Parents Against Media Violence

So often, many of us come across headlines and studies that indicate the adverse affects of media and violence on our children. We read, we sigh, and we try to instill this in the minds of the kids. In the city of Brampton, Canada, however, one man looked at it a little differently. He galvanized a small and effective movement with like minded parents to organize a group called PARENTS AGAISNT MEDIA VIOLENCE, in short PAMV.

“Most parents think that violent content in media is entertainment and can bring no harm to their children and this perception is completely wrong” says Bala Kumar founder of ‘Parents Against Media Violence (PAMV)’ a non-profit parent group working towards creating awareness among parents in North America. The author of the book Run Against Media Violence, Bala Kumar works for a software company, as consultant and implement projects both in US and Canada. His wife Vidya and daughter Vasooda-15 year old, live in Brampton (30 minutes from Toronto).

Bala Kumar hopes to expand this group to many places in the US. If any group in New England would like to start a chapter, he tells me, he is willing to help without any cost. The only thing they need is a commitment, he says. Since the Run against media violence has been organized in various places, I asked him that if there is a local interest here, what advice he can give. Bala Kumar laid out these reasons:

i. It will give parents common platform to tell children that violent content adversely impacts their physical and mental health. It is not just cultural, but a serious health issue.

ii. This is not a fundraiser and funds required to organize is in couple of hundreds. You can find local business to sponsor it. Cost to parents is zero.

iii. The exposure the event can give is huge. RUN AGAINST MEDIA VIOLENCE is not just a South Asian event. It is a City Event. You could get the permission to organize the run at your city hall and get the city mayor to participate in the run. We could get this event publicized in all local newspapers and television station.

iv. All you need to do is form a core team of 7 to 10 families. Then decide a day (during summer –Aug/Sept), date (preferably a Saturday) time (suggested 11.00am) place (suggested city hall) distance (suggested 2-3 miles). Then first talk to other Indian communities (temples, Gujarathi sangha, Tamil sangha etc) first and also to other communities in the city. If you can get 100 people to participate that will be a good start (for our first RUN we had 50 people). Any one needs any help just email/call or visit our website http://www.pamv.net (416-830-8551/ bala@pamv.net).

What prompted you to write this book?

A: This concept has been in mind in some form or the other for the last 14 years. When my daughter was small we used to close her eyes and ears whenever we bumped into violent or indecent part on the Television or the movie. It is used to look funny for all of us. After 15 years we still tell her not to watch violent or indecent programs. But it is not funny any more.

We (self and my wife) thought that every parent must have been having similar issues. Most parents we spoke said ‘yes it was problem’ and the question came back as what can we do about it (‘media is part of living’). Most parents also felt that violent content in multimedia was only fiction and can cause no harm.

It could cause depression, fear, nightmares, sleep disturbances, desensitization to violence and aggressive behavior to name few. If a child were to have such issues (say, depression, sleep disturbances) parents would look at every other possibility other than violent media content.

We thought there was need to work towards this awareness. Once parents are aware that their children are at risk they we would automatically work in the interest of their children. That’s how ‘ PARENTS AGAINST MEDIA VIOLENCE ‘ came into existence and one of the activities organized by PAMV to create awareness is, RUN AGAINST MEDIA VIOLENCE.

Now to answer your question, this book did not come first. I spent lot of time reading and collecting available information on the subject and put it all up on our website (http://www.pamv.net) for the information of all parents. The same information is published with my opinions. Parents need not buy this book, they can find most of it on our adfree website. I don’t even advertise this book on our website.

You have cited research with statistics on media violence. Have you conducted your own research? Could you elaborate on how you went about this?

A: No I have not conducted any research of my own. I am a working parent like most. I need to work to pay my bills.

I am of the opinion there is enough research (more than 1000) and talk (first US congressional hearing during 1952) on the subject. Requirement of the day is to act, to work towards making the contents of the available researched material to common parents. Media will not do it (gives it a very low priority) because they don’t want to loose the profit. We need to remember Tobacco manufacturers 50 years back sold cigarettes as healthy products. As recently as 1994 seven CEO’s of Tobacco companies testified under oath to US Congress that ‘Nicotine is not addictive’. The point is industry would go to any length to protect their interest, even if it is resulting in 400,000 annual deaths and costing $150 billion dollars in health and productivity cost (annual in US alone).

For my research I have used published article, research reports available information on the Internet to better understand how adversely violent content impacts children

How do you define or categorize violence?

A: Let me quote definition of Center for Media and Public Affairs: For the purposes of the study, the definition of violence was as follows: ‘Any deliberate act of physical force or use of a weapon in an attempt to achieve a goal, further a cause, stop the action of another, act out an angry impulse, defend oneself from attack, secure material reward or merely to intimidate others’. I can quote many definitions as what can be categorized as violence. But the best thumb rule is this: If parents think that a particular game/program/ movie is violent for their children, than it is (see our website for program ratings etc.)

How has been the response to this book? Have kids and parents acknowledged that this problem exists? Could you send us some comments or feedback?

A: Parents have found the book very useful. All the parents I have spoken to acknowledge that this problem exists, but difference is in how it could be impacting children. Mr. Dave Grossman, Pulitzer Prize nominee and author of the books On Killing and Stop Teaching our Kids to kill, wrote the following about my book Run against Media Violence:

Dear Bala Kumar, I thank you for your excellent work in this field, and for your Passion for this vital topic. WELL done, my friend, KNOW that you are helping to save lives and transform our civilization.
Very best regards, Dave

The world is going to be more technologically advanced with more sophisticated electronic games in the future. Is this an alarming trend in your view?

A: It is more alarming than we can imagine. Let me quote some numbers. During 2001 Hollywood (100 year old industry) had annual revenue of USD 8.4 billion and video game industry (around 30 years old) was at USD 9.4 billion. Today video game industry is estimated at USD 21.4 billion and Hollywood 10.5 billion. We are talking 100% growth in less than 3 years time. Around 59 million children – 92 percent of all children between two and 17 years old – play video/Internet games. Though the games are rated mature there is no law in the United States restricting children from buying it (you don’t need to produce id for age proof). Violent videogames have the most adverse impact on young minds compared to other multimedia products because they are interactive, customizable and one to one with more destructive powers at the command of the players as they progress. Kids probably enjoy this fantasy power in their hands without knowing that it is causing them irreparable damage.

Modern videogames are based on flight simulators, a technology developed for aircraft industry training purposes five decades ago. Similar simulators were developed by the United States army to train their soldiers and increase the firing rate from 15 to 20 percent in World War II to 95 percent in the Vietnam War. These simulators are now in our homes and arcades in the form of violent games according to Dave Grossman of the Killology Research Group.

What efforts have been made to reach a wider population to take notice – libraries, schools, media companies etc

A: We are talking to lot of parent groups in other cities to organize this event. We are talking to Indian and other communities in all major cities in US to form a PAMV chapter in each city and organize RUN AGAINST MEDIA VIOLENCE as an event.

In the pipeline include talking to school boards to organize this as an annual event in schools, talking to major television and news stations.

In the end what would be the best advice you can give to a kid and a parent?

A: The only advice I would give to kids is ‘listen to your parents.’ I would work towards making it know to parents that violent content in multimedia targeted at children is not entertainment, it has serious health impacts on their children and they should be aware of this.

The book is available on www.amazon.com and all online stores.