Sex or Violence?

[Arkham Noir]

I've been playing alot of GTA IV lately. When I looked it up online, there were alot of articles mentioning the controversies that come with the Grand Theft Auto Franchise, about how the game corrupts the youth and incourages negative behaviour. The two main points being the extreme violence and sexuality of the games.

The question I'm proposing here is which do you think would have the greater influence (in a negative way) on someone young ; Violence or Sex?

For this thread, you can go beyond just video games. Sex and Violence are two of the biggest marketing tools out there and both can negatively shape a person's mind. For someone who isn't mature enough to know better, women can easily be viewed as sex objects. Turn on your T.V. and you can almost guarantee that you are going to see some kind advertisment using sex as its main selling point. After all, sex sells.

Violence is more of an entertainment selling point. Companies don't really use violence to sell T-shirts, but violence in films is quite common. People love seeing it, but some can't always tell the difference between script and real life. Not only that, but seeing it so often desensitizes people from how bad what they are seeing actually is.

So the questions I'm asking you are this:

-- Which do you think is worse for "corrupting the youth" and why.

-- Do you think either of them have a proper place in society?

 

[Oracular Spectacular]

Honestly when it comes to both Violence and Sex many kids are exposed to it in real life just as much as they are exposed to it on their TVs. I live about 30 min out of Gary, Indiana, The murder capitol of the world(not sure if it still is, but it was) and I have worked around the city and have friends that live in the city, my fater has also worked in there for over 16 years. I have personally seen 1 drive-by, he has seen dozens and hears them almost nightly. Also half of Gary is a ghost town and their schools put out some of the lowest SAT's scores in the country.

As for sex, I graduated High School in 2005, I went to many party's and saw ****ty drunk girls dance topless on regular occasions. Now If i go to a club or a bar I have seen girls dancing topless at bars.

Basically what I am going with is that TV, Video Games and Movies only have so much effect on a child. The person that shoots someone in front of their house and steals the car. The 15 year old girl who see's their divorced dad bring home a 22 year old stripper named candy and proceed to have loud intercourse in the room down the hall, does more damage than Snooki walking around with her tits falling out.

But Snooki is a ****e, and that does rub off on girls. I can thank MTV for ever getting laid in High School I guess.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Different things are going to affect the minds of different people. I spent the majority of my childhood watching violent films. The last time i was ever in a fight was when i was 16, and i'll be 25 next week. Since then, I've never had reason or given someone else a reason to get into a fight with me, and if it came close to that, i've usually talked my way out of it without so much as a scratch.

When it comes to sex, everyone knows the phrase 'sex sells'. Sex doesn't sell shit to me. If a woman came up to me in a shopping centre wearing next to nothing trying to sell me aftershave or something, i'd say 'put your fuckin' tits away and give me an actual reason to spend my money on this shit, otherwise i'll just make do with the cologne i have thank you very much.'

But then as a young child i was raised by parents who didn't purposely expose me to those sorts of things or condone the fact that i was going out and exposing myself to it anyway, so i grew up to learn that while i might think these things are cool, society frowns upon them being flaunted in public....... at least it used to anyway.

So i don't think it's JUST because we see something on TV or films or on posters. I've always taken it mean that the world in general is a fucked up place and doesn't have it's priorities straight, as opposed to 'this seems to be the norm, so i'll sign up to this method of thinking to ensure i fit in.' Fuck fitting in.

I sound like a stuck record, because i pretty much said the same thing in other threads pertaining to psychology. Whatever you're discussing, it's never the result of 1 thing.

 

[Calderownz]

Honestly, neither does any damage. If anything, not having them could hurt society in certain ways.

Parents fear sex more than violence, truthfully. And with the pregnancy issue, I understand that to a certain extent.

However, violence is far more harmful. Clearly. Having a baby isn't going to end your life (with the exception of unfortunate birthing/laboring incidents). A fight, could. Far more likely, actually.

Video games, for example, have at times glorified both situations. Still, no matter what you're doing, you have to take accountability. I'm not interested in people's excuses about what causes their actions. You cause your actions. No one put the gun into your hand, no one forced you to have sex with anyone or do any kinky shit.

So, my answer is that neither has an impact, so long as the recipient has enough self-esteem to know the difference between what's right and what's wrong. Some gray area exists, and you should seek the knowledge that allows you to settle that area, as well. If you can't understand that, then you're not ready for whatever it is that could be influencing you.

I don't have ANYTHING on my record besides traffic violations. Favorite video game? Grand Theft Auto. Favorite movie? Pulp Fiction. Favorite artist/musician? N.W.A. (especially when I was younger, for that matter.)

Technically, the images of violence are more dangerous, but neither should have any effect on someone that is intelligent enough to intake any of it. If you're not smart enough, and it causes some damage or corruption, then it boils down to either bad parenting or the fact that that particular person might not be a good person. It happens.

 

[RockFan89]

-- Which do you think is worse for "corrupting the youth" and why.

Well if your asking which is worse, a youth that is overly sexual or overly violent, then I think the obvious answer is violent. Overly sexual youth don't harm anyone besides themselves, and at worst a potential child who is the product of the activity. Violence has the potential to kill or harm countless people.

However, sexual activity is natural while violence is, generally, not. Guys and girls are naturally attracted to each other so the things that they are exposed to are just adding fuel to the fire. On the other hand, violence has to overcome a lot of our natural tendencies to avoid trouble and confrontation.

So to simplify my point, violence is worse, but has less of an effect while sex is not as bad but has more of an influence.

-- Do you think either of them have a proper place in society?

Well it depends on the society. The U.S. and Europe treats stuff like this different then the Middle East.

I do think we can't completely shield ourselves from sex and violence. We need these things to properly know history and convey effective messages through books, movies, and music.

I do believe, however, that using them for entertainment doesn't really add anything to our overall development as a society.

 

[Ultra Awesome]

I got to side more with RockFan on this thread. The truth is, while sex is viewed to have more of an influence than violence to most youths - it is violence that can have the WORSE affect in general. Being a pervert is common in today's world. I sincerely doubt that there is not one teenager out there who has had a craving for sex (etc). And really, there's nothing wrong with that. It's all part of the life cycle one grows through. Their horomones are acting up - and they damnd tities.

Violence, on the other hand is a different story. It is said that violence found in both video games and TV shows affects a youth through the morals they have. After being exposed to so much violence they begin to see it as something that is not a big deal. In other words, if they were to kill someone, they wouldn't really see a problem morally in that.

So what happens when a youth thinks like this? Well, I'm pretty sure everyonbe's heard of the shooting at Columbine High School. Much to everyone's disbelief, the real reason the two boys shot down the school was through influence of a movie that they saw - not that they were outcasts. Of course, the evidence is arguable; but that does not deny that the violence that they were exposed to had some affect in these two kids.

However, just because violence affected these two does not mean that is bound to affect everyone. Violence is influential, sure - but it's not as influential as many would think. In terms of influence, sex is the one that prevails. But in terms of WORSE influence, that prize goes to violence.