Analysis of Violent Culture: the Media, the Internet, and Placing Blame

Violence is a social construct that has been glorified around the world and made accessible through the media (Killingbeck 2001). Violence is portrayed as being something that is part of the everyday world; it is made out to be an acceptable form of behaving and handling situations. This notion has greatly contributed to the propagation of school shootings and the death of innocent children and adults. By reducing the glorification that violence carries and the exploitation of the aftermath, school shootings can be reduced greatly. The media, television, video games, and the Internet are constantly portraying a world full that thinks that violence is the way to resolve issues (Killingbeck 2001). Gun violence is also portrayed as being a resolution to just about everything, when in fact it has been guns that have been the cause of all school shootings to begin with (Muschert 2007). The media glorifies school

In America, violence has always been an integral part of national culture. Crime and bloodshed, euphemized through use of “action” (this has a source) plots, are glorified both on and off screen. The more disturbing the act of violence, the more enthralled the public seems. The most prolific of crimes, those committed by infamous serial killers, inspire the most attention. As said by Jeff Lindsay, creator of the book series that inspired the wildly-popular television program, Dexter, “We’re sickened and disgusted, but we need to know. And the more we know about the scene, the more we really are horrified” (“Sympathy for the Devils”). Violence, especially committed by this special class of felons, is enthralling. News reports play a role in this strange attraction, as it is through the news that people even have knowledge of such killers, but the evolution in the “serial killer genre” (Lindsay, “Sympathy for the Devils”) of film and television helps to desensitize people to the gruesome murders that are committed. This begs the question of whether this disturbing trend should be stopped, lest the American “culture of violence” (this has a source) continues to grow stronger. Through news reports, film, and television, criminals are constantly romanticized through use of sympathetic characterization and gratuitous depictions of their crimes, which lends to peoples’ incr

It was not until 1850 that these kinds of violent acts began to rise and people began to see this as a common occurrence (Williams, 2013, para.2). Violence in schools first gained major media attention after the infamous Columbine shooting in 1999 and has since become a topic of intense interest. People want to know who would be capable of this kind of act and why they would do it. In the majority of cases, the shooter is a student who feels injustice in life and takes matters into his or her own hands. Based on research found in the article by Lee (2013), in 73% of cases one or more people are killed, in 24% one or more people are injured, and in only 3% of school shootings no one is harmed (p. 106). Recently there have been a barrage of school shootings in the United States which have left the country reeling and students, educators, and parents in a state of fear and high

Living in a world full of crime and violence, people begin to wonder what the cause of the violence is and how it can then be prevented. Unfortunately, there is not a single root cause that can be found when people attempt to decipher why children are deciding to bring guns to school and murder their peers. Some may believe that it was influenced by being exposed to a hostile family, violent films, or gory video games. Although sometimes this might be the case, a lot of the time it is not as black and white, making this topic very difficult to analyze and understand. Both Jonathan L. Freedman in “Villain or Scapegoat? Media Violence and Aggression” and L Rowell Huesmann and Laramie D. Taylor in “The Role of Media Violence in Violent

Whether it’s a story on the news or a drama at the theatre, violence has become a social norm in the media. Today, companies have significantly relied on the use of violence to ensure that their audiences are still motivated to watch. According to the Media Education Foundation, the level of violence on prime time television has increased 167% since 1998. Although there is a widespread belief that watching fictional violence causes people to become violent, the rise of violence on TV compared to real-world crime statistics over the past 20 years tells a different story.

One way individuals learn criminal behaviors by the way violence is portrayed in the media. Whenever the media creates a positive image of aggressiveness, it's influence is the greatest. For example, when actors are portrayed in a way that indicates no punishment, with realistic violence, rewarded for their actions, or their actions shown as justified. (Conklin, p 185).

Annotated Bibliography: Media violence impact on society Topic: Violence in the media Thesis: How does media violence influence society’s behavior, thought process, and character? Bertin, Joan “Sunday dialogue: Violence in the media” New York Times, Sept. 20, 2013

-Violence is often used in several movies and video games. It is often said that there could be a viable link between violence in the media and violence acted out in society. My mother is an instructional assistant at Spring Creek Elementary, and sees the effects of violent media daily. Several of the boys act out violent games during recess, using their hands as guns to shoot each other. The children have the perception that such violence is okay in certain settings; however, in the realities of today, a school is no place to imitate violence, especially through the use of guns. Most adults are mature enough to handle such violence in the media and appreciate the sense of reality it creates. It best brings certain aspects to life. However it is important that

Our textbook talks about very important points, whether we like it or not we all see violence on our everyday life through movies and television. Our children are exposed to violence and this is very concerning, media portrays violence as trivial, justified or funny. “Media violence desensitizes people to real violence, and at the same time built schemas of the world as a dangerous, scary place where a person must be aggressive in order to survive” (Crawford, 2011, p.401). Technology such as video games teaches children how to be aggressive. “By the time a U.S child finishes elementary school, he or she has seen more than 100,000 acts of violence on TV, including 8,000 murders” (Crawford, 2011, p.378). Because of the media contributing to

This video explains how cultivation theory finds that the levels of violence that are displayed routinely on television and movies has desensitized the population to the effects of violence in the real world. The video show scenes of reckless, senseless violence being committed in broad daylight with bystanders seemingly aloof to the plight of the victim even after the perpetrator has left the scene. I feel that the increased amount of violence and aggressive brutality that is displayed through mass media can have some effect on a minority of the population. A strong healthy mind is capable of separating the violence that is portrayed in the media and real violence being committed on the streets of their city. This depiction of violence can

Violence has become a major social disturbance that is continuously on the rise to become more common within the media. Movies, TV shows, video games and the music in this era are being heavily influenced by violent notions. Some of the most popular TV shows that are aired have a significant amount of violence engulfed in the scripting. Even games and music that are produced are commonly centered on a violent scheme. Media violence has become a sociological issue for many reasons. Media inspires people in dramatic ways, which poses an issue when what is being portrayed is violence. Society grasp ideas through many ways, media being one, and accept them as norms. When media is broadcasting violence, people will accept it as being a normal aspect

Violence has become a serious problem in America. From Sandy Hook Elementary to the Aurora Colorado shootings, terrorism has crept deeper into the culture. From 1982-1992 there were eight incidences of terrorism. From 2002-2012 there have been seventeen (Geigner). The growth at which these events are spreading is exponential. Modern terrorism did not begin until approximately the 1950s when it changed from guerrilla tactics used by a nation to the to the type common today, non-state terrorism. These assailants fight for no flag, have no rules, and will do whatever they feel like at any given moment (Zalman). The violence these radicals produce is cataclysmic. However, instead of being distressed by this violence, citizens latch onto the offenders. They give the assailant the fame and popularity that he or she desires. For example, within hours of Boston Bombings, the faces of the two assassins were broadcasted everywhere in the media, and rightly so. The police needed the help of the public to find and capture these criminals. But constant media coverage three weeks after the event was unnecessary. Many say that sensationalist media, not gun control is the reason for attacks of violence. Those who terrorize the nation are held up almost as heroes. Their names are plastered on every news station around the world. Assailants will always find ways to kill even with the extreme control of guns. But, without the publicity and the fame, psychopaths would not need to kill innocent

As technology has evolved so has the way we, as a society, consume media. If we look back through history, we can see violent imagery portrayed in books and art. However, after some violent school shootings, people have attempted, and failed, to pin the blame on violent media and even predict if, and when, it will happen again. However if we look at the violent tragedies, and more specifically the people who have committed them, we can see other causes for this violence. Although it can cause issues, violence in media does not cause violent behavior because violence is an accepted part of society, not a single study has predicted shootings, and other factors, such as mental health, are to blame for violent behavior.

The creation of visual and active forms of media has caused debate and discussion over the effects it has on the brain. The effects of media on the brain are of concern regarding children specifically, as their minds are still developing. Questions of the severity and impact have intrigued parents, scientists, and lawmakers. The first committee on this issue, the Surgeon Generals Scientific Advisory Committee on Television and Social Behavior, was created in 1969 to answer these questions. Through the introduction of violent video games, and exposure to violent movies, today’s youth views violence as something not to be

In today’s world, there is an endless amount of information available to people everywhere around the globe. Mass media is definitely shaping our world, whether it is in a positive way or a negative way. Television and the radio waves provide us with hours of entertainment. The emergence of the Internet allows us to access thousands of pages of information within the reach our very own fingertips. But with the convenience of all this information comes along a certain level of responsibility. As a society, we Americans must decide what is appropriate information and entertainment for the masses to access and enjoy. But does today’s society give too much leeway in what it thinks as “appropriate?” Does increased