Media Violence

The idea that media violence may cause some people, particularly young people, to commit violence is not new. Parents have been concerned about violence on television almost since the medium’s inception, and researchers have been studying television’s effects on viewers for nearly as long. There is absolutely no doubt that higher levels of viewing violence on television are correlated with increased acceptance of aggressive attitudes and increased aggressive behavior.

Research on violent television and films, video games, and music reveals unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts. The effects appear larger for milder than for more severe forms of aggression, but the effects on severe forms of violence are also substantial when compared with effects of other violence risk factors or medical effects deemed important by the medical community (e.g., effect of aspirin on heart attacks). The research base is large; diverse in methods, samples, and media genres; and consistent in overall findings. The evidence is clearest within the most extensively researched domain, television and film violence. The growing body of video-game research yields essentially the same conclusions.

Short-term exposure increases the likelihood of physically and verbally aggressive behavior, aggressive thoughts, and aggressive emotions. Recent large-scale longitudinal studies provide converging evidence linking frequent exposure to violent media in childhood with aggression later in life, including physical assaults and spouse abuse. Because extremely violent criminal behaviors (e.g., forcible rape, aggravated assault, homicide) are rare, new longitudinal studies with larger samples are needed to estimate accurately how much habitual childhood exposure to media violence increases the risk for extreme violence.

We've all heard the numbers on the amount of television that children watch and the amount of violence that they're exposed to. In fact, sources that blame TV for children's conduct quote this kind of data profusely. American children and adolescents spend 22-28 hours per week viewing television more than any other activity except sleeping (_Effects of Television_). These kinds of facts are strewn about with the hopes of convincing the public that television is to blame for children's misbehaviors. Sources like these have one thing in common: They believe that if television disappeared, so would many of kids' aggressive behaviors. Though arguing whether or not television is indeed an influence on children is rather foolish, it is important to recognize what exactly is to blame for their wrongdoing; it is not television. TV shares no responsibility in the actions of children, parents do.

Now I've heard much talk of violence in video games for the past few months, one story I heard from a friend was some kid killed his friend and pressed the reset button on his Xbox to see if his friend would come back to life. Now first of all I do think it may cause possible small raise in violent behavior, for me playing games such as Counter-Strike Source or another violent video game will calm me down, they have been used as stress releivers for years and when the media complains of video games to cause people to kill, it outrages me because they think of a 5 year old is going to kill another kid for playing Halo or another violent game but where are the parents in this, if it's the kid playing Halo then how did he get it and such.

I have heard also recently that you now have to have an adult or have ID to buy rated M and up games, I personally think kids shouldn't be playing GTA games at a young age because their minds will suck it up like a sponge but you can easily not buy the game for your kid. It all depends on the parents if your kid can or cannot turn out violent for buying them a game like Halo or others, but do video games cock a gun for you or pull out a knife and stab someone for you. Video games do not make you kill people, maybe cause a rise of violent behavior but it depends all on you if you make the decision or not to do violent behavior or stay calm.

By this, I don’t mean that simulated violence is a good or even acceptable subject for games or films, but this is a completely different matter having to do with the poverty of original ideas and the inadequacy of dominant value systems, characteristic of our society, not with the mechanisms behind insensitive or violent behavior.