Warping a Generation: How Social Media Violence Extends Beyond the Screen

An 11-month-old girl in Thailand was laid to rest Saturday. The toddler was murdered by her father on Facebook Live as the world watched. He then took his own life.

That video was up for almost 24 hours before Facebook pulled it. By that time, it had been viewed more than 300,000 times.

In April, 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. was shot by Steve Stephens, a complete stranger.

Stephens was later killed after a police chase. The video of Godwin Sr.'s death was also posted to Facebook and shared over and over -- so much that it prompted a plea from his family.

"Please please please stop retweeting that video and report anyone who has posted it! That is my grandfather. Show some respect," Ryan Godwin, Godwin Sr.'s grandson, pleaded in a Twitter post.

This isn't just a Facebook problem. More and more violent videos are clogging up social media. With just a simple swipe a person can view the latest murder, torture and even suicides all from their mobile device.

Pastor Rob Schenck of Faith and Action is a mainstay in the fight against gun violence. He says the harm of the violence on screen extends to people watching at home, especially children.

"These kinds of violent images project a very powerful message that has a very deep impact on a child, morally spiritually, even one could argue physically, because there is research now on neuroscience, the development of the brain," warned Pastor Rob.

He says videos like the ones splashed across the screen have deep, spiritual implications.

"The Bible says we are not even to speak of certain things, despicable things that occur and certainly violent murders, assaults, which are really a desecration of human dignity. It's an insult to the magnificent creative genius of almighty God," he explained.

He offers this advice for parents whose kids may stumble across these images.

"I think the worse thing is silence, ignoring the reality of it, pretending like it doesn't exist. It does very much exist. Any child that has access to the internet, any child that has a phone or a portable device, or an iPad, whatever it might be…they have seen this and they will see more of it. So let's talk about it," he offered.

He says it all goes back to the Golden Rule and teaching kids to have respect for their fellow human beings -- meaning don't view it; don't share it.
 
Still, Pastor Rob thinks man's affinity for viewing violence is nothing new.

"One of the most courageous things that the early Christians did is to interrupt the blood sports. There are famous stories of martyrs that went into the arenas where the gladiators were battling one another…and Christians would enter those arenas and said 'stop,' " Pastor Rob described.

While some say the responsibility lies with Facebook and social media platforms, Pastor Rob says the Church also has a duty to lead the world in clicking off the violence and turning away from the modern day arenas.