By Ardain Isma
CSMS Magazine
With so much to explore, news consumption has become an overwhelming undertaking. From the so-called mainstream media to the more prolific social media, there isn’t a thing you are looking for that you won’t be able to find. As usual, violence takes center stage. In order words, a news is powerful when it is clotted in violence. Whether it is about reporting violence from war-ravaged countries or reporting violence in the streets of America, the words and pictures associated with the reporting are just enough to cow anyone suffering from schizophrenia to his home—forever.
Generations of individuals have been lost to the culture of violence. From your T.V. set, you can watch your local news being swamped with violently-charged images. I have long ceased to watch the local news because of this ugly reporting, but last week, at a friend’s house, I purposely sat down to watch the 6 o’ clock news. With a notepad in hand, I wanted to count how many community-related news were being reported alongside the brutal reporting of violence. You won’t believe me. There was only one; and of course, there were the weather and the sport segments, about 4 minutes were awarded to each. I’m sure you get the point.
This is to say that violence or news about violence has never been far. How do we circumvent this cycle of psychological violence? Parental involvements are key to educating young folks about our real world. It isn’t always this bad as it seems sometimes. You can still teach your children about good moral values, pointing out to them that despite the odds, they can still succeed and live a productive life.
Has the world gone mad? Not true. Violence is symptomatic to all that is wrong with our society. Injustice breeds all forms of negative reactions, for it has the urge to craft emotion and catapult it to the ugliest plateau. Speaking of injustice—whether it is historical or contemporary—sociopolitical justice is its natural antithesis, which too often requires civil disobedience to achieve. Why don’t we shift the focus: from waging war to waging peace? It will pay off someday.
Note: Dr. Ardain Isma teaches Research at Embry-Riddle University. He also teaches Cross-cultural Studies at University of North Florida (UNF). He is the Editor-in-Chief for CSMS Magazine. Ardain Isma is also a novelist. To read a synopsis, you can click here: Books
