Media Violence Essay

Television has been considered as part of entertainment of the society. Mass media has been recognized as the giver and provider of the information needed by the public. These two terms have too many influences and greatly affects the lives of the people in the society which make them important elements in this post modern world. From gaining knowledge to entertainment, media has been having the reputation of providing all the information needed by the public. However, the society also points out the mass media as the greatest influence of aggressive behavior of the viewers. Through the movies and television shows that are being released by the media, people learn to conform and adopt the attitudes that are portrayed by the characters. The constant changing society has challenge the culture and values of the people around the world. The popular culture has been very influential making the society conform to the new trends. However, there are some factors in the society that are not changing regardless of the transparency of its effects. In other words, these are the aspects that affect the lives of the people negatively but still considered as adequate because of the acceptance of the mainstream. Media violence is one of the negative elements of the society but still existing despite the evident effects to the people. The Viewers and the Media Violence The behavior of the person shows the kind of television program he or she watches (Science Daily). Apparently, media violence does not affect only those who already understand the language and actions of a certain movie or television show. In fact, even the toddlers are being affected by these aggressive behaviors on screen. The people learn based on what they could see in their environment. Undeniably, mass media is one of the most influential factors that is present in this post modern world. The values that people adapt from their surroundings help in developing their personalities as they grow older. Since media has been the easiest tool in gaining information, it has also become an instrument to learn and adapt the culture of the society. The children that are just starting to learn in the society is being trained and influenced by the behaviors that are being portrayed in movies and television programs. Everyday, a home is being penetrated not only by thousands of advertisers that persuade every member of the family to buy a certain product. In fact, the television serves as the bridge of the people to the fictional world that are perfectly created by the mass media. Thousands of scenes from television shows and advertisements are being portrayed and most of them are adopted influencing the mind and personality of an individual. Countless murders and other acts of violence are shown making the audience feel the danger present outside their homes. The martial arts battle, shootings, knifings, fistfights, and exploding cars are just few of the scenes that can be watched on movies or television shows. These acts of violence are usually done by the heroes and villains who often serve as the role models for the young adults in the society (Freedman 4). The aggressive behaviors that the children often see on screen are committed by the live actors or even animated figures that appear in the best movies as well as the worst. On the other hand, the existence of violence in the society has not created by the media themselves. In fact violence has been in the society even before television was invented, movie houses were constructed, and video games were released. Aggression is a nature of man and it has been present even before the technology enter the scene. The public has been blaming the media for the aggression that their shows cause to the people especially to children; however, the media has been firm on telling that their aggressive shows represent the violence of the society. This issue has been at the heart of debate in the society. The presence of media relies on the elements of the society while the society relies on the information that are being offered by the mass media. Effects of Media Violence As the child becomes older, he or she is being accustomed with the information available in his or her surroundings. The internet, television shows, video games, and advertising are the sources of information of children nowadays (Wintour). The presence of media has undeniably influenced the young adults as they grow up to be mature individuals. The aggressive behaviors that they can see on television, movies, or even video games are being adapted and accepted to their own construction of reality. The child learns to hit his playmate when he gets mad, throw things when he is irritated, and shout when somebody did not pay attention to him. These are all examples of aggressive behaviors which may appear to be simple and normal attitude of a child. Oftentimes, the society fails to notice these simple behaviors as a problem that needs to be solved before it gets worse. The video games that are sold in the market with a goal to teach children to stand diversity has undeniably created an impression that it would enhance the knowledge of the young adults in technology and eliminated the idea that this would trigger the aggressive behavior of the player. The children will play as the main character that is given a task to protect a territory and kill the animated figures that would hinder him to win the game. The concept of this game sets the mind of the young players to fight with the use of guns and knives (O’Hehir) Frequently, learning to behave aggressively is the tested effect of media violence. This effect is also referred to as instigation of aggressive impulses, disinhibition of socialization against aggressive behavior and imitation of violence (Potter, 25). The child may not show an aggressive behavior after watching series of violent shows but the child would definitely think that aggression is acceptable in the society. Moreover, the child may not imitate the actions that were portrayed by the media, but the scenes may create fear to the young minds of the viewers. Since the information on media sources are the most accessible source of knowledge, the viewers may accustomed them and accept them as part of reality. Media violence produces short-term increases by priming existing aggressive scripts and cognitions, increasing physiological arousal, and triggering an automatic tendency to imitate observed behaviors. Media violence produces long-term effects via several types of learning processes leading to the acquisition of lasting (and automatically accessible) aggressive scripts, interpretational schemas, and aggression-supporting beliefs about social behavior, and by reducing individuals’ normal negative emotional responses to violence (Anderson et al. 81). Apparently, mass media gives all the necessary information that the people need in order to function well in the society. The media may represent the events that often occur in the society but those should not also be the basis of the messages that are being conveyed to the audience. The real events are filmed and added with more spices to make the viewers buy what the media has prepared for them. Although aggression is long associated to human, there are still factors in the society that provoke people to behave aggressively. Mass media sells products to the public. These products do not consist only of the consumer goods that the society needs in order to survive. The television programs that are being shown to the public are products of mass media that the society willingly buys. Unquestionably, the media is an influential and powerful tool to make the society a better place; however, mass media sources have been very consistent in telling only the truth to their customers. The element of the society that should help the people to lessen the societal problems become an instrument to pass the negative aspects of the society from generation to generation. However, the people can still select the products carefully. Buying violent products is telling the media to produce more (Edgar 59). The society needs to be wiser in selecting the program that would portray less aggression and help the people to participate more on salient topic in the society rather than the fiction stories that affect negatively to the lives of the viewers. Works Cited Craig A. Anderson, Leonard Berkowitz, Edward Donnerstein, L. Rowell Huesmann, James D. Johnson, Daniel Linz, Neil M. Malamuth, Ellen Wartella. The influence of media violence on youth. Psychological Science in the Public Interest. USA: Association for Psychological Science. 2004. Volume 4 Issue 3 pp. 81-110 Edgar, Kathleen. Everything you need to know about media violence. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2000 Freedman, Jonathan L. Media Violence and Its Effect on Aggression: Assessing the Scientific Evidence. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 2002 O’Hehir, Andrew. The Myth of Media Violence. March 17, 2005. Daily Newsletter. 11 March 2009. Potter, James W. On Media Violence. USA: SAGE, 1999 Rutgers University. â€Å"Media Violence Cited As ‘Critical Risk Factor’ For Aggression. † ScienceDaily 20 November 2008. 11 March 2009 . Wintour, Patrick. 5 September 2007. The Guardian. 11 March 2009