Plato - the Greater Part of the Stories Current Today We Shall Have to Reject

"The Greater Part of the Stories Current Today We Shall Have to Reject" The Influence of reading material and television on children's abilities to distinguish between what is true and not true

Throughout time and history, the concerns of many have been made regarding the influence of the media on children and our young people. Although media, its various forms and those who are in control of them have changed throughout as time has progressed, the concerns still are the same. Plato wrote about the influence that poets had on young people of his time in the same way that those who have analyzed this issue today have revealed the effects of literature and television on today's children.

Plato strongly states in his writing "The Greater Part of the Stories Current Today We Shall Have to Reject" that initially we should begin with the children's mind and be more concerned with their appropriate education based on the literature they read as opposed to concerns with the physical aspect of their bodies. He then states that in doing so, "And we shall begin by educating mind and character," "In this education you would include stories, would you not?" As Plato progresses, he references particular poets and writers that have written about wars and gods and the terrible things that had happened to the characters in their writings, and states that these parts of these stories, or the stories as a whole should not be allowed to be read by, to or told to children. He states that "Then it seems that our first business is to supervise the production of stories, and choose only those we think suitable, and reject the rest." Basically, with no holds barred, Plato feels that what is written and put out there for the public reading and review should be edited and controlled. He stated that he felt these writers/poets in particular should be told to censor their writings.

I agree with Plato's objections stated above, however not to the degree where what is actually written and published or put out there completely controlled and censored from the beginning. In all reality this is not plausible as there is much history that exists as well as current events out there that are imperative for the learning and future of the progression of our society. If information "given" to us is filtered and improperly fluffed, how are we then left to analyze it appropriately and utilize it to our benefit as a learning experience or as an opportunity to analyze a situation or event without the clouding of censorship involved. With expecting writers to censor themselves as far as what they write is preposterous. Many individuals have so much within their minds that would be and could be beneficial for us as a part or whole to read, review or see on television that may dissuade us from a prejudice or situation, or allow us as humans to think things through, hopefully objectively, or even subjectively, without censorship.

It is up to the parents of our children to ensure that what they are reading and seeing and hearing from the media is controlled. During the years of adolescence, the mind is very impressionable and it is difficult to remove various occurrences and images from a humans mind as they get older. Children would be able to get ideas regarding for example, school shootings and bringing guns to school from the media, based on news reports that occurred when the horrible Colombine

High School shootings occurred. With viewing news reporting and editorials on a topic such as this, children can get ideas that this is ok to do and as of now, school shootings have become

more and more since Columbine, in my opinion, because of the extensive publicity. Children are and are not able to discern right from wrong without being properly told so based on being

punished or spoken to. If the parent is not present to do so and answer any questions a child may have regarding something he or she has read or seen on television, then there is a breakdown in communication, which must