Dose Media Lead to Violence.
Does media Violence lead to violent behavior?
One of the notable changes in our social environment in the twentieth century is theadvent and saturation of mass media. In this new environment, radio, television, movies, videos, video games, and computer networks have assumed central roles in our daily lives. For better or for worse, the mass media are having an enormous impact on our values, beliefs, and behaviors.
Unfortunately, the consequences of one particular element of the mass media exposure has particularly detrimental effects on viewers’ and others’ health. It is important to understand the effects of violent movies to the children to help manage them. Research evidence has accumulated over many years that exposure to violence on television and in video games increases the risk of violent behavior on the viewer’s part just as growing up in an environment filled with real violence increases the risk of violent behavior. In this review, we critically assess the research evidence that leads us to this conclusion, and we lay out the psychological theory that explains why exposure to violence has detrimental effects for both the short term and long term. Finally, we also compare the size ofthe media violence effect with some other well-known threats to public health to estimate how important a threat it should be considered(Centerwall, 1989).
Formulated questions
The influence of the violent mass media is best viewed as one of the many potential factors that influence the risk for violence. Why is it that no reputable researcher is suggesting that media violence is “the” cause of violent behavior?
Is developmental perspective essential to an adequate understandingof how media violence affects youthful conduct and to the formulation of a coherent public health response to this problem?
Do small statistical effectsnecessarily translate into small practical or public health effects?
Before reviewing the research literature, however, we must emphasize
One of the notable changes in our social environment in the twentieth century is theadvent and saturation of mass media. In this new environment, radio, television, movies, videos, video games, and computer networks have assumed central roles in our daily lives. For better or for worse, the mass media are having an enormous impact on our values, beliefs, and behaviors.
Unfortunately, the consequences of one particular element of the mass media exposure has particularly detrimental effects on viewers’ and others’ health. It is important to understand the effects of violent movies to the children to help manage them. Research evidence has accumulated over many years that exposure to violence on television and in video games increases the risk of violent behavior on the viewer’s part just as growing up in an environment filled with real violence increases the risk of violent behavior. In this review, we critically assess the research evidence that leads us to this conclusion, and we lay out the psychological theory that explains why exposure to violence has detrimental effects for both the short term and long term. Finally, we also compare the size ofthe media violence effect with some other well-known threats to public health to estimate how important a threat it should be considered(Centerwall, 1989).
Formulated questions
The influence of the violent mass media is best viewed as one of the many potential factors that influence the risk for violence. Why is it that no reputable researcher is suggesting that media violence is “the” cause of violent behavior?
Is developmental perspective essential to an adequate understandingof how media violence affects youthful conduct and to the formulation of a coherent public health response to this problem?
Do small statistical effectsnecessarily translate into small practical or public health effects?
Before reviewing the research literature, however, we must emphasize
References: Berkowitz, L., & Macaulay, J. (1971).The contagion of criminal violence.Sociometry,34, 238– 260. Centerwall, B. S. (1989). Exposure to television as a cause of violence. In G. Comstock (Ed.), Public communication and behavior ( pp. 1–58). New York: Academic Press. Hennigan, K. M., Del Rosario, M. L., Heath, L., Cook, T. D., Wharton, J. D., & Calder, B. J. (1982). Impact of the introduction of television on crime in the United States: Empirical findings and theoretical implications. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42, 461–477. Lester, D. (1989). Media violence and suicide and homicide rates.Perceptual and Motor Skills, 69, 894. Messner, S. (1986).Television violence and violent crime: An aggregate analysis.Social Problems, 33, 218–235.