Video Age

Okay, I have to admit I was one of the original TV kids. My parents could take me anywhere there was an available television and I could be trusted to submit myself to its complete control. I have TVs in half the rooms in my house. Still it probably cannot compare to the video young people are exposed to this day and age. I do believe the art of reading has suffered because of it, but there are very creative and intellectual uses of video. Most of you are aware of my fondness for anything by Akira Kurosawa. I love Japanese/Asian film, in particular horror pix. Here is where a line should be drawn. One of the student teachers in a class I am taking was telling the story of one of her students and an assignment he turned in. The assignment was vocabulary flash cards. Each of the student's cards carried a threat of death in various stages. I instantly recognized the work of the student as a progression in the film The Ring. The student teacher had not seen the film. She took the student to an administrator and he explained that he was using scenes from the movie just to scare the teacher, you know for fun. Well the student was reprimanded., and having been told by a friend about the film the student teacher was not as traumatized. My thing about this is I have two big macho type guys that are in my close family who will not watch that film by themselves. It is that scary. I have refused to watch it a second time. I found it that disturbing, and I grew up on monster movies. How could someone let their twelve year old son watch that film? That is the type of video exposure that can be harmful, as it proved to be. I think what young people watch should be age appropriate. Certain images are not appropriate for developing minds. I'm pretty mean about that, my chidlren would say downright scary. Meanster away.