Writer's Block: Book review
Nov. 18th, 2009 10:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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None. In today's world, teenagers have access to insane amounts of information on all manner of controversial and "dangerous" topics. I'd frankly prefer they first encounter sex, alternative sexualities, racism, drugs, violence, non-mainstream religions, unpopular political viewpoints, etc in books which are more likely to handle them accurately, rationally, and sensitively than from the often-biased Internet or the weird bullshit circulating amongst their peers.
I mean, high schoolers are fairly smart, here. They're often a little ignorant (but give them a break, they've only been on the planet for a decade) and they don't always make the best decisions (thank you, undeveloped forebrain), but they're definitely capable of the critical thought it takes to evaluate the viewpoint presented in a book-- fiction or non-fiction. They're not so impressionable that they'll accept written word at face value. In fact, I've generally found high-schoolers are more likely to defend their own viewpoints against a conflicting source than be swayed by it.
Considering that, the sooner and more often people are exposed to various viewpoints, the better. Even if you want to keep to a straight-and-narrow path of some sort, you have to learn to do it in spite of a million voices screaming in all directions-- and you might as well start early.
Edit (10:24): Also, I am amused and slightly disturbed that half the responders to this question listed "Twilight" (and the rest of the series) and Twilight alone as their book to ban. WTF. I'll admit the story presents some unrealistic/unhealthy viewpoints on romance, but just because you don't like that aspect of it doesn't mean it's not a worthwhile book. (But I think all books are worthwhile on some level, even if just to teach me what books I don't prefer). And if that's your reasoning, why aren't you also choosing to ban all books containing unhealthy romances? There are a lot of them.
None. In today's world, teenagers have access to insane amounts of information on all manner of controversial and "dangerous" topics. I'd frankly prefer they first encounter sex, alternative sexualities, racism, drugs, violence, non-mainstream religions, unpopular political viewpoints, etc in books which are more likely to handle them accurately, rationally, and sensitively than from the often-biased Internet or the weird bullshit circulating amongst their peers.
I mean, high schoolers are fairly smart, here. They're often a little ignorant (but give them a break, they've only been on the planet for a decade) and they don't always make the best decisions (thank you, undeveloped forebrain), but they're definitely capable of the critical thought it takes to evaluate the viewpoint presented in a book-- fiction or non-fiction. They're not so impressionable that they'll accept written word at face value. In fact, I've generally found high-schoolers are more likely to defend their own viewpoints against a conflicting source than be swayed by it.
Considering that, the sooner and more often people are exposed to various viewpoints, the better. Even if you want to keep to a straight-and-narrow path of some sort, you have to learn to do it in spite of a million voices screaming in all directions-- and you might as well start early.
Edit (10:24): Also, I am amused and slightly disturbed that half the responders to this question listed "Twilight" (and the rest of the series) and Twilight alone as their book to ban. WTF. I'll admit the story presents some unrealistic/unhealthy viewpoints on romance, but just because you don't like that aspect of it doesn't mean it's not a worthwhile book. (But I think all books are worthwhile on some level, even if just to teach me what books I don't prefer). And if that's your reasoning, why aren't you also choosing to ban all books containing unhealthy romances? There are a lot of them.
