On Tuesday, April 20, 1999, two seniors killed 12 students and 1 teacher at Columbine High School. The event sparked much controversy over the effects violence in the media has on its viewers. While the massacre can be traced back to a number of triggers, it becomes ostensible that the violence the two shooters were subject to caused a distorted reality which eased the conscience about what they were planning to do. As violence in the media grows, we can see the disastrous effects it has on society: media violence is to blame for the manipulated realities of our youth and in turn the atrocities they commit.
The reasons why we are attracted to violence pay tribute to the distortions violence creates. “These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which, as they kiss, consume.” (Shakespeare) A handful of college students were asked why they were attracted to violence in the media: violence gives a sense of power and control and we have been cultured to have an appetite for it. It seems that people are attracted to violence because they are satisfying a desire for excitement--perhaps in a life that lacks it. And while the drive to find excitement is perfectly humane, the means to the end is not. It is against seemingly all morals and basic instincts to long for violence. So where did this “unnatural desire” come from? A prominent--and controversial--European film director explains why he uses violence in his films. “It’s simply that violence...[is] the part that frightens us most when confronted with it.” (Haneke) This could explain why the media turned to violence in the first place: it frightened and intrigued its viewers. However, media violence has evolved into something that is expected by its audience and even necessary to have; and it’s rapidly spinning out of control.
Young exposure to media violence has negative effects on emotional development. The media is often credited with introducing our youth to the most basic emotions: happiness, sadness, grief, anxiety, and fear. This could be considered a positive thing: it takes the burden off of parents to introduce and explain the specifics of each emotion. However, it has been shown that children spend more time watching a screen than they do playing outdoors. Combine this fact with the earlier established idea that much of our media involves violence and one can see the paralyzing effect media violence can have on emotional development. With the inclusion of violence in media, young people are coerced into believing that fear and anxiety are common emotions and will become accustomed to feeling those emotions, and possibly go seeking such emotions throughout their lives.
Young exposure to media violence has negative effects on social development. In a child’s favorite movie, TV show, video game, or even song, the chances are high that the protagonist or some other character will use violence or physical aggression as an entertaining solution to their problems. As explained by the Social Cognitive Theory, when a child sees this method of solution work, as it most likely will in the media, they conceive this notion that violence is a viable, or even the best, solution to problems they will come across.
The emotional effects of exposure to media violence can be extremely detrimental when brought back to real life. Some experts call desensitization the most serious effect of media violence. Desensitization to media violence is the process of stopping violence from affecting oneself. Viewers numb themselves to the violent images because they “cannot afford to get involved, for if they did, their emotions would be shredded.” To compensate for the desensitization of its viewers, the media increases the level of violence. The cycle repeats itself endlessly, with no apparent end in sight. This process of desensitization and over-exaggeration of violence leads to a complete disregard for violence in the real world. When one sees a character do some terribly violent thing on the screen, a less violent act done in the real world will seem minute in comparison. This idea also applies to a desensitized person in contact with violence first hand. If they have seen a character get through far worse unhurt, they may act inappropriately to the situation, getting themselves hurt in the process. Media violence also affects learning: monkey see, monkey do. We have all seen the do not try what you are about to see at home. And while it may be painstakingly obvious to some that the events are far too dangerous to attempt, others may be less aware of the danger. In one study, 22% of juvenile criminals admitted that they learned how to do their crime on TV. Had these individuals not seen the act on TV, it is not difficult to assume that they would not have known how to do the crime and therefore not have done it. Is the media responsible for the crimes committed?
Media violence is not difficult to find: the amount of violence in the media today is staggering. 61% of television programming contain some form of violence (characterized as physical aggression towards another human) and 75% of violent scenes on TV feature no immediate consequence as a result of the violence. The statistics continue beyond just television: children spend an average of 53 minutes playing video games per day, with 74% of families owning video game equipment. Add that statistic to the 89% of top 100 video games containing violence and you have a terrible combination. Violence is far too easy for our youth to get their hands on.
Some would argue that media violence has no considerable effects on our youth. They believe that people are able to distinguish the world in the media from the real world. However, a considerable amount of evidence disproves this theory. For instance, one study found that children, particularly boys, committed 7 violent acts for every 1 they saw on TV. Surveys like these unquestionably prove that media violence has negative effects on our youth.
From the points made in this essay and the multiple news headlines stemming from media violence, it is difficult to ignore the negative effects media violence has on our youth. From the reasons why we enjoy violence to the point of views the images create, we can see how media violence can alter the morals of our youth and we have seen what such distortions have caused. The worst part is that it shows no signs of stopping. The next generation will be exposed to even more violence and at a much younger age. With the media getting at them so early, the development of these children will be so altered that it is easy to assume that they will be capable of doing unthinkable things. Pull out the ear buds. Take away the controller. Turn off the TV.
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