Need more censorship on television, music vidoes, influence on children.

A Balancing of Interests : The Freedom of Expression vs

The Effects of Violence on TV and Videos

The freedom of speech and of expression are among the most primordial rights granted by the Constitution . Case law abounds upholding the free exercise of these rights , allowing government intervention or curtailment only in the most stringent of circumstances , using tests like the Clear and Present Danger Test and The Balancing of Interests Test . These freedoms are essential to the professions of many from journalists to media and news people , to creators of video games

or music videos , cartoonists , and movie directors . Certainly , these people have interests to protect . However , current circumstances call for a reexamination , a recalibration of the scales to tip the balance in favor of government intervention . The rise in violent crimes and the stability of society in general constitute a governmental interest weighty enough to allow at least the regulation of the exercise of the rights of freedom of speech and of expression . One way to do this is through more censorship , and through more stringent regulation of content

From the 1940 's when the TV was first invented until the present , the popularity of TV has not waned . Practically everyone watches TV . And why not ? It 's entertaining and affordable , and there are literally thousands of shows to choose from . However , since its inception , the TV has been surrounded by controversy , particularly with respect to the influence of its content on the behavior of people continuously bombarded with its entertaining images . A decade after the TV was invented , experimental and correlational studies were conducted on the effect of the TV on a person 's mind and personality . The studies through the years have shown that these effects are more far reaching and are more harmful , than simply providing for entertainment Undoubtedly , the widespread ownership and use of TVs and their accessibility and availability make them a pervasive influence . It is quite unfortunate that with the evolution of technology came the evolution , or devolution , of tastes as to what constitutes quality programming . Violence has become one of the main themes in society whether in the real world or otherwise . The increase in violent programming , movies , games , and videos in the last few decades resulted from the challenge to censorship brought by freedom of speech , artistic license , and demand from the viewers

Since 1960 , there has been approximately an 11 increase per annum of the number of households that own a TV set (US Census Bureau 2004 . An average of 19 hours and 40 minutes per week are spent by Americans aged 2 to 17 in front of the TV . By the age of 18 , a typical American child has seen about 16 ,000 murders and approximately 200 ,000 violent acts on television (TV-Turnoff Network 2004 . Meanwhile , the rate of juvenile delinquency is also increasing

The Department of Justice reports that as of the year 1997 approximately 2 .8 Million juveniles were arrested , with 2 ,500 charged with murder and...