M3 and Me
CAPSTONE PROJECT
M3 & Me: Media’s Influence on Youth
Glen Dawursk, Jr.
MO45
Concordia University
St. Paul, MN
Contents
I. Introduction and Literature Review 3
1: Violence across the nation has increased significantly during the past decade.
2: Media consumption by youth and children is significant.
3: There has been a significant increase in violence, offensive behavior and negative Christian values portrayed by the media.
4: Current research seems to show that the media does have a direct effect upon youth attitude and does change their behavior.
5: Not everyone agrees with the current research findings.
6: The brain is manipulated by the media.
7: My “sponge theory:” One thing usually does not make our behavior change.
II. Capstone Purpose and Generation Analysis 27
III. Curriculum 35
IV. Workshop Presentation Slides 48.1-24
V. Workshop Presentation Narration 49
VI. Impact Survey 78
VII. References 82
Appendix: “Slide-by-Slide” With Narration 87
Introduction: What is going on?
• In 1994, two teenagers assassinated a Milwaukee police officer for the “fun of it.”
• In 1995, three teenagers tortured, killed and then raped Elyse Marie Pahler in an apparent satanic sacrifice.
• In 1995, Clay Logan shot his parents multiple times and killed his mother.
• In 1998, Burlington High school youth in Burlington, Wisconsin plotted to massacre their school.
• In 1999, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris murdered 12 people and themselves at their high school in Columbine, CO.
• In 2001, in Santee, CA, a 15 year old boy shoots 2 teenagers and injures 13 others at his high school because he was tired of being taunted for being too skinny.
• Two days after the Santee murders, Time magazine reported the following incidents occurred:
o “In California, 16 students were detained for death threats; two 17 year old students were arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit murder; authorities found a "hit list" of 16 students; and another 15 year old student boasted that he could outdo the Columbine High School massacre.
o In Arizona, a 13 year old girl left a bomb threat on an answering machine; an eighth-grader was accused of threatening to bring a gun to school to shoot sixth-graders and another 13 year old threatened to shoot classmates who teased him.
o In Florida, a 17 year old carried a loaded semiautomatic handgun to school and another 17 year old carried a revolver with a sawed off barrel to his former school.
o In Washington, a 16 year old pulled out a gun and ordered the students to leave class.
o In Georgia, a sixth-grader was arrested for bringing a BB gun onto the school campus.
o In Pennsylvania, a 14 year old girl fired a single shot hitting another student in the cafeteria.
o In Iowa, a 15 year old threatened to get a gun and shoot everyone in school.
1 In Texas, a freshman was expelled after he was caught with a hit list of his own.” (McCarthy, 2001, p. 7)
In October 2002, a 36 year old man was beaten to death by a group of north side Milwaukee youth. This was not a gang. These youth were just “kids” from the block who retaliated violently against this man. Their mob mentality caused them to brutally kill him – pummeling him with bats, shovels, boards and their fists. According to one of the youth, they hit this man so often that the victim’s ear tore off. Blood was splattered on the floor and the ceiling. This alarming statistic would have probably been relegated to old news by now if it had not been for one haunting fact. One of these boys was just 10 years old. (Thorsen, 2002, p.1)
What is going on?
What is causing today’s youth to act out in such a violent nature? What is influencing them to depart from societal and religious morals, values and ethics?
Interestingly, in many of the examples above, the media had a seemingly direct influence on the results. The youth who killed the police officer stated in court that they were influenced by the lyrics of Tupac Shakur’s song “2 Pacalypse Now” which glamorizes the killing of a policeman. The murder and torture of the Pahler girl has been linked to the song “Spill Blood” by Slayer and in the past year, the parents of the girl have sought to punish the record company. Clay Logan acted out the words of “The End” by the Doors as he shot his parents and Klebold and Harris made a video tape the night before their murderous rampage bragging about how they could now play the game “Doom” for real. (Smithouser & Waliszewski, 1998, p.13-15)
Is there a connection?
How serious is the impact and influence of the media upon the moral and ethical judgments of junior and senior high youth? Is there a direct correlation? If so, what can be done to correct these problems or issues?
In this literature review, I will first present current statistics which show an increase in youth violence throughout the country. I will next give statistical information on current media usage by youth. It will also illustrate a significant increase in violence, offensive behavior and negative Christian values portrayed within the media. I will show where the current research falls on the question of a direct correlation between the media and its influence upon youth and children. Finally, I will then explain how our brains work, share new research in this area and suggest a possible correlation to media influence.
Point 1: Violence across the nation has increased significantly during the past decade.
In a survey of 1038 students in 1999, 19% said they had been hit, slapped or kicked at school and 25% say they are afraid another student will hurt them; 80% said they had bullied their peers in the past 30 days (Peterson, 1999, p.1D). Over 50% of American teenagers think a “murderous rampage” could happen at their school (NYT/CBS 1999, p. 14). In 1996, 10 percent of all public schools reported at least one serious violent crime to a law enforcement agency (AACAP, 2000). According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s “Violent Facts Sheet,” gunshot wounds to children 16 and under has increased 300 percent in major urban areas since 1986 and in 1996 alone, 2,900 juveniles were arrested for murder (2000). The US Justice Department said that if the current trend continues, arrests of juveniles for violent crimes will double by the year 2010 (Associated Press, 1995, p. 4A). The AACAP website also reports that almost a million American students took guns to school in 1998, that 123,400 youth are arrested each year for violent crimes, and ages 25 and under account for almost 50% of all serious violent crime victims (2000).
ABC News 20/20 reported that in 1986, just 9% of those arrested for murder were under 17, but by 1996 it was up to17%. In those 10 years, youth who killed with guns quadrupled (1996). The Commission for the Prevention of Youth Violence, a coalition of American health care professionals states the following:
• “One in every eight murder victims in the US is younger than 18. Almost 40 children and adolescents are killed by violence each week.
• Murder and suicide are the second and third leading causes of death among teenagers between the ages 15 to 19. Among 10 to 14 year olds, they are third and fourth.
• In an average month, there are more than 525,000 violent attacks in public schools. Nearly 8% of urban junior and senior high school students are too afraid to go to school at least once a month.” (Terek & Webster, 2000; AMA, 2000)
Point 2: Media consumption by youth and children is significant.
According to the statistics furnished by the National Institute for Media and the Family, ages 12-17 average 22 hours of TV per week and 55% listen to 5 or more hours of recordings per week (tapes, records, CD’s). Ages 15-19 buy one-fourth of all recordings and they buy 38% of all movie tickets (Walsh, 1999). The average American child grows up in a home with two TVs, three tape players, three radios, two VCRs, two CD players, one video game player and one computer (Kaiser Family Foundation, 1999). 70-80% of the U.S. population reads magazines and newspapers monthly (Bruner, 2002).
Television:
The average house in America has 2.6 television sets and 56% of children have a TV in their room (Walsh, 1999). “Teenagers spend: 1/2 hour a week with Dad alone, 2-1/2 hours a week with Mom alone, 5 hours a week doing home work, 2 hours a week reading, and 24 hours a week watching television” (Walsh, 1999). Dr. David Walsh of the NIMF states that, “Youth today spend as much time today in front of a TV as they do in a classroom (1999).” 98% of teenagers spend 11 hours per week minimum in front of a TV (Kantrowitz & Wingert, 1999, p. 38).
MTV alone reaches 350 million households around the world (PBS On-Line, 2001). 82% of its viewers are ages12 to 34 with almost 40% under the age of 18. According to research, MTV is the “most recognized network among young adults ages 12 to 34” (Nielson Media Research, 2000). In fact, music videos are designed predominately for teenagers 12 to 19 years old. In this age group, 73% of the boys and 78% of the girls watch MTV regularly. Boys average 6.6 hours, while girls average of 6.2 hours per week watching MTV (Rich, 1998).
The Center for Media Education quotes these statistics on their website:
• “Most children watch an average of 3 to 4 hours of TV per day, approximately 28 hours each week.
• Watching TV is the #1 after-school activity for 6 to 17 year olds.
• Each year most children spend about 1500 hours in front of the TV and 900 hours in the classroom.
• By age 70, most people will have spent about 10 years watching TV” (CME, 1997).
A parent’s opinion study conducted in 2000, showed that children ages 2 to 17 spent 6.5 hours a day in front of some electronic video screen (TV, video games console, computer, game boy) and 97% of all homes own a VCR (Woodard, 2000). A national survey found that 92% of children ages 2-17 play video and computer games (NIMF, 2001). 98.2% of U.S. households own a television set. 99.9% of those are color (TBA, 2001). 30 million households have a DVD player and 90% of US households have a VCR (Lyman, 2002, A1) and 78% of adults surveyed report that they have home cable or satellite television (NPR, 2000).
Computers and the Internet:
Almost 45% of homes with youth ages 12 to 17 have internet access (HMR, 1999). Almost 80% of US households with children have a computer and just over 70% of them have Internet access (NTIA, 2001). As many as 21.9 million children ages 5 to 12 and 16.6 million teenagers 13 to 18 are “online”(Barron’s, 1999). A 1999 survey by eShop Weekly found that 67% of online youth ages 13-17 and 37% of online children ages 5-12 check out products or purchase online and 52% have asked their parents to do it for them (1999). It was estimated that youth ages 5 to 18 may have purchased as much as 1.3 billion online by 2002 (Charski, 1999, p. 89).
54% of children ages 10 -17 access computer chat rooms and 31% admit to seeing a pornographic site on the Internet (National Public Radio, 2000). 25% of home Internet users in the United States use broadband (DSL or cable) for their Internet connection (Bruner, 2002). Of youth ages 8 to17, 33% preferred the Web as the medium they would want to have if they could not have any others; TV came in second at 26%, telephone at 21% and radio at 15% (MediaPost, 2002, May 2).
Music – CD’s and Radio:
Pre-teens and teens combined listen to music (including radio, CDs, tapes and music videos) almost 4 hours per day. By their junior year in high school, girls listen to music a half-hour more than boys do each day (Roberts & Christenson, 2001). Around 96% of teenagers listen to the radio weekly (HMR, 1999) and 45% of American teens listen to FM radio (Zollo, 1999). Teenagers consider musicians their real heroes more often than athletes and rate the effect of music on them higher than religious beliefs or literature (Knight-Ridder, 1999).
Other Media Technologies:
Almost one-third of all American teens carry at least one cell phone (Rodriguez, 2002, E4) and four out of ten youth ages four to eighteen, own at least one cell phone, Palm organizer, pocket PC, pager or ultra light laptop. 50% of teenagers ages 13 to 18 own at least one of these portable devices and older youth often own several of them. 42% of kids ages eight to twelve and 13% of kids under seven also own at least one of these portable devices (MediaPost, 2002, Sept. 30).
Point 3: There has been a significant increase in violence, offensive behavior and negative Christian values portrayed by the media.
Violence:
The Parents Television Council reviewed 38 reality series between January 1, 2002 and May 1, 2002 and found that on broadcast television, NBC and UPN had the highest level of offensive content, 19 and 14.9 instances of offensive content per hour. On cable, VH1 and MTV offered the most offensive content with 39.7 and 36.1 instances per hour (PTC, 2002). The Center for Media Education quotes the following data on violence:
• “Children may be exposed to about 5 violent acts per hour during prime time and an average of 26 violent acts per hour during Saturday morning children’s programs.
• Prime-time TV contains about 5 violent acts per hour compared to an average of 26 violent acts per hour during Saturday morning children's TV.” (CME, 2002)
Upon grade school graduation, the average child will see more than 100,000 violent acts on television, including almost 8,000 murders. Upon high school graduation, these same children will have witnessed 200,000 violent acts and 16,000 murders (Huston, et al, 1992). A three year study on media violence showed that:
• “61% of television programs contain some violence,
• 43% of violent scenes contained humor -- where the violators
were portrayed as acceptable or appealing,
• 44% showed no “immediate punishment”
• Almost 75% showed no harmful consequences at all” (Smith and Donnerstein,1998).
Of the most popular video games on the market as many as 90% of them have a violent theme (Anderson, 2001). Consider one of the best selling games of the past two years, “Grand Theft Auto.” In this video game, you play the part of a criminal who escapes from the law and joins the mob. Your new job is to steal, kill and pimp for organized crime. You will also bomb a passenger plane, drive prostitutes around, and murder people. In addition, the game encourages you to try illegal and brutally violent moves in order to get extra points. For example, you get extra points for running people over, shooting a guy after you steal his car, hiring a hooker and then beating her to death (Smithouser, 2002). A new game, Acclaim Entertainment’s M-rated BMX XXX is set in the world of extreme BMX biking. It features video footage of strippers which gamers can access as rewards for excellent play and it includes missions where you help a pimp pick up his prostitutes. Advertising on the net for the game includes dogs having sex, people throwing-up and scantily clad woman with their pimp. Examples of other popular violent video games include Duke Nukem and Doom. Research shows that 59% of fourth grade girls and 73% of fourth grade boys say that most of their favorite video games involve violence (Anderson, 2001).
“According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry the troublesome lyrics of some teen music advocate and glamorize the abuse of drugs or alcohol, present suicide as a "solution", display graphic violence, dwell on the occult with Satanism and human sacrifice, describe harmful sexual practices, incest, and are devaluing of women.” (NIMF 2001)
Heavy metal music has always been an avenue for counter-culture and liberal thinking. Much of the music’s lyrics condone free sex, drug uses and radical and often dangerous lifestyles. Artists like Marilyn Manson, Korn and Eminem have tested these freedoms of speech through their lyrics. Marilyn Manson readily refers to himself as the “anti-Christ” or as an anti-god. His music videos and concerts encourage suicide and his message easily goes into the face of the organized church:
• “You can kill yourself now because you’re dead in my mind” (Man That You Fear)
• “I am the faggot anti-pope” (1996)
• “I will bury your God in my warm spit” (Deformography)
• “All American AntiChrist” (Rock & Roll Nigger)
• “I am the Anti-music god.” “Here's your Antichrist Superstar” (AntiChrist Superstar)
• “I’ve got abortions in my eyes…I wasn’t born with enough middle fingers” “I am the ism, my hate's a prism; Let's just kill everyone and your god sort them out F*** it! (4 Times)” (Irresponsible Hate Anthem)
• “You'll understand when I'm dead I went to god just to see, and I was looking at me, saw heaven and hell were lies. When I'm god everyone dies. Scar can you feel my power? Shoot here and the world gets smaller ...One shot and the world gets smaller...Shoot here and the world gets smaller. Shoot, shoot, shoot motherf***er!”
• "Each thing I show you is a piece of my death. No salvation, Ha ha, no forgiveness. No salvation, Ha ha, no forgiveness!”(The Reflecting God)
• We are not a victim, you are not a victim. God will grovel before me.
God will crawl at my ? (Hidden Track #99)
The Marilyn Manson t-shirt wore by Clay Logan, the young man who shot his parents illustrated Manson’s violent anti-establishment message clearly:
“Warning, the music of Marilyn Manson contains messages that will
Kill God,
In your impressionable teenage mind,
as a result you could be convinced to
Kill your mom and dad,
And eventually in an act of hopeless Rock and Roll
behavior you will
Kill yourself.
Please burn your records while there is still hope.”
Last November, Eminem had the top selling movie, album and single. Plus his new movie, 8 Mile earned over $51 million during its first weekend, making it the second biggest R-rated opening of all time. 69% of movie viewers at 8-mile were under the age of 25. The DVD and video version of 8-Mile was released in March, 2003 and already the sales are significant. Eminem’s CD, “The Eminem Show” sold nearly 300,000 copies in the first day in November, 2002 (Los Angeles Times, 11/11/02; New York Daily News, 11/14-18/02; USA Today, 11/14-17/02). Obviously teenagers are listening and watching Eminem but what message are they hearing or seeing? Again, listen to the lyrics:
• “F--- you, Mrs. Cheney [and] Tipper Gore!!” (White America)
• To the US government he says, “I have the money to have you killed” (Square dance)
• He talks about knifing prostitutes (When the Music Stops)
• He glamorizes drugs in some of his songs: “Weed mixed with some hard liquor”
• He encourages blatant violence: “Bullet with your name – sendin’ it your way” and “Put anthrax on a Tampax and slap you till you can’t stand”
• He uses explicit sexual content (Soldier; Superman)
• He threatens violence against a pregnant woman (Drips)
• He claims to have sold out to the devil and brags about his influence on the youth of America. (Plugged In, 2002)
Offensive Behavior:
WWF’s "Raw is War" (World Wrestling Federation) has over 5 million households viewing weekly making it the highest rated cable television show and it often attracts more viewers than Monday Night Football on broadcast television. WWF’s sequel program "Smackdown" is also watched weekly by 5 million US homes making it also number one on the new UPN network. In addition, the WWF has produced numerous pay-per-view and home video productions which often rank in the top ten nationally. Other than pornography, WWF is one of the first businesses to make money on the internet by producing and selling live video streaming to home users via their computer. These are often far more explicit and vulgar than even cable TV would allow (Leland, 2000). Of the more than 1 million viewers, approximately 15% are under the age of 12. (Rosellini, 1999, p. 52). The WWC, World Championship Wrestling, reports that one fourth of its audience is youth ages two to seventeen (Holmstrom, 1998).
Television news show “Inside Edition” commissioned the Department of Telecommunication at Indiana University to do a one year study of fifty of WWF’s “Raw is War’s shown on the USA Network from February, 1998 through February 1999. The University found a plethora of objectionable content:
• 1,658 incidences of grabbing or pointing to a wrestler’s crotch
• 273 kicks to the groin
• 158 incidences of profane descriptions of people
• 157 incidences of “giving the finger”
• 128 incidences of simulated sexual activity
• 70 incidences of parading scantily clad women
• 47 incidences of satanic activity
• 42 incidences of simulated drug use.
• 21 incidences of talking about or appearing to urinate
• Numerous incidences of garbage cans, chairs, tables and brooms used in wrestling
• Several attempted “embalmings” on live people.
Of the two-hour broadcast, only 36 minutes was actual wrestling. 33% of the average viewers of “Raw” are seventeen years old and under. (Herring, 1999)
Negative Christian Values:
The Center for Media Education reports the following data:
• “9 out of 10 food ads on Saturday morning TV are for sugary cereals, candy, salty snacks, fatty fast foods and other junk food.
• Teens see 100,000 alcohol commercials before they reach drinking age.
• Children and teens are also targeted by interactive advertisers in cyberspace to develop "brand loyalty" as early as possible.” (CME, 2002)
WIRE Magazine reported last fall a “flood of violent & sexually depraved emails” and unsolicited spams which promoted incest, rape, and bestiality. RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) complaints went from 1 or 2 a week to about 150 (Wire Magazine, 2002).
One time WWF champion and still perennial wrestling bad guy, Stone Cold Steve Austin, touts his “Austin 3:16” t-shirts and memorabilia at events, on television and even in K-mart. To a Christian, the Bible verse John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life”, is the central focus of their belief. At one of WWF’s “Main Events,” Austin told the crowd of screaming fans, “Talk about your Psalms and your John 3:16, Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass.”
Point 4: Current research seems to show that the media does have a direct effect upon youth attitude and does change their behavior.
Violence:
Studies show that youth who are already at risk are attracted to alternative music like heavy metal or rap music from artists like Marilyn Manson or Eminem. Research has shown a correlation between the angry, depressive, blatantly violent lyrics and the increase in youth suicide and youth violence by those who are experiencing depression, school or personal alienation, suicidal tendencies, drug addiction and/or alcoholic issues and family relationship problems (Roberts & Christenson, 2001). If a child has aggressive tendencies, the influence of media violence is much greater (Coie & Dodge, 1998; Huesmann & Miller, 1994). We also know that music affects emotions and teenagers most often use music to augment, strengthen or to change their mood (Christenson & Roberts, 1998).
According to the Youth Violence report of the Surgeon General, “A substantial body of research now indicates that exposure to media violence increases children’s physically and verbally aggressive behavior in the short term (within hours to days of exposure). Media violence also increases aggressive and violent behavior.” (Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 9/14/1999)
Media violence has a direct influence on a child’s successive aggressive behavior (Bensley & Eenwyk, 2001; Wilson, Smith, Potter, Kunkel, Linz, Colvin, & Donnerstein, 2002). Younger children are especially influenced by media violence because they have a more difficult time distinguishing between what is real and what is not. They can not easily discern motives for violence, and learn simply by imitating what they see in the media. (Bushman, 2001). They also have a more significant chance of exhibiting violent and aggressive behavior when they are older than children who have not seen violent media (Congressional Public Health Summit, 2000). According to the Center for Media Education, quote:
• “Children who watch a large amount of violent programs tend to favor using aggression to resolve conflicts.
• The more violence children watch on TV, the more likely they are to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others, become less sensitive to other's pain and suffering, be more fearful of the world around them, and increase their appetite for violence in entertainment and in real life.
• According to the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association and others, viewing TV violence can have lifelong harmful effects on children's health.
• Children who watch a lot of TV have a greater risk of obesity, increased alcohol and drug use, and earlier involvement in sexual activity.
• Children who watch 4 or more hours of TV per day spend less time on school work, have poorer reading skills, play less well with friends, and have fewer hobbies than children who watch less TV.” (CME, 2002)
According to the NIMF website, six prominent medical groups (American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, American Psychological Association, American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Psychiatric Association) warn of these effects of media violence on children:
• “Children will increase anti-social and aggressive behavior.
• Children may become less sensitive to violence and those who suffer from violence.
• Children may view the world as violent and mean, becoming more fearful of being a victim of violence.
• Children will desire to see more violence in entertainment and real life.
• Children will view violence as an acceptable way to settle conflicts” (Congressional Public Health Summit, 2000)
Aggressive behavior especially increases in youth who play violent video games (Anderson & Bushman, 2001, p.353). Research by the National Institute for Media and the Family suggests that children who watched more television and played video games more often were more likely to exhibit hostile attributional biases (Buchanan, 2002).
Offensive Behavior:
Studies show that teens have a more positive mind-set about drinking and their own likelihood to drink after viewing alcohol advertisements (Austin, 1994; Grube, 1994). According to the Center for Media Education:
• “Most children younger than 6 do not understand that the purpose of advertising is to sell a product.” (CME, 2002)
• “Children who watch 4 or more hours of TV a day are more likely to believe advertising claims than children who watch TV less often.” (CME, 2002)
Each year, US children view 2,000+ beer and wine commercials. In 1999 alone, 52% of 8th graders and 80% of high school seniors reported consuming alcohol, with 31% of seniors reporting 5 or more drinks in a row at least once during the prior 2 weeks (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1995, 2001). Advertisers know that they can influence youth through media placement. According to the FTC, alcohol corporations placed their products in 233 motion pictures and in at least one episode of 181 different television series from 1997-98. Eight of the 15 most popular television shows with teenagers had alcohol product placements. They also have occurred in PG and PG 13 movies where the primary audience is teens and children (Federal Trade Commission 1999).
Negative Christian Values:
The media has been shown to influence the moral values and permissive attitudes about sex. Specifically a study was done on MTV’s influence upon college age youth. The study found that the ones who watched MTV regularly, their attitudes toward premarital sex changed dramatically. They became more accepting of it as compared to those who did not watch MTV (Calfin, Carroll, & Schmidt, 1993). In a similar study, 7th and 9th grade youth were found to be more likely to approve of sex before marriage after watching less than an hour of MTV (Greeson & Williams, 1986).
Also, the media has been shown to affect how youth see their physical bodies. The watching of soap operas, movies, music videos (Tiggemann & Pickering, 1996) and commercials (Hargreaves, 2002) and the viewing of teen magazines (Hofschire & Greenberg, 2002) have all been associated with an adolescent’s level of physical dissatisfaction and their desire to lose weight. Identification with TV stars (girls & boys), female models (girls) and male athletes (boys) also contributed toward body dissatisfaction by teenagers. These youth felt less confident, angrier and more disgruntled with their weight and physical appearance. Children as young as 10 years old stated they were not happy with their bodies after watching one Britney Spears video and a segment from an episode of “Friends”(Mundell, 2002). Media consumption by college undergrads was also found to influence their desire for thinness among men and body dissatisfaction among women (Harrison & Cantor, 1997).
Point 5: Not everyone agrees with the current research findings.
In an effort to show both sides of this topic, I searched journals looking for current research against media influence. I could not find any. So, I e-mailed Dr. David Walsh of the National Institute for Media and the Family (Minneapolis, MN) to ask if there was any known research which proved that the media did not influence youth. His response was, “There is no research showing that media has no effects on children.” While this is accurate, there have been some articles which have disagreed with some of the findings because of procedural issues or questionable evidence. Most notably is Professor Jonathan Freedman of the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto. In 2002, he wrote a 481 page scientific review entitled, “Media Violence and It’s Effect on Media Aggression.” As I was not able to find any actual “journal articles” by him on the subject, I also e-mailed him requesting direction. He referred me solely to the scientific review. I should mention that this book and his research were funded by the Motion Pictures Association.
Freedman claims that over the past 15 years he has analyzed every study on media violence published in English and in turn has concluded that “the results do not support the hypothesis that exposure to media violence causes aggression or criminal behavior in people.” (Easton, 2000) He further claims that people have “distorted” the scientific data. He claims that there is no “causal” effect, rather, people with “aggressive personalities simply prefer violent shows.”(Easton, 2000) Pulitzer prize winner and science author Richard Rhodes who wrote the book, “Why They Kill,” also claims that there is no significant link between violent media and violence in society (ABC , 2000). Finally, a 1999 editorial written in a British Medical Journal also suggested that “the experts are divided on the subject.” (Wright, 2003) Freedman and Rhodes are correct in that there is no “definitive” research which makes the case totally conclusive. However, it is important to note that there have been over 1000 research studies, all suggesting a minimal link between violent media and violence in society and there is currently no research disproving this hypothesis.
Point 6: The brain is manipulated by the media.
As any high school biology teacher will tell you, our brain contains billions of neurons. Everything we do, see, hear, or experience arouses a link between these neurons. Recurring stimulus causes these links to become even stronger. That means if the stimulus is repetitive, the neuron connection becomes more prominent in the brain.
Our brains contain three keys areas: the cognitive, the psychological, and the emotional. While the cognitive is the largest area, it is the emotional section which seems to have the greatest influence on our behavior. Because of emotional jolts (sex, violence, fear, humor or ‘a desire to belong’) the emotional section of our brain reacts. It is this area which “grabs our attention, determines significant segments our memory, motivates our actions, determines our attitude and drives our behavior.”(NIMF, 1999) The media plays upon the emotional jolts and often uses several simultaneously in order to arouse a significant and lasting emotional response.
Lt. Col. D. Grossman in “On Killing: the Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society,” says the US Army has determined:
• “That the more realistic the video game is helps blur the difference between fantasy and reality;
• Shooting at a simple target did not encourage real battle killing;
• Shooting at “realistic” targets desensitized soldiers and made killing a reflex” (Leo,1999)
Recent research suggests that the final stage of the frontal lobe development which determines discernment versus response/reflex mentality among teenagers does not begin its final stage of development until around 5th grade and does not complete its development until about 17 years old. Research further suggests that brain cells, once thought to not regenerate, actually do develop in areas of repetition (Walsh, 2003). This suggests that repetitive stimulus during this critical stage of development might have a significant influence upon a person’s rational discernment capability and could be the reason for the desensitization of violence among our youth. It would explain why seemingly normal youth have no despair in killing people at a school. It would explain why the Columbine boys look forward to actually “playing doom for real.” As this is new research, there is currently no direct correlation between frontal lobe development and media’s influence.
Point 7: My “sponge theory:” One thing usually does not make our behavior change.
If I had a new sponge and chose to clean up a coffee spill, a juice spill, a water spill and a milk spill, when the sponge was rung out, the combination would be an unpleasant mess. If I left the sponge that way, eventually it would begin to smell, mildew and subsequently grow mold. However, if the sponge simply soaked-up four piles of water, it would not smell and the growth of mildew or mold would be less likely. In the same way our brains “soak-up” considerable amounts of data from a variety of sources. Throughout a lifetime, we are influenced by many factors which contribute toward our values, beliefs and moral judgments – and eventually contribute toward our behavior. People are influenced by multiple things in life including relationships, family, parents, friends, experiences, sexuality, maturity, intellect, education, religious beliefs and convictions. Each of these becomes another item “soaking” in our sponge. No one item fills the sponge; instead they all become pooled together within the sponge.
In the same way, the causes of the violent or immoral behavior described at the beginning of this review can not simply be attributed to a linear deduction. For many, their approach to the media and behavior is that listening to Eminem or Marilyn Manson will make a person hate God, or viewing an R-rated movie will cause a person to have sex before marriage, or playing Grand Theft Auto will suddenly make a person a violent murderer. This is not true. It is important that we understand that the media on its own does not cause a person to become any of these things. They are all items “soaked up” which become combined with our other influences in our life.
Many factors in the portrayal of media violence contribute to its affect on children and teens. (Comstock, 1994, Huesmann, 2001).
“Many studies indicate that a single factor or a single defining situation does not cause child and adolescent antisocial behavior. Rather, multiple factors contribute to and shape antisocial behavior over the course of development. Some factors relate to characteristics within the child, but many others relate to factors within the social environment (e.g., family, peers, schools, neighborhood, and community contexts) that enable, shape, and maintain aggression, antisocial behavior, and related behavior problems.” (CDCP, 2000)
In my experience as a teacher, Director of Christian Education and “yuthguy,” I believe teenagers are influenced predominately by the media during a critical time in their mental development. This is further complicated by the fact that most youth are home alone often and they lack parental influence. Their mentoring is done via the media through video games, movies, the internet and music. According to the book “How Well Do You Know Your Children,” 63% have both parents working and three fourths are “latchkey kids” where a parent is not home when they arrive from school. According to their research, teenagers average 3-1/2 hours alone each day (Kantrowitz & Wingert, p. 39-39).
The problem occurs when we consider that during the teenage years, the media becomes a youth’s “predominant” influence. It causes repetitive messages to be “soaked-up” into a person’s brain – messages which when pooled together can significantly affect a person’s overall “sponge.” Eventually, the media’s reoccurring message could stimulate the emotional section of the brain and could negatively change a person’s behavior causing youth to compromise or totally ignore their social and spiritual upbringing. While the media is not the sole determiner of the sponge, it can significantly compromise it. But what if we could adjust our media consumption to be more in line with our morals, beliefs and values? What if that portion of a person’s sponge was clearer and not muddied with the corrupt messages of the media? Obviously, the impact of adolescence would not be easier, but the conflicting messages during adolescence would be less of an issue. The media’s messages for violent retribution, ungodly sexual behavior and material worldliness would no longer be the preferred model, but instead family based values and Christian morals could once again take precedence.
Conclusions
• The media is one influence in the behavioral development of a youth.
• The graphic violence, overt sexuality, morally mixed and negative messages of the media have polluted the established truths a youth may have learned at school, home and/or church.
• In the teen years, the media replaces and or takes on a more significant influence upon youth than at any other time in their lives.
• Stronger research is necessary to make the correlation between media and its influence on youth; however, there seems to be enough research to justify a concern and a preventative approach to the issues of media influence.
• The media messages and portrayals do have a lasting negative effect upon a youth’s behavior and judgment.
• Proper media discernment and evaluation processes must be engrained into the youth’s minds to allow them to better cope with the graphic violence, overt sexuality, morally mixed and negative messages.
• Significant reductions in the negative influences of the media are necessary.
Capstone Purpose
With this presented need and in an effort to make a positive impact upon youth and families, I have created a workshop and short term curriculum for the purpose of teaching teenage youth and their families the impact the media can have on them, proper media value judgments, brain science as it relates to media’s influence on youth and families, and the importance of media discernment.
Relating My Capstone to the Differences in Generations
All information in this section (unless otherwise noted) is taken from the book:
One Church, Four Generations: Understanding and Reaching All Ages in Your Church by Gary L. McIntosh.
The M3 and Me workshop / curriculum is predominately intended for the Bridger generation but will make a secondary impact upon the Boomers. The other generations may be affected in some cases, however, it would be most likely “accidental” rather than intended. To get a better idea of how it affects each generation intentionally or unintentionally, I will first give a synopsis of each of the generations, followed by the potential relationship with this capstone project.
The first is called the “Builders.” This group ranges in age from the late fifties and up. According to sociologist, the Builders are a “get-it-done” generation. Currently they represent about 19% of the population – but probably just around 5-6% in my current congregation. For this generation, life centered around three foundations: family, school and church. This generation has the most believers in God with 65% saying they believe in Jesus Christ. This generation grew up with radio (1930-40’s) and television was not even a part of most of their lives until their late 20’s. This generation has been highly critical of the media and the mixed messages it sends. They are the most “Bible based” and see the media’s messages conflicting with their faith walk. This group represents the grandparents of my intended audience. This is good, as we are told that the Bridgers (18 and under) have adapted many of the conservative and traditional opinions of the Builders.
The second group is called the “Boomers” and is those in their late thirties to mid fifties. The Boomer Generation represents 26.5 percent of the US population. While they are highly educated (25% have a degree), unfortunately they were also the first generation raised on television. While this generation’s challenge of tradition increased the tolerance for race, gender, and age, it also can be credited with the overt permissiveness and violence we see in the media. This generation holds the keys to media as the gatekeeper to most of the nation’s networks, recording companies and technology. For example, Dr. Kennedy of Coral Ridge fame once presented statistics that 98 of the 100 most significant “media gate keepers” supported the gay agenda. It is no wonder that the media has seen a significant acceptance of gay rights and gay messages over the past 5 years. This generation has become so tolerant and even encourages such diversity of beliefs that the media has stereotyped Christianity as repressive, intolerant, outdated and uncaring. It is also no wonder that sociologist find that this generation often moves from one church to another (seekers) and “church shops.” Even in their workplace, Boomers are searching as they will experience 3-6 major career changes. Statistics show that 35 % of Boomers say they believe in Jesus Christ.
The problem with this generation is that they have pulled away from parenting and have chosen to simply befriend their children. They have also chosen to allow their children the freedom to make their own choices – even about the media. My curriculum and/or workshop will hopefully impact them as they see the “science” of how our brains react to media’s messages. Hopefully they will see the importance of setting standards for their children. My hope is if I can not reach these parents through a “scriptural” approach, then hopefully a “logical” one will make them think about media’s influence upon their children.
The next group is the “Buster” (age 19 to mid 30’s) and if there had been no Roe versus Way, they would probably have been the largest generation of the four. However, they currently represent 24 percent of the birth population. This generation often has a difficult time discerning fact from fiction due to the significant influence of “reality” television and desensitization of the violence in the media – especially in video games. For the generation of Buster, it is their peer groups and their workplace which is their greatest influence. They often turn to their peers for support before family or the church. This generation was also the first one to fear for the disease Aids. A large percentage of this generation skipped college because they questioned the value of it. Free time is more valuable than money and having a high salary or a title is not important to the Buster’s.
The problem with Buster’s is that more than 40% are the children of a divorce, most were latch key kids, and 40-50% lived in a single-parent home as teenagers. For this reason, many lack relational skills due to their broken and dysfunctional families. As many as 75% of Busters aged 18 to 24 still live at home and 35% ages 20 to 34 live at home. They are afraid of marriage and pessimistic about their future. Busters are very lonely, confused and searching and they see the media as the handbook directing their search.
Sadly, if history repeats itself, this group should be the “youth leaders” of the next generation – but currently most Busters are not in church. They believe there are no absolutes and many are lost on a spiritual quest supported by the media messages of psychic lines, scientology and the occult. Only 15% of Busters say they believe in Jesus as their Savior.
Busters are not the focus of my curriculum, but some of the older members of this generation who may be parents may attend the curriculum or workshop for their younger children. The concern is that as this group takes on the leadership of our country in 2015, will we be any better off? This generation seems even more lost than their parents and as they were the first generation raised on the computer, they seek relationships which do not involve “real life contact.” The media is not seen as a threat to them and they have embraced it as a source for their spiritual and relational quests. They need their own curriculum – but where and how do you present it if they are not going to church and most do not attend college -- maybe on television?
The last generation and most current is also the second largest – and unfortunately for most churches the least ministered to – it is the generation called the “Bridgers” -- those aged 18 and under. Technology is essential to this generation and a teenager who does not have access to a computer, cell phone, e-mail and Instant Messenger thinks he/she will “die.” This generation has seen change come quicker and has been able to adapt better than the others. I liked the statistic that McIntosh presented that the fashion industry has had to re-create itself every 6 months just to keep pace with the Bridgers.
The problem is that this generation wonders if absolute truth really exists. They are characterized by the phrase “post-modern youth.” This means they no longer accept logical linear thinking and absolute truth. For this reason, this generation more than any other, believes truth is not found in one faith, but a combination of all faiths and experiences – especially in a new age scientology idealism. Studies show that the “post modern youth” desires spiritualism, but not from the traditional church. Just like their Buster brothers, they are drawn to psychics, channeling, witchcraft and the occult. The problem is that this fast paced generation is also quickly becoming one of the fastest self destructing of the generations. Columbine and the Peduka massacres are from this generation.
67% of this generation believes that being good enough will earn them a place in some sort of a heaven but only 4% actually believe in Jesus as their personal savior. This is especially alarming when you consider that experts tell us that 85% of people who receive Jesus as their savior do so before the age of 20. What is alarming is that the percentage of believers continues to become less and less in each subsequent generation: from almost 70% for Builders, 35% for Boomers, 15% for Busters and just 4% for Bridgers. I suggest that the media’s rise to influence during the Boomer generation (television) and its continued rise toward youth influence may have a direct correlation with these declining percentages.
Scripture tells us that even though the generations change, Jesus offers a changeless hope for a future; but more than ever, our generations need to hear and feel that message. Our church like so many others has made headway with the first two generations but is failing in effective ministry to the last two. My capstone project will not solve the problem of media discernment among any generation, but it may bring about a another tool which can be used by teachers, DCE’s, pastors and parents to help in the process of developing skills toward discernment. My hope is that this workshop and curriculum at worst will make youth and their parents aware of the issues, allow for discussion and comparison with their values, and cause them to make rational decisions about their media consumption.
M3 and Me: Classroom or Youth Group Curriculum
Intended Audience: Junior High or High School Age Youth
This curriculum can be done over four days or four weeks (once a week). It can use the workshop in sections or can be used as a pre or post experience connected with the workshop. The workshop is divided into six information modules:
• Slides 1-20: Introduction to youth violence – Why?
• Slides 21-28: Sponge theory and definition of M3 and Me
• Slides 29-35: Brain research as related to Media’s influence on youth
• Slides 36-115: Examples of current media influence
• Slides 116-124: Do the gatekeepers really mean it?
• Slides 125-141: Discernment principals and resource links.
Curriculum Sequence
Day One:
Theme –
• Values;
What is important to me?
Possible Workshop Section –
• None
Activity –
• Valyuse Island Cast Vote: Divide the group into smaller groups of 4-6 people. Give each small group a list of the people on the island. Have them decide who will be the only TWO left on the island. Bring the groups together after 20 minutes and discuss individually each person asking why or why they did not include them on the island. Look for their “value judgments” as they proceed through the process. Finally, have the groups get back together one more time and have them discuss why they chose the final survivor. Please note their value judgments during the process. If you have time, have them try to choose one survivor for the whole group.
Discussion Questions –
• What are values? Where do they come from?
• How did your values enter into your decisions during the Survivor Vote activity?
• Can our values change? Why or why not?
• How do we feel when others “force” their values on us?
Assignment –
• Complete the Personal Values Inventory form
Valyuse Island Cast
Chuck
|Characteristic |Extreme Left |Rating |Extreme Right |
|INTEGRITY |Dishonest / Cheater |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Trustworthy / Honest |
|WORK ETHIC |Lazy |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Work-a-holic |
|IDENTITY |Individual / Solo |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Team Player |
|PERSONALITY |Passive |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Aggressive |
|APTITUDE |Common Sense Intellectual |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Prefers Physical Labor |
Description: Always forceful, aggressive and in your face. Tells you what you should do and doesn’t try to listen to your opinion. A powerful and controlling leader. Best friend on the island: Maustin.
Donald
|Characteristic |Extreme Left |Rating |Extreme Right |
|INTEGRITY |Dishonest / Cheater |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Trustworthy / Honest |
|WORK ETHIC |Lazy |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Work-a-holic |
|IDENTITY |Individual / Solo |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Team Player |
|PERSONALITY |Passive |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Aggressive |
|APTITUDE |Common Sense Intellectual |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Prefers Physical Labor |
Description: Only thinks about money and material things; does not care about others unless he can get something out of the “deal.” Will do anything for financial or personal pleasure – even if it involves cheating or is illegal. Best friend on the island: Belinda.
Belinda
|Characteristic |Extreme Left |Rating |Extreme Right |
|INTEGRITY |Dishonest / Cheater |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Trustworthy / Honest |
|WORK ETHIC |Lazy |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Work-a-holic |
|IDENTITY |Individual / Solo |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Team Player |
|PERSONALITY |Passive |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Aggressive |
|APTITUDE |Common Sense Intellectual |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Prefers Physical Labor |
Description: Likes to get what she wants. Provocative and stylish, she uses her good looks to get what she wants. Dresses seductively and has no problem “sleeping-around” if she gets what she wants out of the deal. Divorced twice, her children currently live with her second husband. She has not seen them in over a year by her own choice. Best friend on the island: Luanne.
Hector
|Characteristic |Extreme Left |Rating |Extreme Right |
|INTEGRITY |Dishonest / Cheater |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Trustworthy / Honest |
|WORK ETHIC |Lazy |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Work-a-holic |
|IDENTITY |Individual / Solo |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Team Player |
|PERSONALITY |Passive |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Aggressive |
|APTITUDE |Common Sense Intellectual |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Prefers Physical Labor |
Description: A non-confrontational and peaceful man who prefers to listen and follow than to talk and lead. Reads regularly his religious book and seems to pray often during his free time. He does not know what to say to Belinda and Chuck. Most conversations with others include a personal testimony of his religious faith. Best friend on the island: none.
Luanne
|Characteristic |Extreme Left |Rating |Extreme Right |
|INTEGRITY |Dishonest / Cheater |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Trustworthy / Honest |
|WORK ETHIC |Lazy |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Work-a-holic |
|IDENTITY |Individual / Solo |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Team Player |
|PERSONALITY |Passive |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Aggressive |
|APTITUDE |Common Sense Intellectual |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Prefers Physical Labor |
Description: On the outside: Bubbly, energetic and outgoing; she tries to be everyone’s friend. On the inside: Behind the scenes she is plotting and deceiving others in order to win. Best friend on the island: Jake.
Dominic
|Characteristic |Extreme Left |Rating |Extreme Right |
|INTEGRITY |Dishonest / Cheater |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Trustworthy / Honest |
|WORK ETHIC |Lazy |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Work-a-holic |
|IDENTITY |Individual / Solo |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Team Player |
|PERSONALITY |Passive |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Aggressive |
|APTITUDE |Common Sense Intellectual |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Prefers Physical Labor |
Description: Extremely opinionated and especially negative toward minorities; seems angry a lot. Competitive and would have no problem hurting someone in order to win. Best friend on the island: Donald.
Mauston
|Characteristic |Extreme Left |Rating |Extreme Right |
|INTEGRITY |Dishonest / Cheater |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Trustworthy / Honest |
|WORK ETHIC |Lazy |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Work-a-holic |
|IDENTITY |Individual / Solo |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Team Player |
|PERSONALITY |Passive |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Aggressive |
|APTITUDE |Common Sense Intellectual |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Prefers Physical Labor |
Description: The oldest member on the island, he always says, “the way things used to be” or “from my experience we should.” Tires easily and rest often, but seems very wise, thoughtful and caring. He can not wait to have a cigarette when he gets off the island. Best friend on the island: Chuck.
Jake
|Characteristic |Extreme Left |Rating |Extreme Right |
|INTEGRITY |Dishonest / Cheater |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Trustworthy / Honest |
|WORK ETHIC |Lazy |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Work-a-holic |
|IDENTITY |Individual / Solo |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Team Player |
|PERSONALITY |Passive |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Aggressive |
|APTITUDE |Common Sense Intellectual |3 2 1 0 1 2 3 |Prefers Physical Labor |
Description: Somewhat chauvinistic, he flirts with all of the woman on the island. He has been unhappily married for 11 years. He is currently an unemployed salesman. Best friend on the island: Luanne.
Note: Some of the people do not know that someone else considers them their “best friend.” Best friends typically share personal information and try to work together often.
Created by Glen Dawursk, Jr. –
Personal Values Inventory Worksheet
Name: _____________________________________ Date: __ / __ / __
Complete the following information about yourself:
MOST IMPORTANT
Write five things you consider MOST important to your in life now.
These are things you would give up other things for. Be specific.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
LIKE ALOT
Write three things you like, but are NOT the most important to you right now. These are things you like, but would not give up other things for. Be specific.
1)
2)
3)
DON’T LIKE
Write five things you DO NOT LIKE right now and find offensive, rude or distasteful to you. If you have a choice, these are things you would avoid at all costs.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
ONE THING IN THE WORLD
If you could change ONE thing in the world, what would it be? Why? Be specific.
ONE THING AT SCHOOL
If you could change ONE thing at your school, what would it be? Why? Be specific.
ONE THING ABOUT YOU
If you could change ONE thing about you, what would it be? Why? Be specific.
THREE RULES
You are the dictator of the entire world. If you were to create three rules in order for society to live together better, what would they be? How would your enforce your rules?
Rule #1:
Enforcement:
Rule #2:
Enforcement:
Rule #3:
Enforcement:
PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT
A mission statement is a sentence or set of phrases which tell the purpose of a company or organization and set the vision for their future.
Based upon your answers above, what would you say is your “purpose in life?”
What are your values? What is your “mission statement?”
Created by Glen Dawursk, Jr. --
Day Two:
Theme –
• The Media’s Values and their Messages;
What does the media have to say to me?
Possible Workshop Section –
• Part Three: The Messages in the Media
Activity –
• Media Search: This activity will require some advanced preparation. Find printed newspaper or magazine advertising, comic strips, newspaper headlines and banners, and movie handbills AND make a list of television advertising slogans or jingles or memorable phrases from popular television shows or movies and type them out. When you have all the material, cut the ads, comic strips headlines, banners, handbills and phrases in half. The idea of the game is to put one half of the media item on the back of every person participating in the activity. As it is taped to their back, they should NOT see what it is. Instead, when it is time to begin, they are to roam the area seeking out someone to tell them what their item says or describing what it appears to be. Their job is then to find the person with the other half. The activity ends when everyone has finished finding their partner.
• Message Evaluation: As partners, complete the following questions about your media search phrase, ad or item:
1. What type of media is yours from? (eg. Newspaper, magazine, television, etc)
2. What was the “message” or idea being presented? Is there one?
3. Could it be presented via another form of media? Why or why not?
4. To whom was the message intended? Who was the target audience?
5. Had you heard of the message or idea before today?
6. How do you feel about the phrase, ad or item?
Discussion Questions –
• Does the Media give values? How? Why?
• Do we hear or see them? How? Why or why not?
• Why would the media offer “values”?
• Did your phrase, ad or item promote or present any values?
• What happens when a media’s value conflict with your own? What do you do? What should you do? Why or why not?
Assignment –
• Find five examples of “values” presented or promoted by the media
Day Three:
Theme –
• The Brain as a Sponge; Research;
What is going into my Sponge?
Possible Workshop Section –
• Part Two: Brain Science
Activity –
• Getting Roped: Peer Pressure Activity: Ask for six volunteers from your group. Have them sit in a semi-circle in front of the rest of the group. Make sure the first person (A) can see the last person (F). Tell the six that you will be passing an object around and all you want the people to do is feel the object. By passing, they are to find out all they can about the object. There are two other very important rules to follow:
1. There can be NO SOUND as the item is being passed, and
2. Each person must have their eyes closed. Blind folds can also be used.
C D
B E
A F
As soon as the small group closes their eyes, begin to pass a 12-inch piece of rope to the first person (A). As soon as the first person is done feeling the rope, he will pass it to the second (B); the second to the third (C); and so on. As soon as the fourth person (D) is finished with the rope, quietly take it from the person and pass a 6-inch rope to the fifth person (E). Be sure to be as quiet as possible. Don’t let anyone of the six know you’re switching the ropes! As soon as the last person (F) is finished with the rope, put both ropes in your pocket.
DO NOT AT ANYTIME ALLOW ANYONE OF THE SIX TO SEE THE ROPES!
Now tell the six they may open their eyes. As an icebreaker, ask the members of the group, ONE AT A TIME starting with A, “What color was the rope?”
Now ask, “How long was the rope?
REMEMBER: DO NOT TELL THE SIX THAT THERE IS MORE THAN ONE ROPE UNTIL AFTER THE QUESTIONING IS COMPLETE.
Starting one at a time with person A, the guess will be between 10 and 14 inches. Only E and F will be less than this. After going around once, tell the group, “In order for this Bible Study to be a success, the group will have to come up with a fairly close, if not exact idea of the rope size. Pressure the group members, especially E and F. The second time through, the numbers should change. E and F will especially change (in most cases) to a higher number. Note any changes for later reference.
After the second (or third time if a significant change did not take place), tell the six that you used two ropes. Ask the six (especially E and F):
“Did any of you feel pressured?”
“Did you want to change the size of the rope from your first guess? Why or why not?”
Explain how “peer pressures” caused them to change or consider changing their initial answers.
Discussion Questions –
• Can a person or something cause you to change your mind or your values? Why? How? When?
• Is it wrong to compromise my values? Why or why not?
• When are you more likely to change your mind or your values?
• Can this happen without you knowing it? Is this fair?
• What is “Brain Washing?”
• Does the media ever try to “brain wash” you? How?
• What can you do to prevent this from happening?
• Optional: Bible Study on Peer Pressure
Assignment –
• Write a one page “reaction paper” to the research presented. Do you believe it? Why or why not? How do you feel about “brain washing?” Do you feel the media brain washes you? Explain.
Day Four:
Theme –
• Discernment;
How do I take Control of What Goes into my Sponge?
Possible Workshop Section –
• Part One: Youth Violence (Media’s Effect); Part Four: Discernment
Activities –
• Cling Together: Have the boys lock arms in a circle. Have one girl try to pull the boys apart. They can not “hit” or “pull hair.” After a few minutes, have another girl help. See how long it takes before one of the boys lets go and the circle is broken.
This activity demonstrates the importance of working together for a common cause. There is strength in teamwork. Making the decision to change a person’s media habits is easier when there are others to help along the way. The “invading” girls can also represent the temptation to go back to the media we were used to or to justify our past and current choices.
• Circle Sit: Have all the members of group stand shoulder to should in a circle facing in. Have them turn to their right while staying tightly in the circle. On the count of three, have them sit down onto the knees behind them. Once they have comfortably found their position sitting, instruct them to stand again BUT TO KEEP THEIR FEET IN THE EXACT SPOT WHERE THEY HAVE THEM NOW.
While they are standing facing the person’s back in front of them, take two individuals out of the circle. Instruct the group to again sit down BUT REMIND THEM THEY CAN NOT MOVE THEIR FEET TO COMPENSATE FOR THE MISSING PEOPLE. Stretch to sit down again on the knees behind you. It is possible and the group will accomplish it eventually.
Next, have them stand again, keeping their feet in the same spot. Remove two more people from the circle and without moving their feet stretch to sit down again. Eventually the circle will fall down.
This activity also shows the importance of working together and also demonstrates how sometimes it will require tenacity and endurance to maintain their commitment to changing their media habits. It also shows when someone leaves the group, it hurts the whole. Having friends who make the same commitment to be media savvy will make the process much easier.
Discussion Questions –
• How can we differentiate the messages in media?
• How can we “self-filter” the media?
• How can we use each other to combat the influence or “brain-washing” of media’s messages?
• Am I willing to commit to change my media habits and become more discerning of what goes into my brain – even if it may seem difficult to change?
• How will friends affect my decision – good and bad?
Assignment –
• Write a 2-3 page essay on what I can do to become more media “savvy” and take charge of what goes into my sponge (brain)? Explain why this is or is not important to you. Finally, give your personal conclusion to the topic: I intend or I do not intend to change my media consumption habits. Explain your decision.
Optional: “Getting Roped by Temptation”
A Bible Study on Peer Pressure
Glen Dawursk, Jr. –
BIBLE STUDY -- STUDY GUIDE
II Timothy 3:1-5 Is this here now?
II Timothy 4:3, 4 Is this in our world now? Should we avoid them?
Colossians 2:20 Because of Jesus suffering and dying, we are free from the evil of this world.
We are no-longer SLAVES to the world.
Colossians 2:6-8 Cling TIGHTLY to your faith – do not DELIBERATELY do wrong.
Be careful to follow Christ IN ALL THINGS! (Rev. 3:11)
Romans 12:2 Don’t change to the things of the world … DON’T COMPROMISE!
Romans 1:16 Instead, in faith (trust) stand up for what you believe.
I Timothy 1:19 What can happen to our faith if we follow man’s misguided ways?
Hebrews 10:26, 27 Where can this lead to?
• BUT WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT IF WE DON’T FOLLOW THE THINGS OF THE WORLD?
II Timothy 3:12 & II Timothy 1:8 Watch – out, expect suffering!
I Peter 4:14, 16 & Hebrews 2:18 Jesus suffered too.
• Remember, a CHRISTIAN is like a tea bag – He doesn’t come to full strength, until He’s put into a little HOT WATER.
Luke 6:22, 23 You have a great reward where? For what?
• Did you know that the Jehovah’s Witness believe they become martyrs for Christ each time they are rejected while going door–to–door.
Matthew 26:41 & Galatians 6:1 Watch-out, expect temptations!
How does the “media” tempt us away from maintaining our Christian values? What can we do to fight this temptation?
• Who does the devil tempt most? Non-Christians or Christians? Answer: Christians! Non-Christians are already his. HOW CAN CHRISTIANS FIGHT SATANS TEMPTATION?
Luke 10:17-20 & Philippians 2:9-11 Call upon the name of Jesus to bind the powers of Satan.
• Claim the victory JESUS gave us by SUFFERING AND DYING ON A CROSS FOR US, (follow Jesus’ example in Matthew 4:10). The devil believes the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and trembles. There’s POWER in the name of JESUS.
II Timothy 3:12 – 17 & II Timothy 4:5 Growth acts as a two way street: It brings about more temptation BUT can help wipe it out faster too! (Remember, if you’re not growing – your dying, and temptation can take full control. Rev. 3:15, 16)
• Go to church regularly
• Read your Bible daily
• Open up to Jesus in prayer, and
• Witness of His love to others … (II Timothy 4:2)
PROMISES:
(II Timothy 4:15-18, Paul’s Example)
II Corinthians 12:7-10 In our weakness, God makes us strong!
I Corinthians 10:13 God will never allow a temptation we cannot handle,
Matthew 28:20 and He will never leave us!
• STEP OUT IN FAITH (TRUST) ---- AND BELIEVE THIS.
“Just as you have trusted God to save you, also trust Him in each day’s problems,” He’ll never fail you!
M3 & ME Workshop: Slides
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M3 & ME Workshop: Slide Narration
Pictures of the slides and the narration are included as a separate appendix. The narration alone is included below:
Slide 1: Intro Screen resource site – “”
Slide 2: Welcome to M3 and Me. During this presentation I will be walking you through a two hour presentation on media. Please understand that there are two ways to present this material: As a trickle or as a fire-hose. As a trickle I would present the material over a period of days or weeks. This might allow you to “soak-up” the information better, but it would not make the impact of media’s influence and message any less of an issue. Instead, this presentation will use the “fire hose” method. This presentation will show you examples from the media that when seen together “back-to-back” demonstrate the real problem with the media in society today.
Slide 3: Before we begin, we need to establish some “warnings.”
1) The presentation you are about to see includes offensive material.
2) However, everything seen or talked about in this presentation is readily available to youth legally via normal forms of media: radio, TV, magazines, movies, music and internet – usually during the day or during evening primetime.
3) I am presenting information, and when presented as a whole, it will seem overwhelming. It is that “fire-hose” effect I mentioned earlier.
4) I am not condemning any particular person, group, style or media.
And finally,
5) It is not my intent to tell you to burn your CD’s, chuck your DVD’s or unplug your video games. I will simply present the information and you can decide what you want to do with the facts that I am sharing.
If your child has NEVER been exposed to any media or if you have already made significant filtering of it, you may want to leave, as this presentation will present disturbing information which may be inappropriate for your particular children. Please use your parental discretion. Thanks.
Slide 4: Let’s begin with prayer: God, we pray that the words of my mouth, the images and samples I present tonight would be used to your glory. We pray that you would open the hearts and minds of the youth and adults here tonight to see how the media is influencing them. We pray that you provide an awakening and an urgency for change. Bless this presentation, in your name, Amen.
Slide 5: About a year and a half ago on Milwaukee’s north side, a man was brutally beaten to death. This may not have seemed like anything extra newsworthy as a daily murder in any large US city has become common place. Society has become desensitized to the idea. However, this murder was unique in that it involved a group of youth and children who were not a gang, but instead just neighborhood kids hanging out. The murder was the result of an altercation with this 36 year old man. In retaliation for something he did, they chased him down and bludgeoned him to death so badly that blood was splattered on the walls and ceiling of the duplex entry way where he tried to escape to. But what makes this murder even more alarming is the one of the murderers was just 10 years old. According to the reports, the ten year old hit the man repeatedly on his head with the back of a shovel until he saw the man’s ear rip off. But why? What would cause a child to feel that this was an acceptable way to deal with his anger? What is really going on?
Slide 6: Just over three years ago in Santee, California a 15 year old boy entered into his school and killed two students and injured 13 others. He said that he did it because he was tired of being teased for being too skinny. Why would a teenager feel that this was the way to handle his anger? What is going on?
Slide 7: In 1996, Clay Logan was a typical 16 year-old youth who felt his parents were overbearing and controlling. However, he desired to deal with them in an unusual way – he wanted to kill them. He often talked about killing them to his friends at school. He regularly wore a Marilyn Manson shirt which promoted the idea. His favorite song was “The End” by the “oldie” group the Doors. He would play it over and over and over again. He had every word, inflection and sound memorized. One night he decided to act upon the words of the song. His parents were asleep and oblivious to what was about to happen. Suddenly they heard Clay’s stereo blasting the Doors song down the hallway. They heard the words, “The killer awoke before dawn, he put his boots on he took a face from the ancient gallery; And he walked on down the hall. He went into the room where his sister lived, and...then he paid a visit to his brother, and then he walked on down the hall, and he came to a door...and he looked inside ‘Father’, ‘yes son’, ‘I want to kill you;’ ‘Mother...I want to...F you.’” His parents came rushing down the hallway to find Clay standing at his bedroom door with a handgun and on a chorus of the song, “Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill,” he shot bullets into his mother, killing her and one went into his father as he wrestled Clay to the floor. Why would a teenager deal with his adolescent anger in such a violent way? What is going on?
Slide 8: “On July 22, 1995, three teenage boys lured 15-year-old Elyse Marie Pahler from her home, taking her to a eucalyptus grove they had designated the Devil's altar. Once there, they drugged her, making her helpless against their assault. The three brutally killed her as a sacrifice to the Devil [in hopes of blessing their band called “hatred.”] The boys first strangled her with a belt and then took turns stabbing her fifteen times with an antler-handled hunting knife. As Pahler lay dying on the ground, praying and calling for her mother, the boys violently tromped on her neck attempting to silence her. They then raped her and repeatedly performed sexual intercourse with her body following her death. The vicious assault and murder were carried out according to instructions from lyrics written by the "Death Metal" band known as Slayer. These lyrics include directions on stalking, mutilation, dismemberment, rape, torture, cannibalism, necrophilia, and the killing of virgin females.” (quote taken from ) The family filed a law suit against the music industry and Slayer on May 19, 2000. This screen shows the album cover for their CD “Divine Intervention” which featured an a fan’s actual carvings on their arm.
Slide 9: “In August 1995, 16-year-old Brian Bassett and 18-year-old Nicholas McDonald murdered Bassett's parents and his five-year-old brother, Austin, at their home in Washington. Bassett shot his mother and father, Michael and Wendy. It was alleged that McDonald had eventually drowned Austin. In February 1996, following their arrests, both Bassett's and McDonald's lawyers claimed that the lyrics to Silverchair's 'Israel's Son' had provoked their clients to commit the crime. McDonald's lawyer, Tom Copland, alleged that his client had been listening to Silverchair's 'Frogstomp' album before the murders took place, and that the lyrics to 'Israel's Son' ('Hate is what I feel for you/I want you to know that I want you dead') were "almost a script. They're relevant to everything that happened". It was also alleged that, immediately after the murder, Bassett played 'Israel's Son' and danced around kicking his parents' bodies. Both are currently serving life sentences.”
Daniel Johns, the 16 year old Silverchair’s lyricist says, "When I write lyrics, I try to get as much of the crap in my life out through them," he says. "I get all the shit out through the music, so I can enjoy the rest of the time I have. As a band, we always like dark, aggressive music, so I like to write about the dark side and get my aggression through music. (Taken from “Roo Fighters Kerrang!” By Paul Elliott from )
Slide 10: The year before, two Milwaukee teenagers decided to act out the words of the Tupac Shakur’s song“2 Pacalypse Now” which suggests the pleasure in killing a police officer. One of the youth went to the second story window of a Milwaukee bungalow and waited with a high power rifle while the other youth made the call to the Milwaukee Police Department requesting a squad be sent immediately. When the police van drove past the bungalow, the youth shot the officer killing him. At the subsequent court case, the lawyers claimed that the youth were simply responding to the words they had memorized in the song. What is going on? Pleasure in killing a cop?
Slide 11: February 2, 1996, Barry Loukaitis entered a classroom in Moses Lake, Washington dressed up like a gunslinger with 2 concealed pistols, 78 rounds of ammunition and a high powered rifle and killed a teacher and two students. Prosecutors said the 14-year-old loved the violent movie, Natural Born Killers and was “inspired” by the 1992 Pearl Jam music video Jeremy that depicts a teen shooting his classmates. Loukaitis had thought it would be "fun" to go on a killing spree.
Slide 12: In 1998, three 16 year old Burlington High School youth plotted to have a mass murder of students and teachers at their school. In addition, these youth daily read from a Satanic Bible which encouraged them on the pleasure’s of dealing with anger through murder. It was an observant teacher who found a notebook filled with the morbid details for the planned massacre. Amazingly, this occurred the year before Columbine.
Slide 13: What is going on? All over the US and just last year a similar scenario occurred in Europe. What is causing our youth to explode in such anger, hatred and violent retribution?
Slide 14: This violent behavior is not limited to just the US. Just two years ago, a 19 year old German high school senior shot 14 teachers, 2 students, a police officer and himself.
Slide 15: Probably one of the most analyzed and discussed examples of this murderous behavior was the incident that occurred at Columbine High School, April 20th, 1999. It was about 11:25 Am when Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris went on a 15 minute murderous rampage at their high school killing themselves and 12 others. But why? Why would these seemingly normal upper middle class youth want take the life of so many others and themselves? Subsequent reports after the event have shown that it was not one single thing which caused them to do what they did. It was not just an issue of rebellion toward their parents. Harris’ parents were even home while they made their pipe bombs in their attached garage; hammering and sawing late into the evening. It was not that they were uninvolved loners at their school -- one had participated in soccer and the other in drama club. Klebold went on a prom date the week before. Yet these two young men held significant pent-up anger against many students and teachers at their school -- especially the “religious” ones.
Slide 16: They wanted revenge for their anger and they were encouraged through the internet via on-line hate, skinhead and Nazi group websites and chats rooms. It was not by accident that the date of the massacre was Hitler’s birth date. They were directed by the lyrics of European metal bands like Ramstein and KMFDM who promote murder as revenge; and they were desensitized to killing people through the graphics and gratification offered for violent murder in the games Doom and Nukem. In a video tape they made the day before the massacre, Harris bragged how they were going to finally do Doom for real and he even named his gun “Arlene” after a character in the video game. At one point in the video Klebold says, “I hope we kill 250 of you” and a diary they kept stated they wanted to kill 500 people. What would cause such anger, hatred and violence? What is going on?
One of the interesting stories surrounding the Columbine massacre was the killers’ desire to confront youth who professed to be Christian. On the video tape, Klebold referred to themselves as being “god-like” and having the New Age concept of “self awareness.” He said, “We're not exactly human - we have human bodies but we've evolved into one step above you f****** human s***. They called two girls who professed to be Christian: “f****** little Christianity, Godly whores.”
Harris: "Yeah, I love Jesus, I love Jesus, shut the f*** up.'‘
Klebold: "What would Jesus do? What would I do. Boosh! (points at camera as if holding gun).
Harris: "I would shoot you in the m************* head! Go Romans - Thank God they crucified that a******.'‘ Both: "Go Romans! Go Romans! Yeah! Whooo!''
Slide 17: One of the victims of Columbine was 17 year old Cassie Bernall. Just two years prior, Cassie was into Satanism, witchcraft and the occult. She was rebellious and disrespectful at home and she was making bad decisions. Not exactly the life we would expect from what many call a “religious martyr.” Once while her mom was looking in her daughter’s room, she found stacks of letters that Cassie had written and received from a friend. Listen to Cassie mother describe what she found: “A letter addressed to Cassie from a friend opened with several lines of unprintable sex talk and ninth-grade gossip, and went on to discuss a teacher at the high school, Mrs. R., and invited Cassie, ‘Want to help me murder her?’ The letter ended with a reminder about a ‘neat spell,’ drawings of knives, vampire teeth and a caricature of Mrs. R lying in a pool of blood, butcher knives protruding from her chest. There was endless talk about the ‘fun’ of alcohol, marijuana and self-mutilation, and the adventures of a classmate whose girlfriend went to ‘this satanic church, cult thing where you have to drink a kitten’s blood to get in.’ Still another depicted a crudely drawn knife dripping with ‘parent’s guts’ and headstones for ‘Pa and Ma Bernall.’ I called my husband at work and said I needed him to come home right away.” [Teen People Magazine, November 1999, 101-102 taken from an excerpt from “She Said Yes” by Misty Bernall published by The Plough Publishing House] Cassie’s parents transferred her to a parochial school, but she still continued to rebel. It was not until one weekend when there was a church youth group retreat. Cassie did not want to go, but she bargained with her parents and agreed to go in trade for something else. Cassie had no idea what was going to happen. That weekend, her heart changed and she rejected her past commitment to Satanism and became a Christian. For the next two years, Cassie became a radical believer. The night before Columbine, her youth pastor and youth staff even talked about how strong-willed Cassie had become about her faith. They feared she may be “turning” people off by virtue of her strong witnessing [from a “Focus on the Family” interview]. She really had changed from just two years before. Once Cassie said to her mom, “Mom, it would be OK if I died. I'd be in a better place, and you know where I'd be.” (Taken from bpa2.asp?ReturnURL=.)
Slide 18: On April 20th that year, Cassie was in the school library preparing for a Bible study at her church youth group that night when suddenly the sounds of explosions from pipe bombs, gun fire and blood curdling screams were heard throughout the building. The librarian instructed the kids to get under the tables immediately. The next thing Cassie knew, Harris and Klebold had entered the library. They seemed to seek out specific individuals and Cassie was one of them. According to witnesses, Harris came up to Cassie who was under a table, put a sawed-off shotgun to her head and asked her, “Are you a Christian?” She did not respond immediately. Instead, she stood up first and then said, “Yes, I believe.” He then asked her “Why?” and before she could answer, he pulled the trigger.
Slide 19: Remember the 15 year old Santana, California youth who killed others because he was tired of being teased for being too skinny? Time magazine evaluated the known cases of school violence by students during the same week. Note, schools do not report to the media or even to the parents every time there is a bomb threat or an incident involving a gun or excessive violence. These are only the ones we know of.
Slide 20: The question comes back to…”But Why?” Why are our youth today resorting to such extreme violence to deal with their adolescent issues and pressures? What has changed over the past 20 years to bring about such a significant change?
Slide 21: The Question is: Does listening to Marilyn Manson or Eminem really make me “hate God”? Will playing Nukem or “Grand Theft Auto” really make me a violent killer? Will watching an erotic “love scene” in an “R” rated movie or “MA” rated cable show make me have sex before I’m married? The answer is: NO! …not by itself and not directly. BUT check out what I call the “Sponge Theory.”
Slide 22: Let’s say that you have a new, fresh clean sponge and you spill some coffee here, some soda here, some water here and some grape juice over here. You then take that clean sponge and wipe up all of the spills. When you ring out the sponge, what will you have?
Muck! The sponge will simply be a combination of all of the things it has absorbed. Now, what would happen if we were to let that sponge just sit filled with all of this “muck?” It would develop mildew or mold and eventually smell – and the sponge would be impaired if we tried to use it again. Now, let’s change our scenario. What if we spilled some water here, some water here, maybe some coffee here and some more water over here. Now when we wipe up the messes, the sponge will be less “mucky” and will not smell as badly – and will be easier to clean up. You see what we put into the sponge determines the functionality of the sponge later and the fact that three of the items were water, allowed the coffee to be more diluted and less of an issue for mold and a rotting smell.
Slide 23: In the same way, our brain is a sponge. Who we are is determined by the “inputs” our sponge receives through our experiences via our senses. We are affected not by one thing, but by many things. We are affected by our relationships with our family, parents and friends; by our unique and shared experiences; by ours and other’s sexuality and maturity – mentally, physically and perceived; by our education and our perception of our education, our successes and challenges in school; and by beliefs and convictions. Note that beliefs and convictions are not the same. Belief is what we will accept or confirm acceptable in our head – but convictions are what we passionately live in our life and will stand-up for. These “influences” help to determine our values, morals, judgments and how we perceive things in our life. However, I contend that the greatest influence for a teenager, ages 13-18, is the “M3 factor.”
Slide 24: I contend that the M3 factor – Music, Movies, and other electronic Multi Media has become the predominate influencer for youth today. Let’s try out my theory here: 1) Youth, when you get home from school, how many of you have NO parents home? Parents, you can answer with them if you are NOT home when your kids get home. Ok, hands down. 2) Youth, how many of you when you get home play your video games, check out your IM or e-mail, get on a chat line, surf the web checking out sites, play your CDs, turn on the radio, put in a movie, work on a computer program or computer game, rent a movie on Satellite or cable, flip on the TV and watch a favorite show like MTV, Comedy channel or Nick, or simply download an MP3 file from the web? In almost every place I speak on this topic the numbers significantly demonstrate how the media has become a significant part or “influence” in our teenager’s lives. Today, if a teenager doesn’t have IM, E-mail or a cell phone – they think they will “just die!” The media is everywhere around us. Even grocery stores and Wal-Mart's now have televisions in aisles advertising products and special promotions. The media is everywhere and it is especially targeting our youth.
Slide 25: As an old computer adage reminds us: “Garbage in, garbage out!” So it is how the media has been affecting our teenager’s lives as well.
Slide 26: But how bad is this M3 factor really? According to research, teenagers:
• Ages 12-17 average 22 hours of TV per week.
• 55% listen to 5 or more hours of recordings per week (tapes, records, CD’s).
• Ages 15-19 buy 25% of all recordings.
• Buy 38% of all movie tickets.
98% of all US homes have at least one TV.
Plus the 2004 Neilson Net Ratings show that 77.6% of 2-17 year olds have internet access now and 74.9% of all American homes have internet access. (4/2004 -- pr/pr_040318.pdf)
Slide 27: BUT…Teenagers often say: I don’t pay attention to the words. I can ignore the messages.
Slide 28: I call this the “Dick Clark” excuse. For many of you parents we remember Dick Clark for the weekly Rock and roll dance show “American Bandstand.” You can still see the reruns on VH1. It was actually the inspiration for “Soul Train” which still is on the air – but it was more pop music orientated. Each week, Dick Clark would ask one or two teenagers to “rate a record.” He would simply play 20 to 30 seconds of a new record and then based upon that sampling the teenagers had to give it a rating from 35 to 100. The majority of the weeks the teenagers response was predictably: “It’s got a great beat and it’s easy to dance to… I give it a 95!” They based the song on just the beat and chose to ignore the words – the message. This is the excuse for many youth today – but biology shows us that we actually do get the messages even if we think we are ignoring them.
Slide 29: Let’s take a quick trek into Brain Biology 101…
Our brains contain neurons. Everything we do, see, hear, experience stimulates a connection between the neurons. We actually never forget anything. Our neurons maintain our memories – it is just sometimes we have difficulty locating which neuron is saving what information. The more repetitive the stimulus, the stronger the connections become. The more we repeat something we see, hear, or do, the more significant a connection between the neurons becomes. Repetitive messages or activities change our brain; they change us.
Slide 30: Our brains have areas for:
• Cognitive – which is the largest,
• Psychological,
• And Emotions.
The “emotions” part of our brain is what drives our behavior. So when we have a repetitive stimulus in the emotional area of our brain, it will affect our behavior as well.
Slide 31: The Emotions area of the brain:
• Grabs our attention
• Is the major determiner of our memory
• Is essential for our attitude
• Motivates our actions
Recent brain research has also found two additional startling facts:
1) Up until recently we thought that we did not grow new brain cells. Through repetition, new brain cells can be produced;
2) We used to think that the brain was completely finished soon after birth and then just grew larger. However, new research suggests that at about 5th grade, the last stage of our brains development is just starting. A final portion of the frontal lobe does not even begin developing then and completes the process around age 16 or 17. This area of the brain determines our “discernment, reasoning and rational.”
Both of these discoveries are closely impacted by the “Emotion” area of the brain.
Slide 32: The media triggers the emotions section of the brain through “Emotional Jolts.” These are techniques intended to stimulate that section of the brain and produce a specific behavior. The media uses emotional jolts to “get our attention” through the display of:
• Sex
• Violence
• Fear
• Humor
• Desire to belong
Emotional Jolt Techniques include: Special effects, animation, pacing, editing, camera angles, graphics, back ground sounds or music, color, lighting, mixes, volume, etc.
Slide 33: Your brain maintains all you see, hear, feel and experience like a hard drive. How many times have we had a memory come forward that we had not remembered for years. It never went away, it just had no connection or reference to bring it forward before. In the same way, if an “emotional jolt” grabs you, the information it brings with it will stay with you and influence you subconsciously for a life time. Sound like “Brain Washing?” It is, sort of.
Slide 34: Alright, how many of you know the theme to Gilligan’s Island? Beverly Hillbillies? Happy Days? Brady Bunch? How many of you know another television theme song? So did you memorize the words like you memorize a play script or catechism? No you didn’t.
Slide 35: We actually have two brains: the LEFT brain which is more analytical, likes to number crunch, organized, and puts things in order. This is our “lyrics side” of the brain. Our RIGHT side is more creative, “outside the box”, and artsy. This side is our “music side” of the brain. Studies show that when we combine both sides – we memorize more quickly and it is long term. The words of the Brady Bunch theme are left brain and the music is right brain. Add to that repetition and we have long term memory. Such is the purpose and success of “Hooked on Phonics.” The rules of language and reading are left brain, but the music is right brain. Together they make learning and memorizing easier.
So every time you listen to a song, watch MTV, play a video game – you are also taking in the message the media presents and storing it into your emotional area of your brain -- combining it with other similar stored-messages…
– even if you don’t know it. Together, your brain (your sponge) creates and strengthens the neuron connections of these similar message areas and helps to determine your behavioral responses during life.
Slide 36: BUT… Come on, the M3 Factor, it’s not really that bad is it?
Let’s take a look at actual samples of the media’s messages.
Slide 37: Research shows us that a normal child will listen or view 200,000 acts of violence and 20,000 murders by the time they graduate from high school.
Slide 38: Let’s check out a few media sample. This is a video from Marilyn Manson’s song “Get Your Gunn” from the album “Portrait of an American Family.” Notice how he is dressed as a witch or warlock. The words behind are rumored to be taken from the Satanic Bible. The key point here is that Marilyn Manson is a very smart business man. Nothing is done without his permission. Every image, lyric, and sound are intentional.
Slide 39: Marilyn Manson was raised in a Catholic home and attended a Catholic school. One day he came dressed differently and embarrassed by the staff and teachers. He has committed himself against the church and Christianity ever since. What is he standing in front of in the black and white picture? It is not by accident that he is in front of a Ouji board – often used by Satanist to communicate with demons. This is an intentional use of “shock’ to draw in your emotional part of your brain. His look, for example two different contact lens colors, is all part of the “shock” he desires – but it is his message that is most shocking.
Slide 40: These are lyrics from some of his songs:
• “You can kill yourself now because you’re dead in my mind” (Man That You Fear)
• “I am the faggot anti-pope” (1996)
• “I will bury your God in my warm spit” (Deformography)
• “All American Anti-Christ” (Rock & Roll Nigger)
• “I am the Anti-music god.” “Here's your Antichrist Superstar” (Antichrist Superstar)
Note the picture from one of his concerts. He spreads his arms out wide as if being crucified and claims he is the “Anti-Christ.”
Slide 41: “I’ve got abortions in my eyes… I wasn’t born with enough middle fingers”
“I am the ism, my hate's a prism; Let's just kill everyone and your god sort them out
F*** it! [4 Times]" (Irresponsible Hate Anthem) Note the T-Shirt logo of the “Christo” symbol [P and X] on a Manson concert shirt. The Christo is the first two Greek letters in the name Christ.
Slide 42: “You'll understand when I'm dead I went to god just to see, and I was looking at me; Saw heaven and hell were lies; When I'm god everyone dies. Scar can you feel my power? Shoot here and the world gets smaller... One shot and the world gets smaller... Shoot here and the world gets smaller. Shoot shoot shoot motherf***er!” Note the shirt sold at a Manson concert using the Christian fish symbol to represent Manson as the Anti-Christ.
Slide 43: "Each thing I show you is a piece of my death"No salvation,
Ha ha no forgiveness, No salvation, Ha ha no forgiveness Ness!!!!!!!!”
(The Reflecting God) We are not a victim, you are not a victim, God will grovel before me. God will crawl at my ***? (Hidden Track #99) Note what the concert shirt promotes: “This is your world in which we grow and we will grow to hate you.”
Slide 44: Here is another Manson concert shirt. Note the Satanic symbols intermixed with religious words intended to confuse youth.
Slide 45: Remember the shirt Clay Logan, the 16 year old who shot his mom and dad while listening to the Doors? Here is the layout and text of a Manson shirt he regularly wore to school:
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“Warning, the music of Marilyn Manson contains messages that will Kill God In your impressionable teenage mind, as a result you could be convinced to Kill your mom and dad, And eventually in an act of hopeless Rock and Roll behavior you will Kill yourself. Please burn your records while there is still hope.”
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Note that from a distance it is the “kill” phrases which you see.
What is the message of Marilyn Manson?
Slide 46: For Manson, like Harris and Klebold, their attack is not just against people, but seems to also be focused on “Christians.” “Those who hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head; They are mighty who destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully; Those who sit in the gate speak against me, and I am the song of the drunkards.” --Psalm 69:4, 12
Slide 47: Korn has always been one of the biggest metal band draws over the past 5 years. Their lead singer, Jonathan Davis, talks about one of the songs they recorded called My Gift for You. "Renee [his girlfriend] always wanted me to write her a love song and that's why I called it 'My Gift To You'. I always had a fantasy of f***ing her and choking her to death. I fantasize about what it would look like, me in her body and watching me do it. So it's like a really sick f****d up song. I love her so much, I want to take her out of this world. It's really strange.”
Slide 48: He continues: “She used to leave notes on my pillow, like 25 ways she'd like to kill me. She's got this weird death fetish. We're kinda f***in' freaky."
Now many defenders of Korn might say, “Oh they don’t really mean that, besides, that is just one song.”
Slide 49: Here are the words of a song called Kill You: “Now these memories, fill my heart, they bury me All I wanna do! (You are not my real mother) Is kill you – should I beat and stab and f**k her? Looking back I was never ever right. You were my step-mom … then I tried to let it pass, but the pictures [visions] in my head, were with you with a knife up you’re a**, laying dead, so I pop some more caps in your a**,.. You made my life not so good; All I wanna do!...is kill you”
Slide 50: Korn back in the 90’s disseminated their message of violence through concerts called “Family Values 98 and 99” Note that the metal band Harris and Klebold were inspired by, Ramstein, is also on the play bill. Korn’s messages even attack also aspects of the family – even Mr. Rogers: “What a f***ing neighbor... I hate you” (Mr. Rogers) The song Good God is NOT a “Godly” song. Davis tells whomever to repeatedly “Get the F*** out of my face” [CLICK ON SPEAKER ICON]
Slide 51: This video by Korn was number one on MTV when it came out. Notice how the message of sex after death is promoted. The song is called ADIDAS or “All Day I Dream About Sex.” A.D.I.D.A.S. talks about masturbation and having sex with strangers. For Korn, the video suggests that they are dreaming of sex with a corpse and is consistent with the lead singer’s fantasy about his girlfriend.
Slide 52: Groups like N-Sync really had little issues with the parents. Their songs usually were about love and commitment – not sex. Several albums ago that changed. The group sold over 150,000 copies of this album on the first day. It included a song called “Digital Get Down” which talks about mutual masturbation using cameras over the internet. Now…am I saying we should not listen to N-Sync? No. BUT, CD burners allow you to make a legal backup of your CDs and I suggest that you simply do not include that song on the mix.
Slide 53: Britney Spears has been in the news a lot lately. Her desire to “grow-up” from the Mickey Mouse teen idol she was back in the early 90’s has led her into an unusual direction. Once the clean cut, innocent girl, Britney has gone the other direction condoning everything from a 50 hour marriage, public nudity, drunkenness and suggestive lyrics. She has included a song about masturbation on her current album.
Slide 54: As for her open mouth kiss of Madonna on the MTV Video Music Awards, she had this to say: "Well, my mom liked it actually… And my dad, weirdly enough, he thought it was fine, too. I mean, come on ... it's Madonna. If you can kiss any girl in the world, that has to be her.” I don’t know if that would be my first choice!
Slide 55: How big an influence has Britney Spears had on youth? According to US Today, substantial. Britney’s response: “These parents, they think I’m a role model for their kids, that their kids look at me as some sort of idol. But it’s the parents’ job to make sure their kids don’t turn out that shallow. It’s the parents who should be teaching their kids how to behave. That’s not my responsibility. I’m not responsible for your kid.” -- Entertainment Weekly, 11/17/03
• In the Zone debuted at #1 (609,000 copies) 11/03
• Britney debuted at #1 (746,000 copies) 11/01
• I Did It Again debuted #1 (1.3 million) 5/00 -- USA Today 11/26/03
Slide 56: Another heavy hitter in the music industry is Eminem. For the week ending Nov. 10, 2002, Eminem locked down number-ones in three major MEDIA categories:
• Movie,
• Album and
• Single.
Slide 57: 8 Mile earned over $51 million during its first weekend, making it the second biggest R-rated opening of all time [up to 2004]. Paul Degarabedian of Exhibitor Relations says: “69% of 8 Mile attendees have been under the age of 25.”
Sold nearly 300,000 copies of the album “The Eminem Show” in the first day.
To say the least, Eminem has the eyes, ears and minds of a large number of youth in America.
Slide 58: Check out some of the Eminem messages: “F--- you, Mrs. Cheney [and] Tipper Gore!!” (White America) These words are focused on two politician’s wives who have been very vocal about getting parental advisories on music videos and CDs. To the government: “I have the money to have you killed” (Square dance)
Explicit sexual content (Soldier; Superman) Threatens Violence against a pregnant woman (Drips)
Slide 59: Song Lines/Topics: Knifing prostitutes (When the Music Stops)
Glamorizes Drugs: “Weed mixed with some hard liquor.” Violence: “Bullet with your name – sendin’ it your way;” “Put anthrax on a Tampax and slap you till you can’t stand.” Beliefs: Claims to have sold out to the devil and brags about his influence on the youth of America
Slide 60: He seems to present his “purpose” in life as to destroy people who are different than he is. In the song: The Real Slim Shady, he says: “I'm sick of you little girl and boy groups, all you do is annoy me; so I have been sent here to destroy you; And there's a million of us just like me who cuss like me; who just don't give a f*** like me who dress like me; walk, talk and act like me and just might be the next best thing but not quite me!”
Slide 61: Very often the name of the group seems to imply that they are of a particular belief. Creed has been accused of being “Christian” but their website clearly says they are not. While their words do offer morals which seem in line with Christianity, they profess a New Age world view about religion. Lead singer Scott Stapp explains on the group’s official Web site: "No, we are not a Christian band. A Christian band has an agenda to lead others to believe in their specific religious beliefs. We have no agenda!"
Slide 62: As Scott Stapp. The lead singer of Creed says, "I haven’t come to any resolutions. Someone asked me if I was a Christian. I don’t know. I still have a lot of questions that I wish I had answers for.”
Slide 63: The attack on Christianity is not new. If we forget that, then we simply need to see the movie “The Passion of Christ” written, directed and produced by Mel Gibson.
Slide 64: Television is a key player in the M3 Factor. A recent study found that of the daily media consumption of 12-17 year old males, television accounts for 45% of their time spent in media followed by radio at 17%, the internet at 16% and video games at 15%. Television also includes the use of recorded movies and subscription services. (April 5, 2004, Knowledge Networks/SRI’s MultiMedia Mentor from MMMvideogames.htm)
Slide 65: Television is a key player in the M3 Factor. A recent study found that of the daily media consumption of 12-17 year old males, television accounts for 45% of their time spent in media followed by radio at 17%, the internet at 16% and video games at 15%. Television also includes the use of recorded movies and subscription services. (April 5, 2004, Knowledge Networks/SRI’s MultiMedia Mentor from MMMvideogames.htm )
Slide 66: Even South Park has chosen to attack Christianity. In each episode, one of the third graders, Kenny, dies. Here he takes on crucifixion.
Slide 67: Here are some facts about television usage among youth:
• 56% of children have a TV in their room.
• The average house in America has 2-6 television sets.
The average teenager spends:
• 1/2 hour a week with Dad alone
• 2-1/2 hours a week with Mom alone
• 5 hours a week doing home work
• 2 hours a week reading AND
• 24 hours a week watching television!
Slide 68: MTV which when it came out in the 80’s was touted as a “music” channel, but it has expanded its programming and message to include shows about sexuality. MTV’s Undressed was about high school youth and included graphic scenes promoting pre-marital and gay sex. Loveline was a take-off of the early 80’s interest in Dr. Ruth except Loveline was far more explicit and permissive. A gatekeeper in media is the person who has control of what can go through the media. The gate keeper can also stop information, decrease information or increase the information going through the media depending upon his/her perspective or interest in the message.
Slide 69: One of MTV’s first productions outside of music videos was Beavis and Butthead, a cartoon which promoted violence through arson and rude conduct. This show was named as a contributing factor in hundreds of arsons across the US including one where a brother set a sibling on fire after watching the cartoon.
This is an active website dedicated to Beavis and Butthead.
Slide 70: In a study over 30 years ago of 240 of the most influential television, movie, and media writers, producers, and executives it was found that they had extreme liberal views:
• 93% seldom attended church
• 75% claimed to be politically left
• 97% are pro-abortion
• 80% do not consider homosexuality wrong
• 86% supported the right of homosexuals to be public school teachers
• 51% Considered adultery acceptable
Slide 71: In 1985, The Los Angeles Times conducted a study of 3,000 journalists from 621 newspapers from across the country. They determined that "Members of the press are predominantly liberal, considerably more liberal than the general public." A survey conducted by the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company which included 2,018 hours of interviews with the public and 1,700 hours with media leaders showed that the media was significantly out-of-step with the general public’s views on “critical life issues, abortion and homosexuality.” (The Connecticut Mutual Life study is explained in article "The Media is the Message" written by David Farrell in the Human Life Review, Spring 1986, pgs. 45 to 55.)
Slide 72: It is consistent that the world has always desired evil. The media is both a reflection of that desire and a mentor as well.
Slide 73: WWF’s "Raw is War" (World Wrestling Federation) has over 5 million households viewing weekly making it the highest rated cable television show and it often attracts more viewers than Monday Night Football on broadcast television. WWF’s sequel program "Smackdown" is also watched weekly by 5 million US homes making it also number one on the new UPN network. In addition, the WWF has produced numerous pay-per-view and home video productions which often rank in the top ten nationally. Television news show “Inside Edition” commissioned the Department of Telecommunication at Indiana University to do a one year study of fifty of WWF’s “Raw is War’s shown on the USA Network from February, 1998 through February 1999. The University found a plethora of objectionable content:
• 1,658 incidences of grabbing or pointing to a wrestler’s crotch
• 273 kicks to the groin
• 158 incidences of profane descriptions of people
• 157 incidences of “giving the finger”
• 128 incidences of simulated sexual activity
• 70 incidences of parading scantily clad women
• 47 incidences of satanic activity
• 42 incidences of simulated drug use.
• 21 incidences of talking about or appearing to urinate
• Numerous incidences of garbage cans, chairs, tables and brooms used in wrestling
• Several attempted “embalmings” on live people.
Of the two-hour broadcast, only 36 minutes was actual wrestling. 33% of the average viewers of “Raw” are seventeen years old and under. (Herring, 1999)
Slide 74: I always found it interesting that a past WWF wrestling champion, Steve Austin (yes, the same name as the 6 Million Dollar Man) always had shirts labeled with Austin 3:16. If you could take every verse out of the Bible and try to sum up its entire message in one verse it would be John 3:16. That is why fans like to put signs up with John 3:16 at sporting events. It is called the “Gospel” or good news of the Bible. According to the Bible, we were created to have a relationship with God. This relationship gives praise to God and John 3:16 tells how that relationship has been renewed through Jesus Christ. Let’s hear what Steve Austin has to say about 3:16. [CLICK ON SPEAKER: “Talk about your Psalms, talk about your John 3:16; Austin 3:16 says I just whipped you’re a**.”] In essence, Steve Austin is saying that he is now God.
Slide 75: But God knows differently.
Slide 76: Korn’s Family Values tour was not really the image we would expect to see when we think the “all-American” family. Gone are the Cleavers, the Brady Bunch and Family Ties. Today, the number one “family role model” is MTV’s The Osborn's.
This dysfunctional family is headed by professed Satanist Ozzy Osborn, includes a teenage son and daughter who both have had issues with drug and alcohol dependency, and they all curse and use the “F” word constantly to the acceptance of their parents.
Slide 77: Here, Kelly poses with Avril Lavigne after a night of drinking. Note how the media “mocks” good and seems to imply that bad is more fun.
Slide 78: Television’s afternoon talk shows have also changed from the “safe” Phil Donahue days. Today, Jerry Springer is on at 4 PM when teenagers get home. They can see or hear about everything today: transvestites, incest, strippers and group sex are blatantly talked about and often the behaviors are condoned or encouraged.
Slide 79: The longest running primetime cartoon in history, the Simpsons, was never intended for youth. The Simpson’s originally was created as a segue between skits on the 9 PM Fox network program “The Tracey Ulman Show.” The cartoon and show were intended for adults. Unfortunately, the Fox marketing people struck a deal with Burger King and eventually moved the cartoon to a half hour format at 7 PM. Burger King became the key “toy” promoter and offered Simpson dolls with children’s meals and other purchases. This adult show still offers adult messages to children and youth and parents do not understand that it is more than just a “cartoon.” Even the creator of the Simpsons refused to allow his children to watch the show. Listen to some of the messages from past shows. [CLICK ON SPEAKERS]
Slide 80: One of the top ten shows for NBC for the past decade comes to an end this year. It is Friends and it has repeatedly used “sex” and “violence” in order to entertain its viewers. Both of these are “emotional jolts” which when combined with comedy create message connections in our brains. Here is a 30 minute episode of Friends condensed to about 5 minutes. Keep track of the reoccurring messages the writers, directors and producers of the show seem to be passing on to our youth. Mind you, this show is in reruns throughout America usually showing from 4-7 PM 5 days a week in most local markets, prime time for most youth minds.
(Thanks to the Institute for Media and Family, Minneapolis for condensing the program)
Slide 81: A study two years ago by the Parents Television Council showed that reality TV is also stretching the morals and values of society and influencing our youth. The PTC reviewed 38 reality series between Jan. 1, 2002 and May 1, 2002:
On Broadcast TV, NBC and UPN had the highest level of offensive content, 19 and 14.9 instances of offensive content per hour.
On cable, VH1 and MTV offered the most offensive content with 39.7 and 36.1 instances per hour.
Slide 82: One of the most significant influencers upon our brains is “repetition.” By repetition, we not only memorize, but we also become more tolerant and eventually accepting of behavior contrary to our initial values and beliefs. Video games by their nature breed repetition and because of their multi-media approach, they are filled with constant “emotional jolts” which cause desensitization on the part of the youth participating.
Slide 83: Even in the construction of the games, messages are being presented. This game from the late 90’s purports that “To save the world, sometimes an angel needs the power of a Devil.” Hmmm, aren’t devils simply “fallen angels?”
Slide 84: The most popular video games have a dark and seemingly Satanic look and portray woman as demonic or possessed, and simply as sexual objects which can be used and destroyed at will.
Slide 85: Such is the case with one of the most popular games today, Grand Theft Auto.
• “You play a criminal who escapes custody and willingly teams up with organized crime.
• You proceed to steal, kill and pimp for the mob.
• You blow up a passenger plane.
• You transport prostitutes.
• You assassinate people.
• Grand Theft Auto encourages you to dream up all sorts of illegal, often brutal, moves and try them out—just to see if you can. And usually, the game lets you.
• Running people over. Shooting a guy after stealing his ride. Employing a hooker, and then beating her to death.”
And this is what we call entertainment? (Source: Review from Plugged In Magazine)
Slide 86: Other video games have continued where Grand Theft Auto stopped. BMX XXX promoted itself via web ads which were as vulgar as the game it self. The game features video footage of strippers which gamers can access as rewards for excellent play.
Slide 87: Currently, the number one video game was created by the same people who made Grand Theft Auto. It is called Manhunt. In this game, the premise is you are in a reality movie where you are to simply survive any way you can as others try to “man hunt” you and kill you. A bizarre and grossest twist on the classic literature story Dangerous Game. The camera catches you as you pummel your adversaries and as they beat you up. You gain points for creative and grotesque kills. Then the camera will play back (instant replay) your murders for you to watch again and again.
Slide 88: Probably the most played violent game in the nation and one which inspired Harris and Kleborn of the Columbine massacre was the video game Duke Nukem. Here is a snippet from the game. Understand that the graphics are much more vibrant and realistic on the high resolution computer monitors they were originally intended for. This realism adds to the desensitization of youth as the brain can no longer differentiate between reality and fantasy. (Thanks to the Institute for Media and Family, Minneapolis for condensing the program)
Slide 89: The Harry Potter stories and movies also bring a “message” to youth. When the author was an unemployed housewife, she studied wizardry and the occult in order to make her stories believable. When she released her first book, converted occultists recognized some of the imagery, chants and cadences as being too real. This sparked concern among Christian churches across the country as this felt children and youth could become more easily drawn into Wicca (witches) or Satanist groups. The books and movies glorify the dark magic of the wizards and make the occult seem fun.
Slide 90: Radio jocks like Howard Stern have been an issue for sometime, but most recently, they have tested the waters of the FCC with little resistance. Howard Stern, who’s radio program is also video taped and broadcast nightly on the “E” network frequently features porno stars, sexual contests, and obscene language.
In New York, A morning jock named “Sam” offered prizes for people who would record their sex at the most unusual place in the city. Two were arrested having sex at the alter of the St. Patrick’s cathedral in New York City.
Slide 91: The FCC at one time had a rule which defined obscene as “based upon the community.” What Los Angeles would tolerate would be significantly different than what Seward, Nebraska would allow. In Milwaukee, Wisconsin about 15 years ago when Superstations were forming on cable, a local general manager of WVTV- channel 18 decided he would try to become a Superstation. He offered “R” rated movies including frontal nudity at 10 PM every Friday. After about a month, the station stopped the practice, not because of the FCC, but because of the community up rise and the bomb threats against the station. January of 2003, Bono, the lead singer for U2 received an award at the nationally televised Golden Globe Awards and responded with: "this is really, really, f------ brilliant, this is F------ great." After receiving hundreds of complaints, the FCC ruled in October 2003 that the “F” word was only obscene when used in a context of a “sexual activity,” otherwise, it was simply an adjective and not a violation.
Slide 92: David Solomon, chief of the FCC's enforcement bureau, said in the ruling that Bono used the vulgarity as an adjective or to emphasize an exclamation and that "the use of specific words, including expletives or other 'four-letter words' does not render material obscene."
Slide 93: The Drudge Report on the internet reported that CBS was aware of the nudity before the Super Bowl broadcast and did it intentionally in order to stretch the bounds of television. Their denials and apologies had been orchestrated in advance. MTV had been promoting for weeks that the halftime show would feature something “provocative and shocking.” The same week as the Super Bowl, NBC showed a rerun of ER where a woman’s bare chest is shown for a moment. Free television is trying to compete with cable, satellite and the internet and will continue to “push the boundaries.”
Slide 94: Movies have always presented messages: good and bad. While the Star Wars creator George Lucas may have simply been presenting the concept of the “force” for a storyline, he actually was preaching his scientology or New Age philosophy beliefs. Yoda trains Luke Skywalker about relativism and how good and evil are not absolute, but simply reside within our segment of the force. The force is seen as being “god” and we are all part of the force – we just don’t know it. We are all god. The themes of free sex from the 60’s returned with Austin Powers, violence has become more graphic, smoking is prevalent and “F” words were excessive in the recent PG-13 movie “Starskey and Hutch.”
The movie Goldie Hawn / Susan Sarandon movie, “The Banger Sisters” is an example of the message Hollywood is presenting. The movie is about two “groupies” from the 60’s who meet up years later. One has changed her life and has become a respected role model in society. The other is still wild and drinks, smokes, does dope and has sex freely. The movie even shows graphic male frontal nudity as they go through a collection of 100’s of nude pictures of men they slept with in their past. The respected “sister” is confronted with the question: “Do I continue to be a role model of morals and positive values for my community and especially for my teenage daughter, or do I revert to the way I was in the “free sex” 60’s? The movie answers that question when she willingly chooses to revert to her 60’s values and morals.
Slide 95: Teen movies like “Hey Dude Where’s My Car” draw youth into these messages as well. Rated just PG-13, the movie has clear frontal nudity via a wet-t-shirt contest, drunkenness, free sex and a scene between the main character and a transvestite.
Slide 96: Veggie tales creator Phil Vischer said, “Movies are never rated by values or beliefs promoted, only by usage of certain words and sexual or violent content. So ratings only tell part of the story. They won’t tell whether a film will make [you or] your child more or less respectful, more or less hopeful about life, more or less open to the concept of a loving God or any other concept that you might be trying to reinforce at home. At the end of the day, a G-rated film can still undermine values that are very important to you."
Slide 97: Mel Gibson, a devout traditional Catholic, desired for years to present his message of the last hours of Christ on the screen, but Hollywood refused to help him. He spent over 30 million dollars of his own money to produce the 2 hour movie. It currently is the highest grossing “R” rated movie of all time having brought in over 300 million dollars so far and it is still in the theatres today.
Slide 98: Violence in the media is not something new. September 11, 2000, President Clinton spoke on this issue as a result of a national media study conducted by the government. The government made the connection that the media was influencing the violent behavior in youth. [CLICK CLINTON’S FACE FOR AUDIO]
Slide 99: The media industry is targeting youth despite their own rating systems. The government research found that media marketing plans in specific industries targeted 17 and under youth even when the product clearly was not rated appropriate for them.
• Out of 44 R-movies: 64%
• Out of 55 music recordings with “Explicit Lyrics” labels: 27%
• Out of 118 games with a “Mature” rating for violence: 51%
Slide 100: The easy access to the internet and the advancements in technology for graphics, sound, and cpu speed have made it a primary source for information, communication and entertainment in many US households. Remember, almost 75% of all homes in the US have internet access right now. These are a some of the pictures from Dylan Klebold's website. Here he posted his “hit lists” and drawings of how he planned to kill other youth and teachers at Columbine High School. Today, it is not unusual for youth to have their own websites and have hundreds of “hits” weekly from other youth across the country.
Slide 101: One of the links on Klebold's site was to this 14 year old girls site. There she gave step-by-step instructions on how to manufacture your own pipe bomb. She comments on her website, “for a bigger kill add…”
Slide 102: As the US government can only regulate the internet within the US, pornography servers are popping up outside our country daily. These sites are outside of the jurisdiction of US laws about child pornography or exposure of pornography to children. In 2002, wire magazine reported a “flood of violent & sexually depraved emails” most originating from overseas locations. They were indiscriminately sent to children, youth and adults and promoted sites about incest, rape, and bestiality. The Rape, Abuse and Incest Network complaints went from 1 or 2 a week to about 150 during this time. IM pop-ups are the new invasion on the internet.
Slide 103: Of the known 1000+ cults around the world, most have active websites which they use for recruitment and communication with existing members. Even “Heaven’s Gate” known for it’s strange mass suicide while waiting for a comet several years ago, still has an active recruitment site on the web.
Slide 104: The Branch Davidians (led by David Koresh, who claimed to be Jesus and who died with many of his followers at a cult compound destroyed under government siege in Waco, Texas some years ago) still has an active website.
A statement from the site: “This is an official website of many Branch Davidian survivors who were with David Koresh during the 51 day siege at Mt. Carmel center, located just outside of Waco Texas. These survivors fully support and agree with the message of the book SEVEN SEALS. The book SEVEN SEALS and this website, contain NEW LIGHT (New Truth) as revealed by one of the living survivors.”
Slide 105: The fastest growing churches in the world are the Mormons: the Church of Jesus Christ and Scientology. Both of these groups have highly impressionable websites and use advanced web technology to present their messages. John Travolta, who has been a Scientologist with Tom Cruise and Annette Benning for over 20 years, explained his use of the media for his own purpose. He desired to produce a movie written by the founder of Scientology which included symbolically some of their Scientology beliefs. He said, “I can get things done that a studio might not normally do. It’s the pinnacle of using my power for something. We’ve been trying to make it for ten years…”
Slide 106: Remember the 14 year old girl with the directions for the pipe bombs? Here are other links found on her site leading to occult and divination sites on the web.
Slide 107: The media’s pressure against Christianity is not an accident. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” --John 15:19
Slide 108: Even in advertising, we see messages which have nothing to do with the selling or promotion of the product. Several years ago, Sprite even made fun of ads which featured a celebrity endorsing the product. They said if you think drinking Sprite is going to make you a great basketball star – you are wrong -- and they were right!
Slide 109: This ad ran for quite a while in cities across the country. When I played it for a group of about 100 junior high youth in Green Bay, Wisconsin, I asked them what was most memorable about the ad. They laughed and said, “She is going to get a sausage for breakfast.” The ad promoted pre-marital sex by suggesting whether to “call her the next morning” or simply “nudge ya.” What did this have to do with breakfast food? Nothing. It was simply the use of an emotional jolt in order to get the viewer to retain it in their memory.
Slide 110: This ad ran at least 5 times during a Fox network broadcast of an NFL football game I saw in 1999. The commercial promoted the new VW Beatle but used the New Age idea of reincarnation to promote their product. The tolerance for New Age ideas in advertising contributes toward the sponge effect and can lead to a compromise of their own beliefs, values and morals. “If you were really good in a past life, you come back as something better.”
Slide 111: When Moses asked God, “Who shall I say has sent me?” God said his name was, “I Am.” This name became a significant element of this commercial’s message. The ad asks: “Who is everywhere? Who is aware? Who is powerful?
Throughout we see the questions being answered by “I Am.” Then the question: “Who is human?” “I Am.” It is not until the last question that we see that we are god. The music calls us a “super man” a possible reference to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy in psychology where man should desire to be fully “self actualized” or a “super-man” through self improvement. This was also the same concept Harris and Klebold used to describe themselves in their video prior to the Columbine massacre. They referred to themselves as “super-human” or a “god.”
Slide 112: Advertising has taken an unusual turn with pornographic messages presented in “magalogs.” These half catalog, half magazine present messages using pornographic photo spreads, and editorials advocating group masturbation and group sex. In one sequence of pictures, we see Two boys touching a girl’s chest and eventually she opens her shirt for them.
Slide 113: The New York Post reported, “[The magalog] has mysteriously disappeared from the clothier’s 651 stores. WorldNetDaily asserts that the company bowed to boycott pressure from conservative groups and when asked why the company had pulled it, an anonymous employee reportedly responded, “Ever hear of Dr. Dobson?” (commentator and founder of “focus on the Family”)
Slide 114: The problem is that “Advertising” is the #2 influence for teenagers for items over $5” It has a significant influence on youth.
Slide 115: But no advertisement or media message can overcome God.
“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.” --Proverbs 21:30NV
Slide 116: But… They don’t really mean that stuff. It’s just a way to get my attention.
Slide 117: God says it this way... “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34 -- Let’s listen...
Slide 118: At the nationally televised MTV music awards several years ago, Marilyn Manson had the opportunity to thank his friends, fans and band members for their support – but instead, he chose to push his real message. [CLICK ON AUDIO CUT]
He also says: “Music is such a powerful medium now. The kids don’t even know who the president is, but they know what’s on MTV. I think if anyone like Hitler or Mussolini were alive now, they would have to be rock stars.” “If someone kills themselves because of our music, then that’s one less stupid person in the world.”
Slide 119: Marilyn Manson is not stupid. He says: “Raise your kids better or I’ll be raising them for you.” He is right. For many of our youth today, the media is raising them – not their parents, their churches or their communities.
Slide 120: Creeds lead singer Scott Stapp says, "We all have different beliefs in this band. I mean, all three of us have faith, and I think we all believe there is a God. And there is definitely an intent to point people in a positive direction, and in some songs, that is to have faith and to lean on God when times get tough. But it’s not a Christian God or a Buddhist God or a Muslim God. It’s the God I see when I look at my little boy. It’s the God I see in nature." They see god as the Wiccans do, as Gaia, or “mother earth.”
Slide 121: Noel Gallagher of Oasis said, “We’re more popular than Jesus Christ now…Some of the pop stars I like are more important to me than God… I would hope we mean more to people than putting money in a church basket and saying 10 Hail Mary’s [Catholic Prayers] on Sunday.”
The Beatles said something similar in the 60’s.
Slide 122: Sarah McLachlan singer and founder of the Lilith Fair Concerts sounds more like Yoda in Star Wars with her New Age ideas: “I think the Devil has gotten a bad rap. The Devil is the fallen angel, the one who was willing to embrace his dark side, whereas all the other angels were in total denial. The Devil is more like us -- we’re all the Devil and we’re all God.”
Slide 123: Pearl Jam’s lead singer Eddie Vedder has an inkling of the need for a solid role model when he said, “Troubled fans write letters…hoping we can fix…them. But we can’t… You can’t save somebody from drowning if you’re treading water yourself.”
Slide 124: But the question comes down to what do we do with all this information?
“No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier” --2 Timothy 2:4 NASB
Slide 125: I understand the issues, the messages, the brain storming the “muck”; BUT How can I avoid this stuff? Am I supposed to stop listening to music, stop watching TV, stop going to movies, stop doing the internet… basically stop everything?
Slide 126: Well that question brings us back to where we began. It is all about “Your Sponge”-- your brain. It is all about what you will allow in it. That determines how the media will affect you. You first need to determine who is in control of your sponge: you or the media? With God’s help, you need to decide what you want in your brain.
It’s called “discernment”
Slide 127: Discernment is the ability to be able to filter what you allow into your brain based upon a preset set of values, guidelines or morals. Discernment is taking control of the process rather than simply becoming a victim of it.
Slide 128: The Bible suggests that we first must make the decision to change our process of media consumption. To make the decision to be more discerning about what we watch, listen to, read, surf to, or play. It is the decision to not be controlled but take control. Ephesians says: “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking… Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds…” The first step is to change your mind.
Slide 129: If we do, the Bible says, God will also help us. Even though it will be hard to change a pattern or a habit, or to stand up against the peer pressure of friends who have not made the commitment to better media discernment – God says he will help us IF WE TRY! Romans says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Seek out God in the process and HE will do the “transforming.” What may seem hard at first, He will make easier and easier as you desire to be more and more discerning.
Slide 130: Finally, if we make the decision to change, go to God for help in the transition, then Roman’s continues by saying that it will become easier to discern or test what we want in our brains.
“Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
1. Choose to change – make the commitment to “learn to discern.”
2. Seek God for help during the transition and seek out others to help you become accountable during your transformation.
3. Finally, begin testing or discerning your media consumption against the values, morals, and beliefs of the Bible.
Slide 131: Here are some great questions to ask to help you “test” or discern if the media is worth consuming:
• Does it encourage negative or positive Behavior?
• Does it contain excessive violence, nudity, evil themes, bad language or other potentially negative elements?
• Does it portray Christianity in a bad light?
Slide 132: BUT…please know that the process will not be easy. Satan does not want you to discern media – he just wants you to swallow everything the world teaches and not question it. He will make your transformation difficult and at times nearly impossible; but God promises that He will never let us have a greater temptation than we can handle. He has more trust in you and your desire to be transformed that you do. Trust Him, he never fails.
Slide 133: Here is a list of strategies to help you during the transformation toward a more “media wise” person:
• Build the Faith
Attend a worship service, youth group, and a Bible study regularly
• Support the Faith
Seek out secular media which compliments your faith walk.
Consider Christian alternatives to music, Internet, radio, concerts and MTV-style videos.
• Bind the Faith
Seek out Christian friends who share your faith.
• Practice the Faith
Pray, pray and keep on praying. He listens! Then listen to His leading.
Slide 134: We will succeed in the process of becoming more media savvy and media discerning because God has already offered us the victory. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”-- Romans 8:37
Slide 135: Here are a number of resources available to you in the process of becoming better at discernment. All of these resources are listed on one site: . I encourage you to visit the site for further information on media’s influence and to download other resources available free of charge.
Slide 136: National Institute on Media & the Family is an excellent resource for video game reviews and the latest research on media and children.
Slide 137: Plugged In magazine is a must for parents and youth leaders. It unbiasedly evaluates movies and CDs pointing out the positive and negative social values to each, offering chart information for CD’s, and a list of objectionable content. My kids and I have used it as a way to decide what movies we want to go to and what CD’s we want to buy. Also, when you are not sure what the words to a song or video are, check out “.”
Slide 138: The site also has links to additional Harry Potter resources evaluating the books from a Christian perspective. I would encourage youth and adults who enjoy this type of fiction to read the Lord of the Rings trilogy including the Hobbit written by author J. R. Tolken and the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. Both are written by Christian authors and have significant symbolism complimentary to a Christian’s faith. While the Lord of the Rings movies were well done, I did find them to be a little violent.
Slide 139: Just like Casey Bernall, we too can change and be transformed by God to make a difference in our life. We can be discerning in our media consumption and with God’s help fill our sponges with things which give glory to Him.
Please pray with me: Lord, we thank you for what you have done here tonight. We know that with you all things are possible. Therefore, we ask that you remove the negative images from our minds tonight, but instead fill us with an urgent desire to change our media habits – to discern and filter what we put into our thoughts. We pray that we keep focused on this commitment as Satan will try to sway us away from it. Give us strength and perseverance as we seek to be more like you. In your name we pray. Amen.
Slide 140: Let’s listen to Cassie as we close tonight. It is from a music video of a song in memory of her written and sang by Michael W. Smith.
Slide 141: Thank you for coming. I will be available to answer any questions you may have. May God bless your discussions tonight at home.
Impact Survey
Purpose & Methodology
In an effort to see if a two hour workshop could make an impact on the participants, I developed a set of surveys to gage the response to my M3 & Me media presentation. I did a pre- and a post-survey to see if there was any change in the attitude of the youth at the workshop upon viewing the presentation. I spoke before a group of eighth grade confirmands and their parents at Our Saviours Lutheran Church in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Wednesday, May 14, 2003. I had the Director of Christian Education distribute the pre-survey one week prior to the presentation. It was given to both parents and youth participants. The following is the layout of the pre-survey:
Pre-Media Survey
Please circle the Closest Answer
Your Age: 12 & Under 13-18 19-25 36-40 41-45 46+
Are you a parent? Yes No (If expecting, please answer ‘yes’)
Media Use:
My average weekly use of media (television, CD’s, radio, videos, movies, internet,
computers, video games, newspapers, magazines, etc) is:
Less than 5 hours ● 6-10 hours ● 11-15 hours
16-20 hours ● 21-25 hours ● 26-30 hours ● 31+ hours
Please rank the following comments:
5= Strongly Agree; 3=Indifferent; 1=Strongly Disagree
1) The media influences my decisions 5 4 3 2 1
2) The media has a positive influence on me 5 4 3 2 1
3) The media has a negative influence on me 5 4 3 2 1
4) I need to limit the influence of the media on my family and me 5 4 3 2 1
The post survey was given to the youth participants only immediately after the
completion of the 2-hour presentation. The post survey looked like this:
Post-Media Survey
Please circle the Closest Answer
Please rank the following comments:
5= Strongly Agree; 3=Indifferent; 1=Strongly Disagree
1) The media influences my decisions 5 4 3 2 1
2) The media has a positive influence on me 5 4 3 2 1
3) The media has a negative influence on me 5 4 3 2 1
4) I need to limit the influence of the media on my family and me 5 4 3 2 1
5) The M3 & Me media presentation was effective 5 4 3 2 1
in showing the influence of media
I tried to make the surveys simple enough so that it would not deter anyone from using it. It provided some basic statistical data and offered a quick view of a change in attitude or perception towards media’s influence on youth.
The Results
The results of the survey were as follows:
• 71 people attended the presentation.
• 58 people participated in the survey: 28 parents and 31 youth.
• The average age of the parents was 26-35 years old.
• The average age of the youth was 13.
• Overall media use per week: 26% 6-10 hours, 21% 31+ hours and 16% 16-20 hours
• Overall average media use per week: 16-20 hours
• Youth media use per week: 32% 6-10 hours, 23% 31+ hours, 16% 26-30 hours
• Youth average was 16-20 hours per week
• NOTE: 42% of youth surveyed use media 21 or more hours per week.
|PARENT RESPONSES |(1) |(2) |(3) |(4) |
|Media Survey |The Media |The Media has a|The media has a |I need to limit |
|Comments / Responses |Influences my |positive |negative |the influence of |
| |Decisions |influence on me|influence on me |the media on my |
| | | | |family and me |
| | | | | |
|Agree or Strongly Agree |26% |15% |37% |70% |
|Disagree or Strongly Disagree |33% |37% |26% |19% |
Prior to the presentation, parents arrived with an overwhelming (70%) desire to limit the influence of media in their family; however, almost half of those (33%) felt that the media did not influence their personal decisions.
|YOUTH RESPONSES |(1) |(2) |(3) |(4) |(5) |
|Media Survey |The Media |The Media has a|The media has a|I need to limit|The M3 & Me media |
|Comments / Responses |Influences my |positive |negative |the influence |presentation was |
| |Decisions |influence on me|influence on me|of the media on|effective in showing|
| | | | |my family and |the influence of |
| | | | |me |media |
|Pre-Survey |
|Agree or Strongly Agree |23% |35% |19% |32% |NA |
|Disagree or Strongly Disagree |23% |13% |23% |26% |NA |
|Post-Survey |
|Agree or Strongly Agree |39% |11% |39% |50% |75% |
|Disagree or Strongly Disagree |21% |36% |14% |4% |0% |
The most significant survey result was the overwhelming change in the youth responses after viewing the M3 & Me presentation. It clearly made a difference to them. 19% of the youth thought that the media had a negative influence on them when they came to presentation. That percent doubled when they left. Half of the group felt they needed to limit the influence of media on their family and themselves when they left. That was an increase of 18% and more importantly only 4% disagreed. That demonstrated a shift of over 40% of the group toward agreeing with limiting media’s influence. The percentages almost swapped perfectly in the “media has a positive influence” category. Plus, three-fourths of the youth viewing the presentation felt it was “effective in showing the influence of media.” It is also important to note that no one felt the presentation was ineffective.
Weaknesses & Comments
The weakness of the survey was simply that it did not measure a change in the parent’s attitude because I did not include them in the post survey. It would have been interesting to see if they would have responded differently to their low percentage on comment number one after seeing the presentation. The simplicity of the survey also did not lend it toward specific comments. I will add this to the post survey next time.
I would really like to re-survey the participants again in a year and then 3 years from now. This would help to see if the “shock” value of the presentation actually makes a change in behavior or simply a momentary awareness to the issues. Finally, the survey did not address whether the “discernment skills” presented were adequately explained or understood by the participants. That may be added the next time around. For now, I was pleasantly pleased with the results and encouraged to continue the presentation in the future.
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