An Introduction To the Exploitation of Childhood Innocence In Media and Film

Access to screens is at an all time high and in most homes one can stumble across multiple devices which provide a connection to the online world, to media and to televised entertainment. During exposure to screen time, adults and children alike are receiving numerous and constant stimuli which lead to physiological, emotional and psychological responses. These stimuli not only have temporary and instant impacts on how we respond and react, but over prolonged exposure, can have a lasting one. We do not only feed ourselves with food, but also with what we read, watch, the activities we participate in, the social circles we gather in and how we channel our interests and energy. These aspects play a huge role in forming our identity and perception whether we are conscious of their effects or not. Based on the choices we make for ourselves and how we guide our children, we all become a certain way. Media and popular entertainment influence our daily lives and upbringing as well as certain decisions we make and have been entangled in our habits and choices for numerous decades.

As mentioned, televised and online entertainment is now more accessible than ever before. With programs like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus and the like, it is so simple to entertain our youngest population with the click of a button; televisions and iPads have literally become virtual babysitters. This can be viewed as a convenience to overwhelmed parents and guardians but, how does spending multiple hours per week, even per day, “program” our children and create a degree of indoctrination through specific images, character traits, plots, and of course subliminal messages? Media-based entertainment (i.e. movies, shows, images, music videos, etc.) is created to evoke certain and specific emotions and reactions. As we know, each media sub-category can also be divided into genres: comedy, adventure, romance, horror, action, drama, crime, western, anime, thriller, and others. Each genre evokes specific feelings and triggers certain reactions. Each movie or story plot is unique as are the characters being portrayed and the images being shown (whether still or moving). Thus, each aspect of the media being viewed evokes its own set of emotions and reactions, whether the experience is a conscious or subconscious one. Some emotional states that are triggered include being moved, amusement, attachment, calmness, fear, anger, and/or anxiety. Viewers can experience varying levels of each emotion as well based on the arousal level of the stimulus (Kimura et al., 2019). Thus, film clips and images can elicit different intensities of a particular emotional state (Kimura et al., 2019). What we perceive is processed by our brain at a neurological level first and then the brain sends messages to the rest of our body. The more often we perceive a specific emotion or sensory experience, the more often the synapses it triggers will fire, thus creating memories for that particular experience. This is literally “programming”, which is not only important in learning and development but also in shaping perceptions and beliefs, creating what becomes an individual’s “norm”. Thus, experiences are normalized based on their repetition and proximity in time and space. These concepts are important to be familiar with as what we view and especially what our children view, shapes our perceptions, what we learn to accept and what is being normalized. Additionally, our nervous systems are also manipulated by electromagnetic fields from monitors. At your leisure, research the US Patent US6506148B2 for more details on this phenomenon.

Since images, whether still or moving, evoke so many responses, thoughts and emotions in us, it is important to be selective in what we view and what our young people view. Much of the entertainment aimed at children attempts to normalize crude imagery, language and inappropriate subliminal messages. Some are more obvious, some hidden, some we have probably already accepted due to programming, while others we do not realize at all since our knowledge may not encompass their scope. The goal here, specifically, is to focus on the over-sexualization of entertainment for children as well as the sexual victimization of children in the entertainment industry. Sadly, there are so many examples of these issues, that this post topic will undoubtedly continue into the next few months.

Much of the entertainment aimed at children attempts to normalize crude imagery, language and inappropriate subliminal messages. Some are more obvious, some hidden, some we have probably already accepted due to programming, while others we do not realize at all since our knowledge may not encompass their scope. The goal here, specifically, is to focus on the over-sexualization of entertainment for children as well as the sexual victimization of children in the entertainment industry.

Child actors and actresses are seen through public eyes as stars and celebrities. Yet, in reality and more often than not, they are victims of the entertainment business which over-sexualizes their characters and even plays a role in providing viewing material for pedophiles. In last month’s article, on the topic of cyber trafficking, the involvement of Pornhub in enabling real child sexual abuse and emotional trauma on their site was discussed. This is obviously an extreme example of providing what some view as “entertainment” involving children, despite it being vile, illegal and perverse. However, the topic of focus here and in the following few posts will be to discuss examples of perhaps more subtle sexual nuances and pedophilic agendas in films and media, both those portraying children and those targeting children. Specifically, next month’s post will continue the discussion of sexualizing children with an overview of Shirley Temple’s career and films; films described by Shirley herself as “a cynical exploitation of our childish innocence”.

If you are or believe you have identified someone in a trafficking situation, you can take action. Call 911 immediately to notify local law enforcement. You may also call the human trafficking hotlines in Canada and the United States by dialling the numbers below. Both hotlines are open 24/7/365 days of the year and provide services in over 200 languages.