Violence in the Media and its Impact on Society
Recent times have seen an increase in violent scenes within the media. Platforms such as films and news bulletins tend to predominantly reflect on violent actions and acts. The projection of violent scenes in the settings may also be used to explain the prevalence of aggressive tendencies in the current society. According to Anderson " Bushman, violence in the media can be referred to as the “intentional attempts by individuals to inflict harm on others” (354). Violent in the media is often reflected in the form of songs, lyrics and Given the danger that is posed by violence and aggression in the society, there is need to examine whether there is correlation between the prevalence of violence in the media and the manifestation of such aggression in real life. Notably, there are different schools of thought regarding the matter.
Opposing Arguments
One of the schools of through argues that viewing violence in the media is not bad for the society. Their premise dictates that the documentation of violent scenes does not have a negative influence on the character or behavioral patterns of individuals in the society. Alternatively, the alternate school of thought suggests that violence in the media accounts for the increased cases of violence in real life, and it is therefore bad for the society. To infer a relevant solution, the current analysis seeks to respond to the question on whether: “viewing violence in the media is good or bad for our society”? While there are groups in the society that allude to the opposite, violence in the media leads to hostility between individuals, manifestation of violent acts and crime, and detachment and aggressive emotions and domestic abuse.
Opposing Viewpoint
There are several arguments that are often posed by the opposing side in trying to negate the dire consequences of violence in the media on the society. One of the major premises lies in the fact that majority people are exposed to the phenomenon but do not end up committing extreme violent acts such as mad. Based on the premise, if violence in the media was the cause of violence in real life, then the majority individuals in the society would be subject to the practice of violence. Since only a few individuals practice aggression and violence, in comparison to those who engage in the action, it is viable to contend that the manifestation of violence in real life is a culmination of other factors other than violence in the media. Notably, violent acts in the society border on crime. However, despite the increased projection of violence in mainstream media, the violent crime rates have remained relatively the same. Arguably, if violence in the media was the cause of aggression in the society, then more incidences of violence in the society would have been manifested. Possibly, people use violence in media platforms such as game tools to release the rage and disillusionment that they feel in life leading to fewer incidences of violence in real life. While this premise reflects an element of truth regarding the influences of violence in the media on the society, it fails to capture the overall influence of violence on the entire community. This paper only seeks to prove that there is a causal relationship between violence in the media and violence in the society. It does not suggest that violence media acts in isolation in the fueling of aggressive behavior among individuals in the society. Highlighting the changes that are manifested in the society and between individuals provides a platform through which the dangers of violence in the media on the overall community can be reflected.
Hostility Between Individuals
Hostility between individuals in the society can be attributed to violence in the media. Essentially, violence in the media is often applied as a medium through which conflicts can be resolved. In the initiative, people tend to embrace violence as the only option in the mitigation of differences. Such an approach negates the positive relations that exist between individuals in the society. People tend to embrace aggression and violence as a replacement for other viable conflict resolution mechanisms. The hostility that is projected in the setting, or given scenario, prevents the realization of optimal solutions that can be used to address the conflict and prevent the embrace of sustainable social solutions. In reflecting on the dangers that are posed by violence media in reinforcing hostility between individuals, Anderson et al. argued that severe forms of violence in the media are the major propellants of hostility among different individuals in the society (82). The application of a resolution that is pegged on violence serves to negate the sustenance of peace between diverse individuals in the society. The same concern is highlighted in the study The Impact of Electronic Media Violence: Scientific Theory and Research. According to Huesmann, aggression between individuals in the society is fueled by 3 major components which include priming, arousal and mimicking (8). Primarily, people become easily triggered when they are repeatedly exposed to a particular behavioral pattern. Equally, the manifestation of hostility as a conflict resolution mechanism is no more than the mimicking of the violence that individuals witness in the media. Contrary to the claims made by the detractors of the causal relationship, previous cases of mass shootings indicate that the perpetrators of the vice had prior exposure to violence in the media either in the form of lyrics, games or movies.
Aggression Detachment and Indifference
Unlike in the past, violent crimes are increasingly common in today’s society. In reflecting on the dangers that are posed by violent media, Savage and Yancey dictated that while there is no direct link between the two phenomena, the repeated viewing of violence had the effect of fostering an indifference towards violence by the subject involved in the scenario (777). The study reveals that violence fuels the desire to engage similar practices in real life. For instance, in movies involving violence, the perpetrators of the action are often celebrated. Therefore, the more that an individual engages in violence, the better their outcomes in the setting will be. Criminals in the films and video games such GTA get away with their violent crimes. In viewing such patterns, individuals are exposed to the possibility of achieving their goals through the engagement of violence. Subsequently, they end up embracing the approach a s a medium through which their goals can be achieved. Contrary to the opinion fronted by the detractors of the correlation between violence on media and in real life, people often opt for the easiest means through which they can achieve milestones and basic needs. In reflecting the influence of media violence on violent crime, Dahl and DellaVigna suggest that exposure to movies which are violent inspires criminal tendencies in the night (712). Such occurrences point to the influences that violence in films hold over the audience. Most of the time, the audience is often inspired to replicate the actions that they see. Factors such as thrill and material gain that is achieved when one is exposed to violent media serve to fuel a desire for the achievement of the same. Therefore, people end up replicating a similar pattern in their lives.
Aggression Detachment and Indifference Continued
Aggression detachment is also a culmination of repeated exposure to violence in the media. Notably, continued contact with violence serves to minimize the significance of the act. For instance, when an individual grows up in a setting that reinforces a particular imposition, they tend to embrace a character cloak that prevents them from bearing responsibility for the given actions. Similarly, one becomes indifferent to the weight or gravity of violence overtime when they constantly view the manifestation of the same in the media. In the initiative, violence is projected to be a normal phenomenon in the society. Such detachment threatens the realization of peaceful co-existence between individuals in the subject setting. For instance, when one becomes detached towards violence, they will be less likely to avoid the act in the future. Alternatively, violence warrants the intervention of the society. However, the absence of a sense of empathy towards the victims of violence only serves to reinforce the vice. Contrary to claims that only a limited number of individuals practice violence despite being exposed to violent media, the victims do not necessarily have to practice the vice. Indifference is also manifested in the ways by which people respond to the manifestation of violence in their midst. Admitting or embracing violence is a threat because it may result in long term negative effects which in turn negates the effectiveness of future interventions. Violence in the media is bad because it causes people to assume that the actions are an indispensable feature which cannot be reversed. However, such an understanding is not a reflection of truth as majority people are committed to the realization of peace rather than conflict. Violence being a source of conflict hinders unity and positive interaction which in turn negatively affects the society. In the study Does TV Violence Breed Indifference? Drabman and Thomas note that increased exposure to violence in the TV augmented children’s tolerance for violence (86). Thus, “in a series of recent experiments…we have provided evidence that exposure to TV violence can increase normal children’s toleration of real-life aggression” (Drabman and Thomas 86). Such indifference and apathy is dangerous because it also exposes people to abuse. Given that most people become indifferent to the concept, they will be less likely to recognize moments of extremity. As a danger to the society, violence in the media serves to foster violence in real life by encouraging indifference towards the phenomenon and loathe in responding to the manifestation of violence.
Conclusion
As an important topic, the influence of violence in the media in the society is a premise of the overall influence of technology on the society. Notably, it seeks to understand how human dynamics are changed from their interaction with technology. As part of the larger framework, the analysis of the influence of violent media on the society provides a framework through which technology can be optimally engaged to lead towards productivity in the society. Highlighting the dangers of the act or vice creates a sense of awareness regarding the dangers of technology. The initiative also serves to dispel some of the myths surrounding the phenomenon. In trying to explain the concept, the study seeks to provide a framework which is not only responsive but also sustainable in the long run. The analysis revealed that violence in the media was bad for the society. The phenomenon inspired the manifestation of the same in real life. Contrary to opinions forwarded by detractors, violent crime is more prevalent in recent times compared to the past generations. Such a trend points to the dangers that are posed by the unregulated consumption of violence in the media. To mitigate the implications of the phenomenon in the society, there is need for increased censorship of movies, video games and other media that constantly reinforce extreme violence. The initiative will serve to discourage the manifestation of similar practices in the future. As a relevant intervention, such a directive will encourage more companies to engage extensive editing as a medium through which the violence in the subject media is reduced to minimal levels. Normalizing violence threatens not only the peaceful co-existence of individuals, it also threatens the morals standards that guide the human experience. By becoming indifferent towards human pleas, individuals will witness stagnation in social development. The examination of the effects of violence in the media creates a background upon which similar influences in the realm of technology can be addressed in the future.
Works Cited
Anderson, Craig A., and Brad J. Bushman. "Effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, and prosocial behavior: A meta-analytic review of the scientific literature." Psychological science, vol. 12, no. 5, 2001, pp. 353-359.
Anderson, Craig A., Leonard Berkowitz, Edward Donnerstein, L. Rowell Huesmann, James D. Johnson, Daniel Linz, Neil M. Malamuth, and Ellen Wartella. "The influence of media violence on youth." Psychological science in the public interest, vol. 4, no. 3, 2003, pp. 81-110.
Dahl, Gordon, and Stefano DellaVigna. "Does movie violence increase violent crime?" The Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 124, no. 2, 2009, pp. 677-734.
Drabman, Ronald S., and Margaret Hanratty Thomas. "Does TV violence breed indifference?" Journal of Communication, vol. 25, no. 4, 1975, pp. 86-89.
Huesmann, L. Rowell. "The impact of electronic media violence: Scientific theory and research." Journal of Adolescent health, vol. 41, no. 6, 2007, pp. S6-S13.
Savage, Joanne, and Christina Yancey. "The effects of media violence exposure on criminal aggression: A meta-analysis." Criminal Justice and Behavior, vol. 35, no. 6, 2008, pp. 772-791.
