We are born with basic human rights - the right to education, to food, to be safe - and the right to speak freely and express ourselves. However, is this a right that should be taken as black and white as it seems?The contrasts across the globe in terms of where free speech ends and censorship begins are staggering, and this essay aims to discuss and analyse whether a happy balance can ever be found.
In the UK today, people have access to more information, materials and content than ever before. The internet has become a place where anybody can express their views, to whichever degree of anonymity they please, and seemingly with little consequence.
In contrast, countries across the world are fighting for this chance, and citizens are having laws and restrictions imposed upon them. An example of this is the recent crisis in Egypt - a complete media blackout shielded Egypt from the eyes of the world, and nobody was aware of the state of affairs in the country - until people started to find a way around the restrictions and sent cried for help on social media sites - alerting the world to the horrors that were unfolding. Only after people bravely exercised their right to free speech could other countries intervene and try to calm the situation.
The Egypt Crisis is an extreme example, but completely relevant to the issue of censorship in the modern day. And whilst censorship can be a way to hide horror, or stop people talking about the terrible situations they find themselves in, it can be necessary on a smaller scale.
An example of this is with the content that is available to view online The internet does not come with age restrictions. At the click of a button, a child can find themselves on an adult website, be that pornography or images of graphic violence. And whilst children can accidentally stumble upon theses web pages, so can adults easily place a search and find content that many would deem inappropriate.
One such viewing material is Hentai - a popular Japanese form of cartoon which depicts young girls in compromising situations. Hentai has recently been made illegal under the Cartoons Act / Dangerous Images Act, with the reasoning that a child should not be shown in these situations, regardless of whether it is a photograph or a drawing.
The consequences of this ruling have been minimal - a few online petitions to make the content legal again. But, in the eyes of the law, viewing the images is now illegal, and people have been imprisoned for doing so. Is it right to imprison someone for viewing materials deemed inappropriate by others? It is a necessary safety precaution well worth taking to stop 'harmless' viewing becoming harmful physical acts.
The question of whether censorship works to prevent crimes is a difficult one - and history shows that censorship to extreme levels does not change people's beliefs if they feel strongly. Judaism survived the Holocaust, literature survived the book burnings, and women overcame oppression through the actions of Suffragettes.
In conclusion, censorship with regards to the protection of others, especially the vulnerable, is completely necessary, and should be used alongside laws passed through a democratic system. Censorship should not be used to stop people from asking for help when needed.
A happy balance between freedom and censorship would be one where people can express themselves without putting themselves or others in danger.
- 30 minute timed essay written in a classroom setting, under exam conditions.
- Written as a response to the following prompt:
'It is a basic human right that people should be able to choose what they want to read, view and think, and censorship infringes that basic human right.'
In the UK today, people have access to more information, materials and content than ever before. The internet has become a place where anybody can express their views, to whichever degree of anonymity they please, and seemingly with little consequence.
In contrast, countries across the world are fighting for this chance, and citizens are having laws and restrictions imposed upon them. An example of this is the recent crisis in Egypt - a complete media blackout shielded Egypt from the eyes of the world, and nobody was aware of the state of affairs in the country - until people started to find a way around the restrictions and sent cried for help on social media sites - alerting the world to the horrors that were unfolding. Only after people bravely exercised their right to free speech could other countries intervene and try to calm the situation.
The Egypt Crisis is an extreme example, but completely relevant to the issue of censorship in the modern day. And whilst censorship can be a way to hide horror, or stop people talking about the terrible situations they find themselves in, it can be necessary on a smaller scale.
An example of this is with the content that is available to view online The internet does not come with age restrictions. At the click of a button, a child can find themselves on an adult website, be that pornography or images of graphic violence. And whilst children can accidentally stumble upon theses web pages, so can adults easily place a search and find content that many would deem inappropriate.
One such viewing material is Hentai - a popular Japanese form of cartoon which depicts young girls in compromising situations. Hentai has recently been made illegal under the Cartoons Act / Dangerous Images Act, with the reasoning that a child should not be shown in these situations, regardless of whether it is a photograph or a drawing.
The consequences of this ruling have been minimal - a few online petitions to make the content legal again. But, in the eyes of the law, viewing the images is now illegal, and people have been imprisoned for doing so. Is it right to imprison someone for viewing materials deemed inappropriate by others? It is a necessary safety precaution well worth taking to stop 'harmless' viewing becoming harmful physical acts.
The question of whether censorship works to prevent crimes is a difficult one - and history shows that censorship to extreme levels does not change people's beliefs if they feel strongly. Judaism survived the Holocaust, literature survived the book burnings, and women overcame oppression through the actions of Suffragettes.
In conclusion, censorship with regards to the protection of others, especially the vulnerable, is completely necessary, and should be used alongside laws passed through a democratic system. Censorship should not be used to stop people from asking for help when needed.
A happy balance between freedom and censorship would be one where people can express themselves without putting themselves or others in danger.
- 30 minute timed essay written in a classroom setting, under exam conditions.
- Written as a response to the following prompt:
'It is a basic human right that people should be able to choose what they want to read, view and think, and censorship infringes that basic human right.'
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