Media and violence research started back in the 1960s; growing up in an environment with violence raises the danger of them acting violently, diverse media, such as the internet, video games and social media, enhance the risk of violent behavior on the part of the viewer (Huesmann, 2007)—seeing that nowadays. There is roughly an estimate that 90% of movies include some portrayals of violence, and 68% of video games, 60% of TV shows, and 15% of music videos show violence (Media and Violence: An Analysis of Current Research, 2013).
Though numerous factors can influence how much violent media affects the watchers. Factors such as age, intelligence, and aggressiveness when the child perceives the media as realistic and identifies with the aggressive characters and their environment (Media and Violence: An Analysis of Current Research, 2013). These factors interplay and cause effects on individuals who are susceptible to the impact of violence to the youth. Media can indeed form attitudes and behavior to the youth; knowing this, we can prevent a bad-case scenario from happening.
When discussing the consequences of watching violence in the media, what happens to people who get paranoid and scared afterwards? Some children become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others in the media; the children become fearful of the world they live in, and children are more likely to behave aggressively towards others (American Psychological Association, 2013). The fact that watching more violent TV as a teenager did not predict being disruptive as a child raises the possibility that TV viewing may be the root cause rather than the result of aggressive behavior.
What else could happen when watching violent media? Could it be fear as well? Using the cultivation theory, which is the heavy exposure to media, it would be the primary socializing agent in today’s society (Gruman et al., 2016). That is how a person would learn about their world. One of the penalties of media violence is that people begin to see the world as more dangerous and mean (Gruman et al., 2016). Just recently, I saw some violent clips taken and put on TikTok on violence on Asians in the America. It makes me hesitant to go in fear of what if that may happen to me? Its hard to separate the occurrences of what happened in the videos and what can happen in real life.
Besides the fear, what can be done about the number of violent media affecting children? One can be public awareness. Educating the parents and the children about the issues a child may face when watching these types of shows can be a direct way to lessen the violent shows, movies and so on for the child’s sake. Having rating shows is also a way to identify what media is too much for a child. Respecting the rated “R-16 and PG-13 or R-18” movies should just be given to those allowed to watch that movie as it has been reviewed already. I know this comes off as censoring, but it is for the time being. Children are impressionable and can be swayed to a certain point. I also think communicating the reasons to the child would be most effective as you are telling them the truth and being honest. In addition, it helps clear out concerns and misinformation in the media.
Resources:
- American Psychological Association. (2013). Violence in the media: Psychologists study potential harmful effects. Https://Www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/topics/video-games/violence-harmful-effects
- Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2016). Applied Social Psychology (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc. (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781506353968
- Huesmann, L. R. (2007). The Impact of Electronic Media Violence: Scientific Theory and Research. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41(6), S6–S13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.09.005
- Media and Violence: An Analysis of Current Research. (2013). https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/media-and-violence-research-brief-2013.pdf
Hello, I agree with your concerns about the effects violence in media have on children. I agree that rating of movies, TV shows, and video games should be honored. They are classified with age restrictions because it is credibly deemed as appropriate for those specific ages. There was an experiment conducted by Hicks in 1965 on imitation violence that can support this censorship for children. The subjects were children who watched an 8 minute video of someone committing violent acts on a doll. After finishing the video, the children were put into a room with several toys including this doll. For a second time, the experimenters put the same children in the room of toys and the doll 6 months later without showing them the video beforehand. The children specifically sought out the doll and “imitated that violence when given a chance to play immediately after viewing the violence as well as six months later when they were brought back into the setting.” (Hicks, 1965). Not only did seeing this video influence the children immediately to replicate the violence, it stuck with them 6 months later to repeat it. Children are highly malleable and should be protected from seeing such violence so it doesn’t influence them to imitate it.
References
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2016). Applied Social Psychology : Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
I agree with your points, and I like the emphasis on a comprehensive approach involving various stakeholders. It is crucial for parents, educators, and society as a whole to work together to address the impact of violent media on children. By promoting media literacy, providing guidance and setting boundaries, encouraging alternative forms of entertainment, we can help children develop a balanced and critical understanding of media content.
Additionally, your suggestion of supporting positive role models in media is essential. Media has the power to shape perceptions and attitudes, so it’s important to promote media that showcases empathy, kindness, and cooperation. By providing children with positive role models, we can counterbalance the potential negative effects of violent media and encourage prosocial behavior.
Advocacy for responsible media content is also crucial. Stricter content ratings and age restrictions can help ensure that children are not exposed to inappropriate content at a young age. Also promoting ethical guidelines for media producers can encourage the creation of content that is both engaging and responsible.
To add my personal experience I have seen how the media affects children in such a bad way or even makes them react in a violent way. I have had little cousins speak about guns and killing all due to video games or even YouTube. Even things like YouTube kids ain’t good enough because it barely protects our kids from that type of media.
In order to create a media environment that is safe and beneficial for children. By raising public awareness, educating parents and children, and advocating for responsible media practices, we can mitigate the potential negative effects of violent media and promote a healthier media landscape for our youth.
Resources:
American Psychological Association. (2013). Violence in the media: Psychologists study potential harmful effects. https://Www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/topics/video-games/violence-harmful-effects
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2016). Applied Social Psychology (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc. (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781506353968
Huesmann, L. R. (2007). The Impact of Electronic Media Violence: Scientific Theory and Research. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41(6), S6–S13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.09.005
Media and Violence: An Analysis of Current Research. (2013). https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/media-and-violence-research-brief-2013.pdf