Question of the Day: Day 31
Do you think that the media (television, music, movies, video games, etc) promotes violence in youth? Is it connected to behavior?
posted by Michelle at 9:07 AM
We are looking for answers to some hard questions as we dig deep inside and explore our own core values and how that guides not just our own lives but the very world that we live in. These questions will be asked to a group of high school students but we would also like to hear from the world at large. While we hope to keep this forum wide open we do reserve the right to delete responses that we find to be offensive or combative in nature. Thank you for participating with us.
posted by Michelle at 9:07 AM
14 Comments:
I believe that the abundance of violence without consequences absolutely has an effect on the values and the behaviors of our youth today.
I see a direct correlation between hours and hours of aggressive video games and agressive behaviors right at home with my own teenagers and that's a huge reason why they are so restricted in what they can play and for how long.
I think that a lot of rap music, television, and the movies glamorize bullying, belittling, and "taking what you want" attitudes. Kids watch and listen to that and then try to emulate it.
There are always people who can stand out and be exceptions of either appropriate or inappropriate examples but as a whole we tend to behave according to what we believe on a daily personal level. To say otherwise is, in my opinion, misleading ourselves.
I think that the media does promote violence in the way that it often glorifies aggression, conflict and even lawlessness. Whether it is directly connected to behavior is a tougher question to answer. I think that violent images on TV and in video games can cause people to act out aggressively but, for most young people, in minor ways and only in the short term. Other factors in a person's life experience or mental state have to exist before the TV or a video game will trigger serious violent behavior. My boys were exposed to a lot of violence in the media as they grew up, and they've been known to pummel each other after indulging in certain video games, but I don't really think the media had a strong negative impact on how they treated other people. I think that the worst effect of media violence is that it desensitizes us to cruel behavior and makes us less sympathetic to the pain and suffering of victims.
Sorry, accidentally left my name off of the above - don't want to be anonymous.
I agree that the media violence seems to promote it. In the children's minds the violence becomes unreal until there is a child holding a smoking gun who never realized just how horrible the experience of shooting someone can be.
I also feel, however, that a spirit of fear is spread by a new media which emphasizes the horrible and the violent. We've become a nation of fearful people because the media has made it seem like we're all about to be murdered in our beds and this is not true.
The violent and major crimes in this country are lower now than they were 40 years ago. It would probably be lower still if we got wise and de-criminalized illegal drug use. (but that's another story)...
People are people... If we show them violence, they will get violent. If we show them love, they will be loving.
i think that while games and R-rated movies may exibit vilence drugs and other things but i dont belive they contribute to viloence in the young of today. The games increase hand eye cordinaton but i dont honestly think that a game like DOOM 3 will make a kid take a gun to school and kill others.
while people in the Bronx may kill but they dont always have viloent music games or movies. the adults contibute games and movies as the reason for their own inattentiveness to their own kids.
i believe that video games and R rated movies do not contribute to gun violence and drug use. Those thoughts and ideas inbetted in their minds, kids AND adults!!!! use video games like that to try to relive those ides in the hope that they will go away and when they don't people need something to b lame thus people don't like guns and drugs in video games video games
I think that the amount of violence in the media is way out of control. And maybe the kids aren't really acting out or on it yet, but I do see one other change.
It has affected there sense of humor. They seem to think shows like Jackass are funny. If you are unfamiliar with it, it's like an extreme version of the 3 Stooges. So extreme, that homeless people fighting, people puncturing their torsos during stunts, etc. are considered entertainment. It is so incredibly lame.
Anyway, if that is accepted as humor, how soon until kids start acting it out? "It's not hurtful, it's just a game!" I don't know how you reverse the trend without an economic ban on that form of "entertainment".
Now, just to really confuse things a bit, while I abhor violence as a form of entertainment, sex or nudity don't disturb me in the least. It's natural. How can I be offended about breasts, genitalia, or actual acts of love. In Europe and other parts of the world, violence is forbidden to be broadcast, but the human body and physical love are perfectly acceptable to e viewed on air. The result is they have fewer killings, sexual assaults, and teen pregnancies per capita. Makes you think...
There's a problem with this site right now...I didn't post as "anonymous"
I don't think that the media promotes violence in youth but I do think that the two are connected. I think that the parents should take responsability for what their kids watch or play. I think that if parents where to explain the difference between fantasy and reality there would be less violence. I belive without this youth would be more prone to violence.
Yes, I would definately say that it has effect todays sociaty. I can say that has effected me in alot of areas. I hear alot of people say that it is connected to the maturity level of that person, but I think that is total nonsence. What goes on in are minds has alot of effect wheather we know it or not. I know that when I am upset I listen to rock music. The sad part about that is it starts to trigger me more and it has more power over me. I use to also watch this tv show about this girl who would cut her self then I stopped watching it. Finnally I started to get in really bad arguements with my grandmother and one day the person who I really cared about got killed. My whole world seemed to darken befor my eyes and that was what I turned to. Now my arms are covered in scars for the rest of my life. Yeah it really does have a big effect on peoples life.
I say that this question should slap itself. I feel that the media does not promote violence because during the early times of are world we know that many people were killers rapist and prostitutes and surprise surprise no telivisions or radios. So I say that humans just like excuses and the media is one of those excuses.
I think it dose a little bit but not all. People can make there own dicision. Even if you did watch or play thing are violent you make the choice
Statistics say YES! I totally believe that it does. It puts ideas or the image that you may get away with something into the minds of the wrong people.
Frankly I agree with diana - this question should be put down. Kids have always played violent/agressive games. In the past kids would play soldiers outside. What is the difference between a kid in the 50s taking playing with toy soldiers and a kid now playing a video game?
Having said that, yes, some of these games do encourage bullying, violence, etc; but they dont increase it. if they weren't encouraging it, it woudl still hapen, and probably to the same extent.
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