EThics and the Consumption of Media

With the current state of the media ecology in the modern world, there is a vast array of content available to consume that covers many topics and moral viewpoints.  We also live in an age where being more and more vocal and specific in our ethical beliefs is acceptable and almost a prerequisite for discourse. Production companies and studios are also learning that funding more controversial and ethically questionable content can be wildly successful and popular. This raises the question: have all consumers lowered their moral standards? Does new programming that conflicts ethically with the consumer cause them to be desensitized or complacent with ethically wrong actions? Parents seem to have to be more vigilant than ever to monitor the content that their children watch in order to make sure that they’re not exposed to too much of the ‘wrong’ materials. Conversely, this sentiment could be misguided and unnecessary, because the possibility exists that its fine to watch content we don’t agree with, and the consumption of that media only bolsters our existing ethical and moral ideals while also satisfying our need for a ‘guilty pleasure’.