The author of the case study discusses a popular television series Beavis and Butthead. In particular, the writer examines the possible influence of this behavior of children and adolescents. For instance, one can mention that this show has affected the language of many Americans because it gave rise many new words that can be viewed as obscene or at least very vulgar.
Secondly, the creators of this cartoon have often been accused of promoting deviant behavior among adolescents. For example, media reporters have found connection between this television series and the dangerous actions of some underage viewers such as Aaron Messner who set his family’s trailer on fire. It is believed that his behavior is directly influenced by this animation series.
Moreover, reporters believe that there are other violent incidents that can also be attributed to Beavis and Butthead. This is why the cartoon was criticized by the press. Currently, this show continues to be aired on MTV; however, it is no longer broadcast at 7 p. m. Moreover, MTV is obliged to warn viewers that the behavior of Beavis and Butthead should not be emulated in any way.
Overall, this case raises several ethical questions that are related to the education of children as well as the role of media in the modern society. The most important issue is the responsibility of the mass media and those people who work in this area. Certainly, it is not possible to prove that Beavis and Butthead should be blamed for every form of misconduct among children or adolescents.
However, this show may promote deviancy and it can make dangerous behavior more acceptable. Thus, one has to determine whether the activities of mass media should be regulated in any way.
The second issue that can be even more important is the responsibility of parents who often accuse mass media of corrupting their children, but very often they do not do anything to minimize the negative influence of such cartoons as Beavis and Butthead. For instance, Aaron Messner could be watching MTV alone and one can reasonably ask why parents did not ask what he had been watching.
There are other questions that can be strongly connected to the case. One of them is the role that media and art play in the modern community. Very often, films, cartoons and video clips are aimed at highlighting the negative aspects of the society, but the creators can unwillingly glorify violence, especially when viewers cannot see the irony that of the film-makers.
Finally, some attention should be paid to the role of government that should be more concerned with moral and intellectual education of the new generation. These are the main issues that one can identify in this case study.
The issues mentioned in the case study called for some actions. First of all, one can that mass media companies were declared to be responsible for the misbehavior of children or teenagers. Therefore, these organizations had to address these issues. As it has been said before, MTV changed the time when the controversial cartoon was aired.
Moreover, this organization issued a disclaimer according to which Beavis and Butthead had to be viewed only as a parody, and the main characters should not be regarded as role models. Overall, one can say that MTV took this decision in order to avoid public criticism, but they did not fully acknowledge the link between violence and the cartoon Beavis and Butthead.
This approach to the moral education of children has several limitations. In particular, little attention is paid to the role of parents who are responsible for the education of children. Certainly, it is possible to move Beavis and Butthead from 7.00 p.m. to 11 p.m. but it does not mean that children will not be able to view the show.
They can easily watch this cartoon on the Internet. So, the negative effects of this show cannot be reduced if parents do not take any action. One can overlook the role of teachers who must raise parents’ awareness about the influence of television or Internet on underage people. This is why it is not permissible to blame only mass media.
It is possible to offer several recommendations to people who have to deal with the problems described in the case. First of all, teachers should inform parents about the consequences of watching television series like Beavis and Butthead or South Park. These shows are parodies of the contemporary society, but they will be misinterpreted by underage people.
Finally, parents should monitor what their children watch and learn more about these programs, films, or television series. In some cases, parents may limit their children’s access to television or Internet and explain why some of the television series are not appropriate at a certain age.
It seems that such a solution is quite ethical. Again, it is necessary to stress the point that one should not accuse television or Internet for every problem that modern society faces.