Violence and Media

Violence on TV, in the movies, in video and computer games is increasing all around the world. Unfortunately, violence in the media has a many effects on the young people. Some people try to act what they see on the media and it affects their behavior negatively.
Television is very important in our society. In the United States, many people addictive to the TV. I believe that it is hard to find any house without television in the US. Many people watch TV very often and they think that violence makes television more interesting and exciting. Producers know that and they try to make their programs interesting and full of action with violent. In my opinion, the problem is that children do not know exactly how to deal with that violence. When children watch the programs or the movies which are full of action with violent, they try to copy the actions what they see on the TV. They think that they will be like the TV heroes that they love so much. For example when they see their heroes fighting with someone they think that it is very normal to fight with people. I believe that it is very dangerous for the children because it gives damage children's personalities.
Video games also have violent. I believe that playing these kinds of games affect to children harmfully. When you play a game like that, you have to react fast, and you have to kill as many persons as you can. You have to destroy something, and finally, you have to survive. Obviously, there is no doubt that it has a certain negative influence on children. Children easily become addicted to video games. If children play video games continuously, they become to be aggressive, and argumentative. In addition, their attention period decreases because they are used to seeing action all the time. In video games, they have their own world where they allowed doing everything they want. Even if it is only a game, kids start to live with the characters that are in the games. They cannot able to see which is real which is not, they cannot tell between reality and fantasy. They feel like they are hero and they can do whatever they want in the real life. I think in some video games that, there is too much violence. It influences teenagers negatively, and teaching them the wrong values.
These kids also have some problems at school. Before teenagers play video games, they played some sports and read books. Now instead of those activities, they have computers. They get addicted to these games very fast. Sometimes they forget to do their homework and other things. For example, they can spend a whole day playing a video game in which they shoot and kill some monsters or enemies. They enter a new unreal world and they forget everything.
If there are no violence in the media, everyone would have to learn only from real experience and the world can have less violent.. Parents should teach their children that there are good things and bad things, and they should help them to know what is wrong. Now, many parents try to control monitor what their children watch on TV. Sometimes it is very difficult because many parents work and they have to leave their children alone. Many people know that, since television was invented, the world has changed a lot because of this violence programs and movies. Media violence shows to children to see violence as a normal thing.
I think that video games, movies, and television include too much violence. Children who watch and play these games can affect by very aggressive content. Even though, they like to play strategy games where they figure out how to kill someone, they do not realize that they are becoming aggressive. Those video games teaching the wrong values and sometimes children give a very evil reaction. Since increasing violence has become a part of our culture today, we have to think about its influence on children.

Ozgur Coskun
DenizOzgur.com

E.S.L.

Have you tried to learn any another language? When I arrive in the US, my biggest problem was language differences between here and Turkey. I have been in difficult situations many times because I could not speak English very well. I have two memories from that time I can never forget.
One time, I went to Wal-Mart for printing my film. When I got there, I recognized that I had one more frame of film left. I saw one man who was around 70 years old. He was working there and giving shopping carts to people. Before I gave the film for printing, I decided to ask him if he could take my picture. He smiled and said “sure.” He put on his Wal-Mart uniform and posed. I was surprised because I was trying to give him my camera to take my picture but he was waiting for me to take his picture. Suddenly, I understood that I had told him “Can I take your picture?” instead of “Can you take my picture?” but I didn’t tell him that I asked wrongly because he had already posed and also seemed so happy. Finally, I took his picture. It was so funny. The picture is still in my album and people who see his picture ask me “Who is that guy?” and I explain to them what happened on that day.

My other funny experience happened at the Texas Roadhouse, which is on Rockville Road. I was on my first date with a girl. We went to the steakhouse and we had a great dinner and chat. We were trying to understand each other because my English was not good enough to understand and talk to him. Most of the time, we were using our body language, but anyway everything was ok until I went to the restroom. I walked to the restroom area and started to stare at the doors because one of them says “gal” and the other one says “guy.” I know man-woman, girl-boy, lady-gentleman but I didn’t know guy or gal. I had never seen these before. In Turkey, restroom doors have signs with men’s and women’s shoes or hats on them. This time they wrote gal and guy! I had no idea about their meaning. After I looked and waited a little while I decided to try one of the doors because I knew that he was watching me. I tried and I was wrong. I was in the woman’s restroom. Suddenly I went back and I entered to the other door. I was so embarrassed because he saw me. Actually, I made fun of myself more than he made fun of me and I told that it was going to be our secret.
I am pretty sure that many people have a problem like me on their first visit to the United States. I had a really hard time when I came here because I could not speak English well. I believe that it is difficult to live here if you don’t know enough English.

Ozgur Coskun

DenizOzgur.com

Hitchhiking

I grow up in little village Yarimca next to Izmit, which is fifty miles far from Istanbul. In turkey most of the people uses public transportation. Since lots of people uses public transportation, it is much cheaper compare to drive your own car. We had a family car but since gas prices four times more expensive than the U.S. we usually try to use it with a group of people. For instance if my Father wants to go to Izmit, he would prefer bus, unless we all want to go there together. Also there are trains and ferries we can take.
I did not have regular income at that time. Most of the time I took buses or trains to get around. Maybe that is the reason I miss public transportation sometimes. Some people prefer hitchhiking. I personally don’t like it especially in U.S. but honestly I did several times when I was a teenager with my friends. It was fun at that time. Meeting other people, talking with them and get the destination you want to go. It is faster than bus or train. More important it is free. When you think gas prices outrageously high, some times hitchhiking was the best alternative when I was teenager.

When I was sixteen years old I liked to hang out with my friends, like every body. One day my friend and I went to Izmit to see another friend. On the way back we decided to use our hitchhiking luck, while we were waiting for the bus. A car stopped and we got in. We introduce each other and start to talk about ourselves. He was a sergeant in the Turkish army. He was going back from Ankara to Istanbul from weekend trip. He saw his fiancé and he was sad to leave her in Ankara. He was really tired driving long ours, which was the reason he stopped and have us in his car.
When we came to our destination Yarimca, I offer him cup of tea. He except it and had a cup of tea with us in our neighborhood café house. I was happy to make a friend and give him some uplift to keep him awake. He left to Istanbul and we go back to our houses.
Couple days later I saw his picture on the national newspaper put by his parent. I read the article. After he left us he had a fatal accident with his car and he died. I was really sorry for him even thought I met him just for couple hours.
I’m not hitchhiking now but whenever I see a hitchhiker I remember him.

Ozgur Coskun
DenizOzgur.com