Controversial topics should be thoroughly studied from every angle in order to better understand one’s own point of view. In areas such as censorship, questions arise as to whether America’s freedom in the media leave us vulnerable to negative consequences such as body shaming, racism and discrimination. Are there any ways in which platonic ideas of censorship be beneficial to American society when applied to media in the 21st century? In order to seek an answer to these questions, one must look deeper into the topic of censorship and how it might benefit American society when applied to media outlets. Using excerpts from Plato’s Republic, studies highlighting the negative impacts of different media sources, examples of similar situations where censorship was used to counteract the negative side effects of media, and other research journals that take into account the negative side of censorship, the conclusion can be found that censorship, when properly enforced, could be a positive catalyst in the growth of American society.
Studies have shown that connections can be drawn between movies, music and social media and the amount of negativity that surrounds American culture. This includes, but is not limited to, the promotion of violence, sexual exploitation, drug and alcohol abuse and interpersonal discrimination. For a culture that has immersed itself in media, making it an integral part of the average person’s life, it can be said that media helps to build and alter the way we think and act. A study in 2005 by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that media was the “primary basis for emerging adults’ opinions about sex” due to the fact that 77 percent of airing TV shows contained some form of sexual content (Kunkel, Eyal, Finnerty, Biely, & Donnerstein, 2005). A general consensus among multiple studies is that “themes of books, plots of movies and television shows, and lyrics of numerous songs all demonstrate a permissive sexuality among consumers” (Garcia, Reiber, Massey, & Merriwether).
The American music market makes up for a third of the global music and entertainment industry. It is a 703 billion dollar market, and the largest worldwide. Music has permeated almost every corner of society. Commercials and television shows use popular music to up their ratings. These musical selections are often up to the discretion of professionals who find the songs fitting for a particular scene or moment. In almost every store, some form of music is playing over the loudspeaker. Radio shows tend to play whatever is popular in their focal genre. However, these are not always positive, uplifting choices. As many songs in America’s current Billboard Top 100 contain lyrics like “being so bad/ got me feeling so good” and “ strip that down girl/ love when you hit the ground”, it is not surprising that these are the types of messages that are being taught to American consumers, specifically young adults. Often, music is heard on the radio or on television first, and then searched by curious listeners who add the songs to their playlists. Everyday, applications like Spotify, ITunes, SoundCloud and YouTube are used to access specific genres and songs at the drop of a hat.
While not always the case, much of today’s American pop music contains lyrics that promote drug and alcohol use and brag about sexual conquests. For example, Jason Derulo’s most recent hit, titled “Swalla”, sounds like it is asking the girls around him to come drink with him, however after closer examination, it is clear this is an innuendo. One way or another, this song does not hold values that many parents would want their young teens to follow. Some could ask that this song be removed from circulation all together, however as time and money went into the creation of the song, others might pronounce that a violation of Derulo’s First Amendment rights. So, what can be done? Asian media might have the answers. In recent years, with the explosion of the Hallyu Wave, South Korea has kept a firm hand on what is available to be used in common media. Korean popular songs are screened by the Korean Communications Commision before being used on shows, radio stations or in stores. If they find that lyrics are not appropriate for public space, then they will not be used. They also dictate which music videos and choreography must be censored. These acts of censorship do not delete the songs, music videos or choreography, but simply makes them less readily available, meaning that one must go search for them if they wish to listen or watch.
Movies and television have been known to “influence the mass culture that consumes them”, and are thus capable of altering American society. This can be a terrifying concept when one considers the profanity, sex and violence that are beginning to become more prevalent in American movies and TV. An extreme case is the show Game of Thrones, a fantasy drama aired on HBO, which uses sex and murder as driving forces. This show is known for full frontal nudity, incest, carnage and foul language. Even with these negative aspects, the show reported 10.1 million viewers watched the season six premiere last July. This show is not an anomaly, either. More shows have begun using harsh language and other indecencies. Bob Pondillo, an associate professor of American media and social institutions at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, explained that shows with “more overt sex, indecent language and vivid violence attract enough audience to make a market and sell products…" and are therefore becoming the norm among commercially-sponsored television. Children can be exposed to these themes before they fully comprehend the meaning behind them, making it a normative factor in their lives that they don’t even understand. This was one of the reasons Plato gave in his support for censorship. He says that young people are not capable of “distinguishing what is and what is not allegory” but accept whatever they are exposed to as truth (378d). As these things are ingrained into children, they will grow to value what television shows them. As these children become adults, their learned values of profanity and promiscuity will be perpetuated in society and thus the cycle will continue.
Social media displays the mentality that has been learned from a culture saturated with the harmful influences found in music and entertainment. Studies have found that “anxiety, depression, and loneliness” as well as “body consciousness, FoMo (fear of missing out) and bullying” are negative mental health impacts that can be obtained from the excessive use of social media. Of all harassment cases, 66 percent have been through social media platforms (Duggan). From Snapchat to Facebook to Tinder, these platforms are cesspools of negativity and the epitome of American culture.
Snapchat was begun as a portal for provocative photos to be sent without consequence and has now become a staple of the millennial generation. The use of the app has changed slightly, not only for scandalous pictures but a way to connect with friends using funny or attractive selfies. However, the freedom to send whatever one likes can have negative effects, especially when those photos can be screenshotted without the approval of the sender. A screenshotted selfie can be used to humiliate or blackmail the sender or lead to other undesirable consequences.
Penn State University recently made a site called “Cons of Snapchat” , highlighting general problems and real life examples of the negative impact snapchat can have on one’s life. The site includes statistics showing that 20 percent of teenagers on Snapchat have “sent nude or semi-nude images” using the app (Gilbert). It also explains that though the images are meant to last only a few seconds, they actually remain online and can be found using a simple background search (McLane). As most Snapchat users are oblivious to this, it is not surprising that the app is used without much thought to the negative side effects it can have.
Instagram is considered the most negative social media source according to a study done by Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) and the Young Health Movement. RSPH’s CEO, Shirley Cramer, believe it is because the platform is “very image-focused” and “ may be driving feelings of inadequacy and anxiety” in American youth (Younger). She notes that it is the overuse of Instagram and similar media accounts that cause these kinds of reactions, as young adults begin to value likes on their pictures more than personal health or self acceptance. However, the amount of bullying on Instagram adds to the development of these mental health issues. According to recent studies by Ditch the Label, a British anti-bullying group, over 42 percent of teens, out of a surveyed ten thousand, have been bullied on Instagram. This makes it the largest source of cyberbullying, with Facebook not far behind.
This same study found that 37 percent of the teens surveyed reported to have been bullied through Facebook (Hackett). Facebook and Twitter are known for online negativity and verbal abuse. The ability to hide behind a computer screen causes these platforms to be hubs of fighting, bullying and more with little to no consequence.
There are currently precautions being taken by many social media companies that allow one to report anything they find inappropriate, however people seem reluctant to utilize them. Whether it is because they are unsure of the autonomy connected to reporting or because the ability to dig through one’s personal accounts and remove certain material can feel like a violation of privacy. Either way, negative and offensive language is still being spread through social media.
While not typically considered social media, TInder has become a norm among 18 to 25 year olds. The “dating app” allows one to decide if they find someone attractive with a simple swipe of a finger. This type of app can add to low self esteem and anxiety in both parties. Jessica Strubel, a professor at the University of North Texas, lead a study that concluded that Tinder users on average have “lower levels of satisfaction with their faces and bodies” and have “lower levels of self-worth” than those who did not use Tinder.
It is possibly because there have been a number of accounts of sexual harassment and body shaming, as well as catfishing on Tinder. Many consumers use the app as a way to find people with whom they can have random sexual encounters and are willing to do whatever it takes to find a partner for the night. When one of these users is rejected, they can become unruly and verbal abusive. Even though this is not always the outcome, it has happened enough that popular companies, such as Buzzfeed, have done stories on the topic.
The Chinese reproduction of Tinder, Tantan, has attempted to solve such problems by censoring the ability to ask for sex over the app. Tantan has a list of “sexually charged phrases” that have been flagged as “foul” (Horwitz). If one of these phrases is entered by a user, the app sends them a warning message to “reconsider their message”. The message can still be sent but can be found by anyone in the Chinese public. The app creator, Yue Wang, said that the censorship was put in place because some men can not properly speak to women and may “need some friendly reminders” on what could be taken as offensive (Wang).
Video games, in addition to music, television and social media have the most visible negative impact on young people in today’s society. Games such as Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, and League of Legends are not only addicting, but are capable of normalize violence beginning in young teens and continuing on into adults. Comparative studies have shown that students who played a violent virtual reality game had a “higher heart rate, reported more dizziness and nausea, and exhibited more aggressive thoughts in a post test” than those who had played a nonviolent game (Cesarone, 1998). This study does not directly link video games to future violence, but shows the physical effects of violent games on young people.
However, some studies argue that there are benefits in playing video games. Players can learn “strategy, management of resources (simulation games), mapping, pattern recognition . . . and quantitative calculations”. (Tumbokon, 2014). For this reason, Plato would recognize video games as beneficial to society. Yet, the violence that is often connected to video games does not seem to be necessary in order to achieve these skills.
There are areas in which censorship might overstep the bounds of privacy and freedom of speech. Many Americans are against the idea of screening or censorship in their media. They argue that the First Amendment gives them the freedom to do and say as they please. However, the Supreme Court has recognized several categories of speech that are not protected by the First Amendment, including: obscenity, threats, libel and slander, as well as others. In these cases, it is the duty of the government to bar, or censor, the people found acting or speaking in such ways.
There are also a number of things that censorship should and should not be. Censoring should not be considered a dark spot on the otherwise spotless description of government work. It must include education, cooperation and sensitivity. In order to bring about censorship, the general populace must first recognize why it would be a good idea. Censorship should not go so far as to leave Americans ignorant of what is going on around them. It should not rewrite history or isolate America from the global community. While Plato considers censorship necessary in order to indoctrinate children with what benefits society, censorship in America should simply promote good values for the sake of the individual.
There are a number of media outlets that are utilized by Americans on a daily basis. Our culture tends to believe in saying and doing whatever, believing the consequences equal up to “only God can judge us” . However, this is dangerous, especially as a worldwide source of entertainment. The promotion of drugs, sex, violence without consequence can lead to a culture of self doubt, instability and negativity. For this reason, censorship could be a beneficial addition to media platforms.