Violence in Media and Personal Context Assignment

Collet writes: Dimension 1- Family (important) I was born in Cameroon in West Africa, I come from a large family of nine of which I am the last child. My parents were farmers who cultivated cocoa, coffee, and other cash crops. I have 5 brothers and 3 sisters. Being the last child of the family, I was spoiled, I had everything I wanted and anyone who bothered me was in trouble. My dad always told me I was the last but not the least. I am the unifying child in the family. My family had lots of memories which I keep in mind till date.

Dimension 2 – Social (important) I see myself as someone who encourages others. I have been through a lot in this life which has given me experiences in this life. I use my stories to encourage my peers who might be going through some tough times. Looking at my experiences in life, growing up with both parents dead, life was not easy, I got to miss a lot of things normal kids do. All I knew was work and little time to leisure. These experiences molded me to be the independent person I am today.

Dimension 3- Culture (very important) Being an African, we do have diverse cultures. In my culture, you don’t call anyone older than you by their names. You need to call “Ndia” (meaning senior) before their real names. This is a form of respect for your seniors. Also, you cannot be sitting while your elders are standing. You have to always get up from your seat and offer to your seniors without being told to do so. African culture is different from what I see here. All these aspects of respect have been instilled in me, and I try to teach my kids. Culture is part of who we are.

Dimension 4- Professional/ Career (very important) coming from Africa, my parents were very strict when it comes to schooling. Failure was not tolerated and there were sanctions for that. I obtained my Ordinary and Advanced levels and later had a diploma inn nursing. I later volunteered to work as a nurse in my dad’s cocoa company. My goal is to study till I become a Nurse Anesthetist. My role model are my parents. Though they were ordinary farmers, they worked hard to give me a good life. I am where I am today due to their efforts.

Dimension 5- Political (not important) When it comes to politics, I am completely blank about it. I can say I know just the key people every kid knows like the president, vice, etc. I don’t really know the difference between Democrat and Republican and never participated in voting. However, I do watch CNN to know what is going on in the world. Maybe in future I will become interested in politics. My country Cameroon has a lot of bad governance and that affected my interest in politics.

Dimension 6- Spiritual (vert important) when it comes to religion, I do believe there is only one God. I am a Catholic by birth, baptized and confirmed in the Catholic church. I go to church every Sundays. I do bible sharing with my kids every day. People have different beliefs which is up to them to believe and accept. I believe only what I read from my bible. Being a Christian has made me a forgiving person I am today.

Dimension 7- Personal (important) There are many factors which have made me a better person today. I love spending quality time with family where we watch movies, do barbeques, and other fun activities. I am happily married and blessed with 3 kids.  2 girls and a boy. Shopping is my hobby and I love putting on good outfits. Family is always very important to me because they will always be by your side in good and bad time.

Dimension 8- Experience (important) I have had a lot of experiences in this life. As a kid, I grew in an environment where you literally have to work before eating. I would wash the dishes, take out the trash and hand wash my clothes. My parents both died of cancer while I was still in elementary school. I automatically had to learn how to be independent. I worked to pay my tuition. All my experiences made me a stronger an independent woman.

Nowadays, there is so much violence in the world. You see children killing their parents, siblings, and peers. At times, one will think maybe these kids are not normal, but then from my point of view, I can say some of these actions may be due to the things they watch over social media, some might be killings and other bad stuff. Kids now play all sorts of video games which can make them violent. There are also many horrible videos on YouTube. Some of these things tend to affect their judgements. It does bother me when kids have access to such violent act over the internet and on their video games. Children tend to copy what they see. By watching violent movies and seeing people using weapons makes them think that they could do the same thing. My suggestion is that a limit should be put on accessing such violent information. Also, kids need to be constantly advised on the disadvantages of social media.