Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To blame the media for this horror...

62 replies

PorkPieLove · 30/09/2010 21:40

A group of secondary school children came across a dead body lying face up in a stream as they walked home from school. The middle aged man had died from head injuries and the kids saw him as they crossed a footbridge over the stream.

Did they call the police? No...they threw stones and took pictures and videos...which were then uploaded on to the net.

I think the media are partly to blame (and violent computer games) because kids are impervious to the shock of seeing something so dreadful. I've seen images of dead bodies on newspaper websites...and of people buried up to their waist getting stoned....isn't it time the media began to taake their role more responsibly?

Or is it just that the kids responded in a weird way due to shock?

OP posts:
Theincrediblesulk1 · 30/09/2010 22:24

Yeah! sure!

So people don't become jaded by images of beheading? hangings? "leaked" videos of attacks on people in iraq? its just there happens to be that many abusive parents about and all their kids happened to meet up and be horrible together?

Lets face it, our children are exposed to violence and torture on the net, and its having an effect. Same as hard core porn is!

Bad parents can cause children to be violent and sadistic, but so can seeing hours of violence on the net.
These kids didn't kill this man!

Appletrees · 30/09/2010 22:26

Well I think it's pretty bad parenting to allow your child to see hours of violence on the net.

I think any child who chooses to watch hours of violence on the net has been poorly parented up till then.

Skyrg · 30/09/2010 22:27

Um. I watch films with violence and torture in (James Bond, anyone?) And it hasn't made me violent.

We're not talking about abusive parents, we're talking about parents who neglect to teach their children empathy.

scottishmummy · 30/09/2010 22:27

you cannot homogenise everyone to "our kids". your kids maybe.not mine

fartblossom · 30/09/2010 22:27

I dont think the internet, media or games are to blame if this really did happen.

Firstly I beleive in this case that there was exageration to make a news story worth selling and printing.

Secondly I dont beleive the media and games etc influence our behaviour like that. Just going by my DH loves his xbox games and in particular loves the ones where there is shooting and death. He doesnt want to go into the street and start killing people or being violent.

Also going back to skyrg's story. Down our street someone (I say he was early 20's) was drunk and asleep outside his parents house one afternoon. The kids down our street were quite nasty to him, throwing water over him and kicking him. Now they cant ever be playing games or on internet as they are always outside playing on their bloody scooters up and down the road not moving for cars (but thats another thread).

BitOfFun · 30/09/2010 22:28

I just don't believe that all that many young teenagers watch snuff movies and hard-core pornography. Sorry, but I don't.

Theincrediblesulk1 · 30/09/2010 22:32

Yeah my eldest is four!

I was talking about society! and watching James bond is not the same as the videos on the net.A charming friend of mine once showed me a video of a tourist on safari who foolishly stepped out of his car, being eaten by a lion! it was horrific and i actually vomited! that is the sort of stuff that is available on the net, James bond doesn't really compare now does it!

Do you know what fine its all good its not all the horrific images kids are looking at that is making them jaded thats cool all your kids are obviously exceptions to the rules crack on girls!

PotPourri · 30/09/2010 22:33

First reaction - OMG, that is disgusting

Then thinking more, and then reading the thread (wilts gave a RL perspective) - I think it's not true. The reaction and behaviour etc I mean.

Seems to me the Daily Mail like nothing better than to demonise teenagers, video games, TV - but strangely enough not crappy, full of shit newspapers...!

Skyrg · 30/09/2010 22:36

I don't believe seeing things like that would counter good parenting. It is real life, you can't protect teenagers from everything.

Ok, I am simplifying and generalising here, but:

We live in a flat with kids living on the road behind. Their parents have been heard screeching and swearing at them, and never seem to talk to them like people, which I associate with a certain type of parenting. Whether rightly or wrongly, in my experience, these are the sort of parents who are more... neglectful.
These kids regularly set off car alarms, constantly honk car horns, throw things into gardens etc.

Now, none of this behaviour is violent or nasty (they're generally below 12), but it shows a certain lack of respect to others. I know they're only children, but at that age I know I would have thought 'this is going to annoy someone' or something similar. Now I'm not condemning these kids to a life of violence and prison, in general they seem like ok children, but my point is that they don't seem to think of others. Perhaps they'll learn it, perhaps they won't, but their parents don't seem to be in a hurry to teach them.

Appletrees · 30/09/2010 22:37

Well incredible wait until your children start seeing it. You will find that they don't instantly start turn into callous, brutalised little people. They will be horrified, fascinated at first, then bored, and will turn away, metaphorically speaking. Why? Because you will have brought them up with a conscience, and an enjoyment of things that are not nasty and revolting.

tiredemma · 30/09/2010 22:40

Its not the media.

Its shit parenting.

Theincrediblesulk1 · 30/09/2010 22:42

You are misunderstanding my point!

They seen the man and didn't react like we would expect because they didn't run and scream. I don't actually think what they did was way out there because they are used to seeing images like that all the time!

For example my best friend is a communications officer, when she first started working for the met, she was horrified everyday. £ years on none of the calls phase her, because she is now used to them!

If you have seen dead people on U-tube seeing one in real life is not going to be so horrifying as you have already seen one!

I don't expect my children to turn into brutes! i would expect them to be desensitised! God sake!

Skyrg · 30/09/2010 22:47

And you are misunderstanding ours...
Ofc it's not as horrifying if you've already seen a dead body because you know what to expect... that's how the brain works.
But there is a big difference between being used to dead bodies, and openly mocking one.
For example, a doctor who sees their first seriously ill patient may be horrified. Years later, they will be more used to it, but I doubt they stop treating them with respect and care, or go away laugh about it etc.

BitOfFun · 30/09/2010 22:47

I think you may need to open some Chablis, darling, pip pip Grin

MollysChambers · 30/09/2010 22:48

Could it be that they were too scared to look closer so threw things to see if he moved?

Skyrg · 30/09/2010 22:50

I think it's possible MC, we have questioned the reliability of the Daily Mail :) Still, it appears that they didn't bother to phone the police when they discovered it wasn't moving.

I think lack of responsibility is another element, they felt it wasn't their problem. Again, something that should be taught by parents.

MollysChambers · 30/09/2010 22:54

Yes, always best to question when the Daily Mail is involved. Not phoning the police or a parent is not good though. Particularly when every single one of them would have had a mobile on them. How bloody depressing. The youth of today etc etc....

Skyrg · 30/09/2010 22:56

I think the words you're looking for are 'the parents of today' actually!

Theincrediblesulk1 · 30/09/2010 22:57

OMG!!!!!! taking pics of the body is what they are exposed to, so would the mocking of the body! as its not really that real! they are able to disassociate the body with a possible person, because they are used to images like the ones on rotten.com and live leak!

I could actually scream, have you ever seen the images i am talking about? i am telling you they are not going around filming saying oh no look at this poor dead person! they are used to videos of "jackass" type antics people laughing and mocking disabled, mad and dead people!

I am not saying these kids are normal, they are obviously weird. this is also contributed to what they see all day on phones and the net!

MollysChambers · 30/09/2010 23:01

Not familiar with rotten.com and live leak. Have a feeling I'd rather pass on them though...

Skyrg · 30/09/2010 23:02

Theincrediblesulk, I am 22, believe me when I say I know what you can find on youtube.
I don't understand your first sentence.

I say again, becoming 'desensitised' is not the same as losing empathy.

Theincrediblesulk1 · 30/09/2010 23:05

Yeah don't bother honestly you wont sleep after seeing them.

yeah yeah your right i don't know what i am on about you obviously do as your 22?! (who gives a fuck really?)

Skyrg · 30/09/2010 23:07

You're spectacularly missing my point. My point was I am 22, youtube is generally watched by people around my age, I have seen a lot of youtube. I have seen some horrible videos, I still possess empathy because that's how I've been brought up.

The videos have obviously bothered you, you seem to have watched several. Have you lost your empathy?

Theincrediblesulk1 · 30/09/2010 23:12

well i am 25 and people our age have not been brought up watching this stuff no i have not lost empathy and i can not bring myself to watch them, my brother on the other hand can watch them without a flinch! and guess what he has been exposed to these vids since a kid!

And the people who watch it are ages between 12-18 actually!

And yes when you are exposed to something over and over you become desensitised, and eventually you stop seeing people behind the image, you see entertainment!

Skyrg · 30/09/2010 23:15

Ok, but would you describe your brother as lacking empathy?
I had a friend in school who fainted at the sight of blood, I don't think the fact that other people don't means they lack empathy. Just because people are less sensitive to something doesn't mean they'll mock it, abuse it, not respect it etc.

Swipe left for the next trending thread