Does violence in film / TV encourage violence in life, or work as a "vent" for natural violence in society?

Question

2 schools of thought - what's your take?

Answer 1

I think TV and film de-sensitizes our awareness to violence, but doesn't necessarily change our nature. It depends on the person's state of mind. But I do think it is part of a larger socialisation that is making violence more glamorous. But I love brutal movies and books so I can't say I oppose it. I think it could be a vent.
The world has always been a violent place, I think the violence is getting more civilised and driven by things other than blood lust. At least there are no more public hangings (whoops maybe not) or stonings in most parts of the world.

Some facts: According to a TV documentary I watched, the U.S army train their soldiers using realistic warfare video games. They found it reduced the shock of their real-life first kill. So I guess that proves a video game can affect the emotions of a human being.

Also, a video was found of the kids who did the Columbine shootings acting out the game Doom in the woods before they committed the killings. Maybe they were psychopathic before they experienced video games, maybe it encouraged them.

Answer 2

Well, it's been proven when a child is brought up on violence, they tend to be violent. If the parents are not nurturing, then film and television will play a major role in forming their personalities. However, violence in society is also attributed to 'social standing' as well. This answer comes from statistics in Law Enforcement studies. Also, children with fettishes are prown to violence as well. Most everything has to do with environment and the raising of offspring.

Venting in the workplace is 'stress' to make the grade and get to the top. MONEY is the key issue here...makes for violent 'going postal' style people.

Answer 3

I think it does encourage violence in life. People imitate what they see. It also means that people take violence less seriously.

I read a college textbook called, "Men and Pornography." They had a study where a group of college students was split into three parts. One group watched G-rated films for six weeks, another part saw R-rated films, and the third saw X-rated films. At the end of six weeks, they all read a story about a crime of rape, and had to decide how much prison time the rapist should get. Those who saw the X-rated films gave the criminal the least amount of time. So, watching violence desensitizes us to the impact of violence.

Hope that helps.

Answer 4

a lot of emphasis has been put on the influence of televised violence on children in previous responses .
i believe that to be important , primary socialization ,because a lot has to do with upbringing too in the behavioristic patterns we will use as adults. also something that is overlooked is the fact that television should be for us all , including those with parent status , a tool and shouldn't be mind controlling or conscience obliterating , it depends on how much we let it control us in the end , how much time we dedicate to it and also how integrated we are in our social network.
i don't think any of the above hypothesis are accurate because one thing that is overlooked in many of the studies is family situation , social integration and all in all the core values that the society we live in promotes. the ways of information are not singular , not yet at least and one aspect that should be taken into account is the new growing medias , such as internet , that tend to become more and more important for most people in the construction of a social reality . i do want to accentuate upon the idea that there are multiple variables that develop a certain behavior especially in current societies which are becoming more complex each second , so let's not think about what tv does to you but more about what you can do with what tv offers and further along with what society offers at large...

Answer 5

"Venting", or catharsis, is not effective at eliminating anger. So, it is safe to say that just watching TV as a means of "venting" one's anger, would NOT reduce violence.

Evidence does support a clear positive correlation between watching violence on television and aggressive behavior. The key word is CORRELATION.

You are specifically asking if it "encourages" violence. I would say it does in a similar way that commercials encourage viewers to buy a certain product. I saw a commercial for a Hummer; I didn't buy it. I saw a commercial for a "real ice cream" shake at Jack-in-the-Box, and I'm hooked. I have a weakness for chocolate and a concern for the environment. The commercials certainly had the potential to change my behavior, but only to the degree of my predisposition.

Answer 6

There has always been violence in society since time began. People use violence to solve problems and to get what they want. Maybe it's in our genes as a survival mechanism.
Did Jack the Ripper watch TV? I think not.
News programes seem to be the worst. It's nearly all bad news and the worst things are sensationalised and played over and over. My 12 yr old son won't watch any news on TV.
I remember the words of a song but I can't remember who sung it.
"There's a horror movie right there on my TV
It's the six o'clock news"

Answer 7

Very much depends on the rest of their upbringing. If much of the person's socialisation depends on television, films and video games, they will have a warped sense of what it normal in life, and how aggression needs to be dealt with. I think most people who were raised to know right and wrong, and fantasy from reality, who have close relationships with family/friends that allow them to develop good empathy skills, shouldn't be so affected by it.

But I don't think it's ever a good thing to be exposed to so much violence, real or unreal, because people become desensitised to it, and that can never be a good thing.

Answer 8

Hip Hop is used as an excuse. Im helpful all people who dedicate crimes do unlike hip hop. I observed Snoop dogs say the different day no one ever writes approximately all the coolest issues hip hop artists do yet basically can remark on the undesirable..and that's actual. I even have listened to hip hop because of the fact the 1st rap music got here out and have in no way been violent or commited against the regulation. Society in no way look into the guy and what they have carried out..consistently wanna factor blame..oh its hip hop,...oh they watched Kill invoice..oh they performed some video game. human beings might desire to open their eyes to the actual problems.

Answer 9

well as to the vent part i see that it helps my guy vent when he plays world of warcraft,(on line killing game) and when I'm pissed at him, it helps me vent to go in to the game and kick his butt, we usually end up laughing about it. as for the encouraging violence part it can encourage me to want to kick his *** when he spends to much time playing world of warcraft. as for TV and films it seems that people have forgotten that they(as well as w.o.w) are for entertainment and not ment to substitute for life.

Answer 10

i guess you could look at the statistics of what year tv started, and how much violence was allowed to be shown per year, then the violent crimes rates. hmmm..seems like it went up?