The social media has shaped the Penn State scandal into something a lot more controversial and disturbing. Jerry Sandusky and other Penn State faculty members are being ripped apart by the media by letting everyone across the country and world know about what actually happend over the past years. The social media has shaped the situtation by getting all of the details pertaining to the scandal. This would include; who was involved, how many years was this going on for, and why this was never solved earlier. The media is the primary source for the rest of the country because they get to cover all sides of the stories. I feel that in every incident that occurs, someone is always going to change their story or flat out lie to the media about what happend. Issues of power, media, and deviance intersect in this scandal because of our socities values. Penn State was and is still is an excellent university for academics and sports. Many people that don't even follow sports too often probably have still heard of Penn State football. Since their program is so large and well-known, a lot of power is going to be given to the coaches, players, etc. Specifically Joe Paterno was treated by the players, students, and staff as their own "God." Our society values sports and sports figures so much it's kind of scary in a way. This created an enormous problem since the scandal broke the news because all that power Joe Paterno, the team, and school has had just flew out the window. You would think that somebody with so much power and influence on millions of people nation wide would have the respect and moral values to stop this scandal. I feel that the media can either lift individuals to the top and into the spotlight in a positive way and also tear them apart. That's exactly what happend after news broke out. Joe Paterno's "legacy" is now ruined forever. Deviance plays a huge part of this because they acted like nothing was going on and everything was fine. These coaches and staff members and whoever else knew about what was going act like they're above the law or something and don't have to abide by the same rules as "regular" citizens do. Our society has put so much love and passion into these "icons" or role models, that they think they're unstoppable. Using an interactionist theory, I feel that he has morally and publicly embarrassed himself. To understand an individual and to see how they react within society was just torturing these kids. After they've experienced these situations, they probably won't be the same for the rest of their lives. Everyone has different attitudes, beliefs, and values, but I feel Jerry Sandusky lost his soul and dignity over a spand of time. My personal reactions to the scandal were frankly shocked and amazed. I was shocked because no one would expect of all people, Joe Paterno to be involved in such a horrific incident. No matter how much society values you, you can always fall to the lowest point by making bad decisions throughout your lifetime. I was amazed when I first heard the story because I sometimes forget how easy these things can occur in schools. I think a lot of parent's believe that when their child goes of to school that they are sending them to a secure and safe environment. I know people that go to school just to get away from dangers that surround them in their lives out of school. School should be a place students want to go not to avoid. I feel that unfortunately after this event, parent's are going to think more about their child's safety, even at their local school.
Sean H. Whitesitt
KIN 332I
009636326
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