The parameters of the term censorship have been changed and manipulated a lot over the years. Television and movie ratings have become more forgiving of violence and indiscretion because these things are now seen as entertainment. Is it suitable for our young people? Should children be exposed to these images so early? How does censorship in the media affect teenagers? Children are the future of our society and must have some understanding of real world events. Ultimately, censorship can only be determined by parents. The media cannot filter out every little controversial image. What rights do the media have in this situation? How are their First Amendment rights applied here? As an aspiring political science major, the First Amendment is of particular interest to me. How it is applied under different conditions is usually set by precedent, but times have certainly changed as the media has changed. Censorship is a very important issue in today's world. Children's minds are easily manipulated and are sometimes unable to understand the difference between reality and fiction. Censorship is a necessary vice, but those who are truly in control, regardless of how you want to interpret it, are the child's parents. From the beginning of television and movies to today, many changes have been made to the definition of censorship. Censorship is not a new entity. It has existed since the times of the Roman Empire, although it was mostly used in the context of stifling any expression deemed a threat to the political or social order. “The term censorship derives from the Latin censere "to give one's opinion, to evaluate". Roman censors were magistrates who carried out census counts and acted as assessors and inspectors of... half the paper... full word or image. It's also difficult to enforce censorship rules because of the people out there who simply don't care what children see or hear. Saunders, Kevin W. "Censorship for Children?" American Journalism Review 26.2 (2004): Academic research completed. EBSCO. Network. April 11, 2011. Kevin Saunders is a law professor at Michigan State University. In his article he discusses how the First Amendment should be applied to children to protect them from words and images that they may not be ready to hear or see. He makes a careful legal case that the First Amendment “should be significantly weaker” for children than for adults, protecting them from sexual and violent materials. Children do not have the adequate ability to analyze society's views. Triplett, William. “Conveying indecency”. QC Researcher. April 16, 2004: 324-44. Network. April 20.2011.