When I think of all the ways media impacts us, especially in children, I always think of the television. Television shows sometimes blur the line of reality versus the imagination, especially when it comes to reality TV. I believe that we often forget that, although the word "reality" is associated to a show, many times it is scripted just like all other TV shows.
One of the articles I distinctly remember was how a 7 year old boy in Dallas accidentally killed his 3 year old brother using moves he had viewed on professional wrestling TV.
The article is located here: http://users.rcn.com/mgfree/tv/DallasWrestler.htm
The 7 year old did not know that most of the moves he saw on TV was practiced previously, with special provision by experts who knew how to make it look real and intense. Because of this lack of knowledge, the boy thought that, like all the other wrestlers, nothing too serious would be an outcome. Because of this lack of knowledge, his brother lost his life, and he lost a brother. When this all happened in 1999, there was a major controversy over weather or not the Wrestling networks should be blamed.
Personally, I do not believe that it is the Wrestling network's fault, but more of the parents for letting their 7 year-old watch such violent acts, and by not informing him of the realities of wrestling, especially because they decided it was a good idea to let their child watch it. This does not mean, however, that I do not think the networks should put a disclaimer, making sure all precautions are taken to avoid such a tragic accident.
The media will always be blamed for anything that happens, but it really is up to us to allow the outcome to be what it is.
I agree that parents need to monitor what their children watch and how they emulate what they see. The WWE always claims it's not aimed at kids, but the comical characters obviously appeal to children.
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