The media influences people’s consciousness significantly. People are inclined to react to the visual and audio television messages more actively than to the information presented with the help of the other media. That is why all the information discussed in television shows should be assessed with references to certain principles of censorship.
Nevertheless, these principles are not followed today, or they are openly ignored by the producers of television shows who intend to make sensations, but not to care about the ethical issues. As a result, the audience can observe the tendency to use a lot of obscene language in modern television shows.
Thus, television shows should not be allowed to use the obscene language because the television language is based on the definite language norms, and the usage of obscene and profane words cannot be discussed as a norm; the great part of the audience of television shows is children; the usage of the obscene language on TV reflects the society’s general cultural level and contributes to its further decline.
The problem is in the fact the usage of the obscene language in television shows is prohibited about the Federal Communications Commission policy. The ignorance and violation of the policy end indefinite fines and restrictions. However, the television audience continues to hear the obscene language used in television shows.
From this point, definite obscene words can be perceived by the public as a norm because they are broadcasted with the help of the media (Andersen and Taylor 43). Some people can state that the obscene language is used in everyday life by many persons, and television shows only reflect the tendency.
However, the obscene language is not a norm, and the usage of profane words in television shows should not be allowed because the usage of such words cannot be perceived as the normal situation. Furthermore, television shows are watched by many children.
The TV channels should not be allowed to present television shows where the obscene language is used because children cannot analyze the information perceived about its appropriateness, and obscene and abusive words become the part of the children’s vocabulary. Parents should control children’s watching television shows. Nevertheless, the role of the policy in regulating the language used in shows is also significant.
If TV channels are allowed to broadcast shows in which the abusive language is used, people can become interested in the question of the cultural level of society. Television shows often represent the aspects which the audience wants to watch and hear. However, the presentation of the ‘street’ language in television shows does not reflect the real picture and does not provide present-day information about society.
Furthermore, the usage of the obscene language only provokes its usage everywhere as a kind of a norm because of violating all the possible principles and policies (Andersen and Taylor 44-45). The fact of allowing television shows to use the abusive language can be discussed as the negative factor for the development of the people’s culture.
Television is developed to provide people with a definite message. The character of the message is also based on the language used. The accents on the offensive and abusive words describing immoral and violent actions can stimulate the audience’s perception of this language and associated aggressive behavior as a norm.
That is why television shows should not be allowed to use the obscene language to protect children from perceiving this language and to protect the wide audience from being offended by the open usage of inappropriate words on TV.
Works Cited
Andersen, Margaret, and Howard Taylor. Sociology: The Essentials. USA: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.