Effects of Media Violence - Research Paper Example

Effects of Media Violence Media has become an integral part of people’s life, for it is linked not only to the professional employment of the majority of population, but also its leisure time that is much more important and more anxious as well. It is natural that the things we see, hear and feel somehow affect our perception of the world and our behavior patterns. In this respect, the media is a determining factor, since even in cases when a person has no aptitude for perception of some kind of information, media by using its techniques of the consciousness effect, subdues the audience. So, positive notions result in good and helpful reactions, negative ones cause bad aftermaths for people’s existence within a family and society. In particular, the rise of media violence is directly proportional to the cruelty among humans who appear to be an actual object of influence. Moreover, media touches and changes all spheres of people’s activities, as well as shapes not only the conduct of adults, but also the character of children. There are at least four kinds of violent media effects on the life of people. The first one is about the transformation of reality in humans’ minds under the impact of mass media. The thing is that all kinds of information, such as television, newspapers, Internet, video games, and advertisement, give the audience a new concept of the world order, or in other words they present the universe like it is seen by them or like it is comfortable for them. No wonder, people who see, read or hear about violence day by day, probably begin to perceive the world in its totally negative aspects. They realize their system to be a heart of evil and harmful actions, which threaten not only physical health of mankind, but also hurt its mental state with all possible expected results. In fact, media is the new environment and the reality of modern culture. Unfortunately, the latter is penetrated with more negative sides than positive ones. So there is a conflict between people’s vision of rosy reality and violent reality of mass media itself. But this case is almost exceptional, for the vast majority of people turn into so-called blind believers in mass media notions of the world, due to its ability of erasing the boundaries of true reality and drawing of landscapes of fictional one with its main feature, that is, violence. As a result people with their modified perception of the world hand it through the behavior patterns to their social surrounding. The second kind of media effect concerns to the changeover of society as a direct form of people’s union, in which a person interacts with others every day. Just imagine the extents of the cruel society if only every man absorbed in the violence of mass media through movies, news, or advertisements begins to display aggression, rage or anger. At the moment the state of affairs is not inspiring anyway, due to the frequency of violence cases everywhere, namely: at home, at work, in places of mass gathering, and so forth. It is the effect of pictures shown or presented to the audience through mass media. But if the most data resources form a passive model of violence, video games in their turn appear to be the very stimulator of opened violence manifestations. “In a video game … you are on the edge of your seat, scanning the screen for predators, and shooting at anything that moves” (Neal). Thus the line between game and reality in the imagination of a player is blurred. Furthermore, he is getting into the habit and subconscious desire to defeat an enemy. In such a context, people can easily transfer their aggression from a game into the real world and especially into society. Then it is impossible to predict who can suffer from violence being taken as a game target. As we can see, mass media violence is that factor which threatens generally accepted norms of peaceful life within society. Obviously, the whole percentage of crimes resulted from violence cannot be accounted for the influence of media only. Still one way or another, images of cruel reality cause further violence. The crime rate is the third issue under the effect of mass media violence. Scenarios unfolded on television screens are not only filled with scenes of violence but also carry the implication of impunity for atrocities, as criminals very often come off with a whole skin. Moreover, at all events the plots of movies as well as video games come laden with some information about specifics of the underworld, sometimes in such details which better not to know for people in general. In such a way media violence gives rise to cruelty in reality, which results in a list of solved and unsolved criminal cases. Naturally, the thing is not about universal interest or inclination of all men to the practice of cruelty. There is an element of truth that potentially violent people watch violent movies. Nevertheless, life is different and no one knows what will be the behavior of a man who seemed to be kind and innocent at a glance, when he is close to the edge that is caused by an offender. In this context, relevant pictures from media full of violence may draw attention to them in his memory with step by step guideline to an action that can be not always of a good nature. “These environmental stressors are catalysts for violence; they don’t cause violence, but they may stimulate specific violent acts in a particular individual who is already prone to violent behavior” (Ferguson 45). Another aspect or rather fertile ground for media violence to sprout is a sphere of personal relationships. In practice, the result is the use of physical force towards a partner and abusive treatment as a copying of behavior patterns of mass media. “…the growing problem of media violence, especially after televisions home screen began to show scenes of murder and mayhem that few families would ever witness in real life” (Kingston). Consequently, children as active parts of family relations witness violence not only through media but also with their own eyes at home. The fourth kind of media effect finds its realization in under ages’ conduct. They turn to be a risk group due to the undeveloped psyche. In this regard, children’s minds tend to be opened for everything new also including negative experience. And for media with its violence it is not difficult to penetrate into their pure world and influent it in a bad way. Therein accessibility of all kinds of media only conduces. “According to the most recent comprehensive poll by the Kaiser Foundation, media represents the leading leisure-time activity for both children and adolescents” (Anderson et al.). As a matter of fact, it all starts from childhood when kids watch cartoons in which scenes of negative nature prevail as well. “… many violent acts on television are done by the good characters on a show, which leads children to believe that violence is acceptable if performed by the good guys” (Gailliard). Through the years of growth children are allowed to watch new programs, play video games, and use Internet. All this adds for the young persons’ absorption of violence through mass media overfilled with numerous scenes of aggression, abuse and murder. As a result, their perception of the world becomes colored in dark and their moods and actions threaten their physical, mental and social health as well as society on the whole. The clear proof of the fact lies in the frequency of children and teenagers’ violence in relation to animals, peers, family members and adults. Unfortunately, kids and adolescents suffer and curse no less than grownups. All things considered, the violence of mass media finds its reflection in cruelty of its audience of all ages. It affects all spheres of people’s life in a negative way penetrating in reality, social life, and upbringing of children. Moreover, blurring the boundaries between worlds of fiction and non-fiction, media violence sells the idea of normal status of the system with cruel relations in its basis. Thus, an amount of crime rises resulting from humans’ following the violent behavior patterns of the media space, sometimes even without understanding an evil nature of their actions. Works Cited Anderson, Craig A., Bushman, Brad J., Donnerstein, Edward, Hummer, Tom A., and Warburton, Wayne. SPSSI Research Summary on Media Violence. SPSSI, April, 2014. Retrieved Apr. 23 from: http://www.spssi.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewPage&pageID=1899&nodeID=1 Ferguson, Christopher J. Media Violence Effects and Violent Crime. Retrieved Apr. 23 from: http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/26263_3sc.pdf Gailliard, Ticara. Social Effects of Media Violence on Children. EHow. Retrieved Apr. 23 from: http://www.ehow.com/list_6338111_social-effects-media-violence-children.html Kingston, Jack. Media’s New Mood: Sexual Violence. Center for Media Literacy. Retrieved Apr. 23 from: http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/medias-new-mood-sexual-violence Neal, Allan. Violent Media Causes Violent Behavior. Right? Retrieved Apr. 23 from: http://whyfiles.org/165video_violence/3.html Read More