Rather, most studies point to a correlation between exposure to media violence and aggressive behavior. For example, W. James Potter concludes that "Long-term exposure to media violence is related to aggression in a person's life," and that "Media violence is related to subsequent violence in society," (26). Potter also suggests that certain socio-economic and ethnic groups might be more at-risk for developing aggressive symptoms related to exposure to media violence because of the amount of exposure to television (29). However, most, if not all, studies demonstrate correlation rather than causality. The only causal relationships that can be determined through research are those studies that show short-term, immediate effects of exposure to media violence. According to the Media Awareness Network, "Exposure to violent imagery is linked to increased heart rate, faster respiration and higher blood pressure. Some think that this simulated "fight-or-flight" response predisposes people to act aggressively in the real world," ("Research on the Effects of Media Violence"). Such physiological responses do not point to generalized aggression and therefore cannot be cited as evidence that clearly proves any causal relationship between media violence and violent behavior. Repeated exposure to media violence may result in what some researchers call desensitization. Desensitization to media violence is part of the heated debate over whether exposure to media violence actually causes aggressive behavior or a more aggressive society in general. Desensitization generally refers to a sort of built-up tolerance or immunity to violent imagery. Ioannidis Nikolaos states, "young people becoming desensitized to violence means that they gradually come to not be aroused by violent scenes and to not be bothered by violence in general." On the other hand, some researchers believe that exposure to media violence might have an almost opposite effect of distorting one's view of reality. The APA notes that "people who watch a lot of television are more likely than those who watch less to see the world as...
It is also possible that repeated exposure to media violence might cause increased aggressiveness in the long-term, for an individual and throughout the entire culture. However, research is as of yet inconclusive.
Media Violence on Children's Social and Emotional Development The past century has been characterized by a proliferation of media types, beginning with newspapers and tabloids in the late 19th century, to the introduction of other print media, radio, motion pictures, television and, of course, the Internet and numerous violent-themed video games at the end of the 20th century. An unfortunate concomitant of this growth in media types and their accessibility
The industry knowingly takes advantage of this recent cultural shift in parent-child relationships. And finally, the industry knows that children and youngsters are more likely to be influenced by violent movies, TV shows, and games and are more likely to get addicted to violent imagery, becoming potential customers for future media products and games that glorify violence (Mean world syndrome, 2009). It is fair, therefore, to say that bombardment
A in millions) Current in millions) Provided by Federal Bureau of Investigation as of September 18, 2006. www.whitehouse.gov/goodbye/3ae6b1ac94aa97e6650780f280890a7c81100e47.html" CHART: National Correctional Populations National Correctional Populations The number of adults in correctional population has been increasing. A in millions) Current million in millions) Provided by Bureau of Justice Statistics as of November 30, 2006. (Social Statistics Briefing Room, 2006) More Statistics Violence in the Media Huston and colleagues have estimated that the average 18-year-old will have viewed 200,000 acts of violence on
Television remains the single most influential medium in the lives of young people. However, a three-year National Television Violence Study found: "two-thirds of all programming contains violence; children's programs contain the most violence; the majority of all entertainment programming contains violence; violence is often glamorized; and the majority of perpetrators go unsanctioned" (Muscari 2002). Television violence is graphic, realistic and involving, shows inequity and domination, and portrays most victims as
.....media contribute to violence? Some research has shown that the media contributes to the emergence and exhibition of violent behavior in young people, or at least the desensitization to violence. The American Psychological Association summarizes the body of literature and claims that at the very least, extensive exposure to violent imagery can desensitize a child to violence ("Television and Video Violence," n.d.). Other research may reveal a more causal relationship between
Education: The Intolerance of Zero Tolerance Zero Tolerance Policies in Public Schools One has only to turn on the television, log onto the Internet, or glance at a newspaper to see that violence is everywhere in our society. The nightly news is dominated by one act of depravity after another: murders, rapes, and violent assaults, among others. Hate crimes send shockwaves through seemingly peaceful communities. A cross is burned in a field, a
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