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Every year when universities enroll new students, there are always some who
stand apart from the average - the youngest, the oldest, the ones who have
acquired some social fame before being enrolled, and so on. As one would expect,
they are the most favored objects of media coverage of campus life.
The media seem to be particularly interested in the amorous aspects of
their lives, when interviewing these new students. For instance, when reporting
about a young female writer who was enrolled by Tsinghua University, most media
outlets splashed the headlines: "Pretty Lass Writer Enrolled in Tsinghua, Saying
Would Be Dating Someone."
Jiang Fangzhou, 19, from Hubei province, is famous for having published a
number of novels before being enrolled at China's most prestigious university.
Reporting of such a young genius should have focused on her intelligence and
diligence. But the media obviously are more concerned about her attitude toward
love affairs.
Opponents of pedantic moralists may argue that it is only too natural to
ask a university student about her possible dating. Yes, I admit the argument is
right. But the point is: why highlight this aspect of the matter? If it is
normal to show concern for a 19-year-old's love affairs, then what about a
14-year-old girl?
Just a few days after splashing the sensational headlines, the same
Beijing-based newspaper interviewed a 14-year-old girl who was enrolled by the
University of International Business and Economy. Among a number of questions
thrown to the talented girl, one was her attitude toward dating. The girl
answered: "It is normal for an 18-year-old but I'm only 14. I will think of it
when I am 18."
When publishing the story, the newspaper highlighted the bits on dating in
both the sub-headlines and in the text. So did most Internet websites which
carried the report.
My question is: Is it necessary, and proper, for the reporter to ask an
underage girl such a question? And why did the media outlets accentuate this
part of the interview while there were so many other questions the readers may
be more interested in about the child prodigy?
The answer is apparent: To attract more readers and increase the hit rates,
newspapers and websites go for headlines involving romance and sex. It is
understandable for media outlets to try to draw as much attention as possible,
but it is too much, and disgusting, for them to cast their lascivious eyes at a
14-year-old girl.
I am not wronging them by singling out these two examples. I can give
another example. Again a new recruit of Tsinghua University, 25-year-old Li Jun
had made eight attempts at passing the annual national college entrance
examination before finally making it into Tsinghua. The aforementioned Beijing
newspaper also interviewed Li but did not say a single word about the new
student's romance or marriage, though twenty-five is the prime age for such a
topic. The reason is simple: Li is a he, not a she.
Nowadays, there is too much information about sex hitting our eyes and
ears. Its influence on children is disastrous, because they are not in the least
insulated from it. A recent survey conducted in Foshan, Guangdong province found
that the youngest child who had had sex was 12 years old and 34.5 percent of
senior high school students had "intimate boy/girl friends." Teenage pregnancy
has become something that people do not fuss about.
Media should reflect on their role in adding fuel to such an unhealthy
tendency. |
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发表于 2016-7-9 23:53:07