Drastic Changes to Children.

Connection:

         The video, “Former child soldier Ishmael Beah recounts his past” is about a child soldier who was recruited into war by force. The interview is similar to the article, “Teaching Kids to Kill,” since both are directed towards the amount of violence children are exposed to in our society today. The child soldier, Ishmael, lost his innocence and identity the day he entered the intense atmosphere of war. The article, “Teaching Kids to Kill”, is about how in the new generation people are glorifying the idea of violence, thus, making kids feel pleasure when events related to aggression take place. The connection that ties both together is the idea of taking innocence away from children and making them prone to violence.

Challenges:

                In the video, Ishmael said the military officers gave them an option of leaving (being killed) or to kill. The fact he had the audacity to say, “we were under pressure,” is something I would challenge, since either choice results in the death of something they value. In the first option the person would be killed, whereas, in the other, the person is metaphorically being killed; the real person is being replaced by a violent figure. The idea of dying innocent would be a better option because when someone goes through an intense change they forget who they are; they are mentally killing themselves and going against their morals. Not only that, but the aftermath is filled with grief and guilt, considering that not a large percent of people easily cope with psychological trauma that can be led by an intense situation, such as mass murder. Therefore, I oppose the fact that Ishmael was given no choice.

Concepts:

A concept that really stands out is the fact that kids are being exposed to violence through social media. In the interview, Ishmael explained how a child’s innocent is ripped away from them when they are forced to pull the trigger. Additionally, he explained how after a period to time violence becomes a part of the child’s life; it becomes a norm for them. Similarly, in the article media portrays killings as something normal, and in order to survive you have to kill. In conclusion, the fact that children are becoming more violent through influences such as, local new, TV shows and video games is what really stood out. 

Changes:

                After comparing and contrasting the interview and the article, my perspective on media has changed. These sources have encouraged me to change my view about how big of an impact different things, such as media, has on a person and their development. Furthermore, this article and interview altered my view on video games and how important labels are, for example the age limit. Moreover, I overlook aspects like media when thinking about character development, but after looking over these two sources it is evident that social media plays a large role in the development of a person.