Peaceful Resolutions to Conflict

Ok so there are many stories out there in the world that involve protagonists finding peaceful solutions to the conflicts that they face. Usually they are also torn about finding this peaceful conflict because the others around them are encouraging them to try and use violence instead. The ones that I can think of off the top of my head include “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” and “Steven Universe.”

Stories like these create quite a contrast from the rest of the violent and indulgent media that gets shoved down our throats on a regular basis (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, turn on the nearest TV). They teach peace and putting effort into creating a solution even though it may not be the easiest to carry out.

There’s one major factor that links all of these stories that I’ve mentioned together.

THEY’RE ALL MADE FOR CHILDREN.

Why are we only telling kids that peace is good? Why isn’t that message important for adults as well? Why is this considered more immature than stories that feature blood and violence? Messages that promote nonviolent solutions are important for people of all ages, especially in a world where it seems that everything around us is about to be torn apart by war.

Really the only reason that I can think of is capitalism. The reality of the situation is that violence sells. People are more interested in watching someone get ripped apart than they are in watching someone struggle to keep the peace. As a result, media with well thought out conflicts that are resolved peacefully and reasonably have been regulated to “family friendly” media and considered juvenile.

Over the centuries there have been several theories about how art and morality intersect (Plato comes to mind). There are even more contemporary examples such as how terrorist groups recruit members through the media. I’m not saying that we should ban violent media because it ruins our morals, on the contrary, I think that they have a right to be out in the world. But if you ask me, if we want to change the way that the world is, we should develop a greater interest in plot lines with peaceful resolution and stop considering it to be something that is only for children. Because it’s not just for kids, violence affects us all and we all have a role we can play in stopping it.