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Violence In Television

Jesse Lind
COMM 300
J. Anderson
General Claim
Television has become a form of reality for many people in our day and age. From a survey in 2000, about 98% of homes in America own a TV, without a doubt it has an influence on our perceptions of society. This study also revealed the average household owned 2.4 TVs and watched enough hours a year to equal 102 days (U.S. Census Bureau, 2002, from B. Roskos-Ewoldsen, Davie, D. Roskos-Ewoldsen, 2004). With this mind, the amount of violent media Americans view causes negatively warped perceptions of today's society. This can be clearly shown in George Gerbner's cultivation theory. In his theory, he claims that because the television is such a key element in people's lives, they eventually are affected by its messages.
Theoretical Foundation
Gerbner claims that the violence on TV affects people's perceptions of the real world. He begins depicting this theory by clearly defining what exactly should be considered as violence. Gerbner states that it is, "the overt expression of physical force compelling action against one's will on pain of being hurt and/or killed or threatened to be so victimized as part of the plot" (Griffin 381). There was specific cultural indicator research performed to decide how violent a program is rated. This was done by viewing shows during prime time viewing hours and counting every incident that happened. There was then an equation that calculated the total scripts, rate of violence, and number of characters involved. The research concluded that the average drama had five traumatic incidents while children's shows had about twenty every hour. As well as this, it was noted that African Americans and Hispanics were victims of violence more than White people (Griffin 382). The cultural indicators show how the minorities, though often underrepresented on TV, seem to be much more vulnerable to harm. Although, a person who is a heavy TV viewer is supposed to be affected more than...