Censorship in the US

1142 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Pros of censorship

“While most teenagers (60 percent) spend on average 20 hours per week in front of television and computer screens, a third spend closer to 40 hours per week, and about 7 percent are exposed to more than 50 hours of 'screen-time' per week”(Many Teens Spend). Many parents agree that they would rather not have their children view indecencies on the Internet and television, and the government should control the obscenities on the Internet. Others believe that it is the parent’s responsibility to control and censor what their children are watching on the Internet and television.

Censorship is the suppression of publishing information on the Internet or television (Naik). The government blocks only the content that is proved to be unfit for the public. Censorship is only used to a certain extent in the United States of America, but it is much more widespread in other parts of the world. Many people argue that the First Amendment to the constitution provides freedom of speech. Therefore, fining television stations for not censoring explicit materials could be a violation First Amendment rights (Ruschmann). Most people agree that the reason that the United States survives as a democracy is because of the freedoms provided by the First Amendment. With these freedoms revoked, the government could become too controlling (Ruschmann). Censorship also occurs when politicians commit crimes and feel threatened by the media. Political Censorship is unjust to the public because stories about the citizens can be posted on the Internet, and played on the news yet, the citizens have no control over this public display (Censorship).

Although many people are against censorship, there are many pros to having the Internet and television censored. For ...

... middle of paper ...

...elevision censorship is a very controversial issue in the United States because some parents feel that the government should enforce censors and others believe that it is the parents responsibility to censor their children and control their access to the media.

Works Cited

“Censorship.” SIRS Discoverer. ProQuest, 2011. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. .

“Many Teens Spend 30 Hours a Week on ‘Screen Time’ during High School.” Science Daily. N.p., 14 Mar. 2008. Web. 3 Mar. 2011. .

Naik, Abhijit. “Internet Censorship Pros and Cons.” Buzzle. Buzzle, 25 Nov. 2010. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. .

Ruschmann, Paul. The FCC and Regulating Indecency. Philidelphia: Chelsea House, 2005. Print.

“V-Chip Raises Free Speech Concerns.” Issues and Controversies. N.p., 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. .

Show More
Related

  • Censorship and Book Banning

    1822 Words  | 4 Pages

    Censorship is a concept with several different meanings. To each individual censorship has its own meaning. Is it a violation of our rights or is it a protection for our well being? Censorship in the generic sense refers to the suppression of information, ideas, or opinions. It occurs in all forms of communication from technological media to print media. Each society, culture, or individual's belief is violated by the codes of censorship that our society instills.

    Read More

  • Censorship in America

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since this country was founded, we have had a set of unalienable rights that our constitution guarantees us to as Americans. One of the most important rights that is mentioned in our constitution is the right to free speech. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the

    Read More

  • Censorship in the Media

    1130 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thesis: Although some people believe that censorship is adequate to select what things does the society will be good and can live around it while others believe that there should be no censorship because it takes away your right of expression of freedom.

    Read More

  • Censorship in American Literature

    815 Words  | 2 Pages

    Censorship has been a big part of the world’s history and especially America’s history. One of the most quoted amendments to the United States constitution is the first amendment; “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press ...” This amendment guaranteeing free speech, press, and religion is still heavily debated and contested today. Censorship, as a challenge to free speech and press has been allowed many times and has been heavily debated itself. Many people censor for many different reasons and in many different forms. Censorship itself is not always a bad thing and has in some cases been used for protection of the general population.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Censorship In Society

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pillai, Prabhakar. “Pros and Cons of Censorship.” Buzzle. Buzzle.com, 12 July 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

    Read More

  • Negative Essay: Why Censorship Is Harmful To Society

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    Censorship is detrimental to society. People can’t learn from their mistakes if we hide them. People can’t decide the best option if we say there are no options. People can’t understand each other if they don’t know what anyone is thinking. People can’t mature when they are “protected” from mean words. People can’t be themselves when they are being censored.

    Read More

  • Internet Censorship and Government Regulation

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    Redwin, Breanna. "A Look at the Pros and Cons of Censorship." Suite. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2014. .

    Read More

  • Censorship: An Obstacle for True Democracy

    1855 Words  | 4 Pages

    Censorship has been used by governments and influential groups throughout history as a tool for political and economic gain since ancient times. The Romans thought censorship was necessary to shape the morals of society to match up with government ideals. During the 1500's the Catholic Church banned certain texts that conflicted with the established religion from being read. In these times the idea of censorship was viewed differently that it is today. With powerful organizations limiting information it was often impossible for an average person to obtain literature or hear ideas that vary from state ideals, they probably didn't even know that their information was being censored. We live in a different age today, information is more readily available and censorship is often looked at as a negative practice that limits freedoms. That said, it still exists today and can be viewed as an obstacle to true democracy.

    Read More

  • The Controversy Of Censorship

    400 Words  | 1 Pages

    Censorship is the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security (oxford). Censoring has been in debate for decades. We can recall the speech of former President John F. Kennedy that shocked the whole nation and world. In his speech he spoke of secrecy of secret societies, the need for the American people to know what the government was doing (transparency) and how the media should inform the public at all times (science experiments) without being censored. I agree with a lot of what he said in the speech. However, I also believe that censorship is a doubled edged sword, depending on the circumstance/topic. For example, if the government has

    Read More

  • Censorship Limits Freedom of Speech

    406 Words  | 1 Pages

    Censorship is the control of communication between people. This includes restrictions on what can be seen and heard. Mostly, censorship is practiced by Governments. But religious and political leaders and special interest groups also try to control the flow of information. Censorship violates individual rights, hides useful information, and limits freedom of speech.

    Read More

  • Censorship In Public Schools

    522 Words  | 2 Pages

    Censorship is when people decide to take something away based on the controversial context. Censorship is used a lot more often now than it ever was a few years back. People have taken over and decided to censor things so that the context of what is being said isn’t taken the wrong way. Parents take it way too far and think that everything that is semi- inappropriate should be banned before their kids can read it, or see it. Some things are very educational and deserve a chance, but because it has one bad part people think it should be banned so that no one gets any bad ideas from it.

    Read More

  • Censorship in the Media and Entertainment

    1172 Words  | 3 Pages

    Censorship according to the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press can be defined as, “To remove anything offensive from books, films, etc., or to remove parts considered unsuitable from private letters, especially ones sent during war or from a prison”(Cambridge Dictionary). Censorship in the news and in the media takes many forms in todays fast paced world. Even with the slightly leak in information or even misleading information could cause todays world to be turned on its head and can cause people to interpret the issue in many ways which could have numerous implications. This is why such information is filtered by some governments around the world before it is aired or printed. There are countless arguments as to why or why not information should be censored as each individual is entitled to their own opinion. Censorship impacts people ability to choose freely as it is controls ideas and thoughts and thus influences their freedom of expression or their to express their views on issues, ideologies or even practice their faith.

    Read More

  • The Negative Effects of Censorship

    3203 Words  | 7 Pages

    Since the foundation of the United States after a harsh split from Britain, almost 200 years later, an issue that could claim the founding grounds for the country is now being challenged by educators, high-ranking officials, and other countries. Though it is being challenged, many libertarians, democrats, and free-speech thinkers hold the claim that censorship violates our so-called unalienable rights, as it has been proven throughout many court cases. Censorship in the United States is detrimental because it has drastically and negatively altered many significant events.

    Read More

  • The Importance of Censorship

    611 Words  | 2 Pages

    Censorship affects our society in many different ways, it affects the music we listen to, the movies we watch, the books we read, and many other aspects of our everyday lives. Even though many might argue that censorship doesn't really have a place in a society that emphases freedom of speech and the freedom to express oneself, but censorship is an essential and needed part of our growing society, it's needed in the television industry, the Internet, and the music industry. Censorship helps to make our world a better place because it creates a better environment for us to live in.

    Read More

  • The Media Should Be Censored

    1032 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...net availability and television shows watched. Censorship has a great deal to do with drugs, societal values, or violence. But people also need to know the difference between right and wrong, and knowing how to behave correctly is what affects society. Seeing someone shoot someone else on television is not going to make me go out and kill someone. But, being brought up thinking that the only way to get ahead in life is to steal or kill people then a person may do those types of things, and that is media influence. There are certain key elements in the media that help maintain the entertainment alive and add to the excitement to movies and other programs. However, pornographic material, extremely graphic violence, and shows that give ideas to people that would encourage them to engage in actions that are harmful to themselves or other people should be censored.

    Read More

More about Censorship in the US

Open Document