is happening. I discovered that some people had the exact epiphany that I hope for and for others it did not come across to them. I discovered from pilot testing that some of my questions needed to be reworded and my demographic questions do not provide a purpose. The results are valid because the answers are not biased and the questions do not give the predicted answer in them.

Data:

Question	Yes	No	I’m not sure	R or PG 13	Variety
Do you like scary movies?	17	5	NA	NA	NA
Have you ever seen a movie preview on TV that scared you?	17	5	NA	NA	NA
What was the movie ranking for the featured movie?	NA	NA	5	17	NA

 

What other shows play on that channel?	NA	NA	NA	NA	MTV, USA, ABC Family,  sci-fi, criminal minds, adult swim, etc.
Should all movie previews be shown on every TV channel?	8	14	NA	NA	NA

 

Data Analysis:

Most people that responded both like scary movies and have seen a movie preview on TV that scared them. The same amount said that the said movie was rated R or PG 13. This is alarming considering what other shows are played on those channels. A list of different shows were given but the one most frequent was MTV. TV shows have ratings too and most MTV shows are rated PG. This supports my hypothesis and people showed they started to realize the point I was trying to make based on the next question. 64% of people said they did not think it was okay for all movie previews to be shown on all TV channels. I wanted people to come to this epiphany with minimal assistance and most did. With further explanation I believe that I could convince the other 36% of the dangers.      

Conclusion:

The biggest point I was trying to make was the rating system has fallen in on itself. When watching a TV show that is rated PG, such as a show on MTV, I can be eight or older and watch the show. Although, if a movie preview comes on that is rated R, if I am eight, then technically I am not allowed to watch the preview. You can watch the show but not the commercials. I do not think that the commercials should limit the viewing of the show. The purpose for watch TV is the show not the commercials. There should only be limited access because of the show not the commercials.

Follow Up:

I have learned through my surveys that most people do know about this, but have not realized it for themselves yet. Once they think about it they understand. My goal is to reach more people and convince others of this issue. I will continue to research the rules of movie rating and the essential information that has made things how they are today. I would also like to know if this issue has been presented to people in higher power before. Or has anyone else tried to solve this problem. If so, I would like to explore their work and research. I will do this as a continuation of my current research on the essential question: Should all movie previews be allowed to be shown on all TV shows?