Children are always up to date with the newest games and sensations which would make them “cool” among their peers. Slenderman, a game of hide and seek in which a monster is chasing the player, has become one of the most popular games on the internet. Many online memes, videos and products were created by the online response of the game. Despite being a horror game, meant to frighten the players, children play the game despite it’s violent nature. Slenderman himself does not attack the players but the graphics of the game do promote negativity and murder (the player gets murdured if he is caught by Slenderman).
In one of the latest news, two young girls, both aged 12, have killed another 12 year old young girl by stabbing her with a knife repeatedly. The news corporations such as CNN and BBC, blame their acts on the Slenderman game, which the girls have imitated by taking their victim into the woods and then killing her. The two girls themselves admitted they have imitated Slenderman.
When we read about this case, we ask ourselves; to what extent can we control the media content which our children consume? In today’s modern society, there is almost no censorship. It exists but it is weak or not properly rated. A child as young as 12 can gain access to any adult content games, TV shows, videos, images, etc. This incident with Slenderman, has opened the eyes of many parents who should pay more attention on what their children are watching. One of the possible solutions is for the parent to immense himself/herself into their child’s hobbies. For example, research what children these days watch and do online.
Video games and especially cartoons, which are one of the most violent forms of media, contribute and affect our children’s behaviour. There may be positive effects as well but the negative ones bring dire consequences with them, such as the death of your child or your child committing murder on one of their friends due to the influence of the media.
Bibliography
Steyer, J. (2014, June 8). Parents, take heed: 'Slenderman' and more lurk online - CNN.com. Retrieved January 11, 2015, from http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/04/opinion/steyer-slenderman-kids-media/index.htmlJohnston, C. (2014, June 3). Two girls say they stabbed a third in the name of Slenderman. Retrieved January 11, 2015, from http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/06/two-girls-say-they-stabbed-a-third-in-the-name-of-slenderman/
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