Censorship: Harry Potter and Parents Essay

Submitted By dkwatts
Words: 1465
Pages: 6

Watts I
“Censorship: It’s Effects on Me”
Could you imagine growing up in a household where the types of videogames you played, the genres of music you listened to, and the types of shows you watched were all censored by your parents? If these things weren’t appropriate to your parents, then you weren’t allowed to be involved in it. Censorship as defined by The Encarta Dictionary can be “[The] suppression of all or part of a play, movie, letter, or publication considered offensive or a threat to security.” My first memorable brush with censorship was when I was 11, I think. I was interested in all types of books, so I set about to read the Harry Potter series. One day my parents caught me reading a copy I got from the library and took it away from me. I wasn’t exactly sure what the problem was until my mom sat down and explained how the acts of Harry Potter were against our religion. So I respectively obeyed my parents and not read another Harry Potter or any book of that nature again. I can’t say whether me reading or not reading Harry Potter made a difference or not but I can definitely say that other things that they didn’t allow me to do surely helped which is why I believe Censorship is necessary.
Just like most modern kids, I was a videogame lover and spent a lot of my time playing. I was interested in all types of games from sports to action, to fighting, to racing, to education, basically anything. One of the most famous games was Grand Theft Auto, which allows the gamer to play the role of a criminal. Living the lifestyle of a criminal would allow the gamer to believe that because they’re able to get away with crimes and not be prosecuted, then they’ll be able to do the same in reality. "It should be clear to everyone by now that video games do influence young people," said Dr. David Walsh, author of the best-selling book on teenage brain development, Why Do They Act That Way? "While Grand Theft Auto is already full of violent
Watts II behavior and sexual themes, the pornographic sex scenes push it over the edge". My parent’s banned me from playing the game because I was a lot younger than the required age to play and they thought it would be in my best interest to wait until I was of age. But I can say as a GTA gamer, it doesn’t/hasn’t persuaded me to partake in any of those ridiculous actions in my everyday life. I believe I was smart enough to know that it was just a game and that the things that I was capable of doing on the video game were nearly impossible for me to do in realty. My parents did a fantastic job teaching me the difference between what was real and what was not.
We live in a century whereas music is very popular, especially to the younger generation. We have several artists and genres that we’re conformed to listen to. There are artists who use profanity, discuss sexual activity, drugs, drinking, and so much more. The listening youth, will believe that is the way of life and would become involved in these acts. There are certain artists that have an impact on the several adolescences that are watching and listening to their music. For example, Miley Cyrus has come from Disney Channel, having her own show, Hannah Montana, playing the role of young rock star who wanted to live the life as a normal teenager. With the show, she inspired her watchers to always believe in themselves and that they could conquer anything they put their mind to. Who wouldn’t want their child to watch a show like that? But now in this present day, Miley Cyrus is now noticed for her role in the music industry, with her gruesome video to “We Can’t Stop” whereas she is partying, drinking, and living “the life” and is saying that she will do whatever she wants to do no matter what anyone says. This song has been a major turning point, however, for a star that is regularly criticized for pushing the envelope in every way, whether through her music, image, or art. Up until now, the media and the general audience had all