The Effects Of Violent Media On Children

Television is the mainstream of our culture. Violence on television has been a topic of conflict since before 1950. There have been repeated debates on how to protect children from the harmful effects of violence on television. Television is one form of modern media that influences the everyday lives of people. Televised violence has a major effect on how children perceive the world and how they behave. "American television has become the most violent in the world. It is for this reason why researchers have focused their attention toward television violence" (Cantor & Hoffner 424-4-25). Children enjoy watching television and now with the increased technology of cable and movie

When it comes to the topic of violent media, some of us would readily agree it’s a controversial subject as to whether kids should or shouldn’t be exposed to it. This is because many children who view violent media react negatively rather than not being affected at all. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of what effects does it have on children. Whereas some are convinced that it is a healthy alternative for kids to express themselves, others maintain that it causes kids to become more aggressive and contributes to juvenile crimes.

One of the many observed effects of social media is the violent tendencies that seem to become more common in the upcoming generations. Many video games and movies show a lot of violence and these things can sometimes make an impression on the children. Even though there are many studies on media violence on children, there are really no clear answers. But different television, film, video games, etc. have definitely raised the level of violence in children and it continues to rise. Murray, a developmental psychologist, says even though that television and film are just as violent but video games are more worrisome in that it requires the player to be heavily involved in the game, and through repetition

Most experts contend that violent television shows, video games, and toys promote aggression and destructive behavior. Rhodes (2000) states, “The American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Institutes of Mental Health say that there is a link between entertainment and violence. In fact, no direct, causal link between exposure to mock violence in the media and subsequent violent behavior has ever been demonstrated…” (p. 555). While violence in entertainment is pervasive and a real concern; it needs to be understood and addressed rather than blamed as the cause. After all, it is possible seek solutions to minimize violence when you understand the nature of

Karen Wright's article "Does violent TV breed violence? Do video games breed more of it?" addresses a pressing contemporary issue the effects that violent video games and TV have on young individuals and on society as a whole. Although the article seems to be directed at the masses, it is very likely that the writer intends to raise awareness in parents reading this article. Wright used information coming from a series of scholars, both with the purpose of supporting the fact that violent games and TV have a negative influence on individuals and in order to refute these claims. In spite of the fact that one can feel confused upon reading particular segments from the article, it is overall likely to influence readers in believing that video game and TV violence are actually very harmful for people.

In the world one is currently living in, there has been an increase in the acts of violence occurring. Violent media has become a greatly discussed topic where there is always two sides to this argument, one side says they are just games and the other can agree that they have a greater impact. Parents usually chose a side and stick to it but the reality is that they don't look carefully what both sides have to say. Gerald Jones states that violent media is good for kids because it helps them develop their personality but the truth is that children should not be exposed to violent media since it affect their emotional stability, creates a hostile attitude, and affects their health.

In the article "Media Violence" by the The American Academy of Pediatrics, they state and recognizes that exposure to violent media, such as TV, games, comics, movies, and music, can pose a health risk to young teens and children. There has been some research that shows these risks can include, aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence, nightmares, and fear of being harmed. The American of Pediatrics also provide a way to counteract such effect such as advocating for media literacy, more thoughtful and proactive use of media by children and their parents, more responsible portrayal of violence by media producers, and more useful and effective media ratings.

Television and video games are favorite ways teenagers spend their leisure hours. Parents and teens themselves have wondered about their effects because of numerous concerns raised with regards to the negative influences that these form of entertainment bring. Many of today’s children grow up with a television at home or even in their own rooms and there have been studies dedicated to the analysis of their impact of a young child growing up to adolescence. Young children are heavily influenced by television and video games, many of which are educational. While there are fun educational shows and games that benefit educational

Technological advancements have given rise to unprecedented access to television shows, movies, and video games. Scientists have dedicated much of their attention on how media, particularly violent media, influences viewers, and players. It is important to keep a child’s innocence while still allowing them to explore the world around them, and acts of violence are one thing they don’t need to witness. By avoiding media that contains graphic violence children will, in turn, be less

In 1999 a study was done stating that fifty-two percent of children who watched horror movies/TV shows, would wake up in the middle of the night with night terrors. Another study was conducted in 2003, this time it was based off of psychology. AllPhsych Online, is an online classroom mostly focused on psychology, states that “children who view media violence are more likely to have increased feelings of hostility, decreased emotional response to the portrayal of violence and injury that lead to violent behavior through imitation.” (Scribner) The affects of violence in media are still being discussed today. Some people believe this claim to true others take the opposite approach. By limiting what children can and cannot view, we are restricting their creative freedom and views.

There is overwhelmingly more research concerned with potential negative consequences of violent media than potential positive ones. Despite this, no definitive causal link has been established between simulated violence and actual violence. However, there is some evidence supporting the view that violent media is linked to negative psychological traits. One such example is a widely peer reviewed, 2003 study that evaluated college age adults for aggression and hostility prior to and after exposure to music with graphic lyrics (Anderson et

No truer words have even been spoken, parents may feel that the government may need to step in and take act to prevent such television programming or censor other media’s. But that is not the answer either; children will always find a way to view these violent acts. Parents should not abandon their responsibilities for the education of their children to the government; they need to step up to the plate and be the primary guidance counselors for their children (Reed, 2006). Furthermore that is the purpose of this paper, it to educate the parents of the dangers of too much bombardment of violent television, movies, and video games. Take your children out and show them the good in life; that life does not evolve around the television or video games. Education is essential, when dealing with issues such as these. Getting your children involved in community events is also a good way to educate them, either planting trees, picking up litter at a local park, or even donating your time for a charitable event. Whatever, you come up with will work against the desensitization that is happening to our children today.

With violent lyrics in music, video games with violent themes, hyper-violent horror and action movies and more, entertainment media has been under the microscope as a primary factor in causing violent behavior in youths for years. Ever since the Columbine shootings in 1999 and the subsequent blame being placed on the video game DOOM and heavy metal artist Marilyn Manson, the news media delights in finding new violent entertainment to link to youth violence, especially if a massacre is involved.

The second source of violence is in the form of video games. This has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the United States for our children. They depict horrific acts of violence, whether it is from blowing the head off of an enemy with an automatic rifle to running over people with a car. In a recent study, researchers examined 357 seventh and eighth graders. They were asked what type of game they like to play. “The two most preferred categories were games that involved fantasy violence, preferred by almost 32% of subjects; and sports games, some of which contained violent subthemes, which were preferred by more than 29%. Nearly 20% of the students expressed a preference for games with a general entertainment theme, while another 17% favored games that involved human violence. Fewer than 2% of the adolescents preferred games with educational content.” These statistics gained from the study show that most children enjoy the games with violent content. The exposure that our children are facing from playing these violent video games is bound to have negative results on the way the interact both with others and their environment. When they are playing these games, they are seeing graphic scenes with blood,

In the book Critique of Violence ,author Walter describes Violence as "The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, male development, or deprivation .The violence that is portrayed in the media has been debated for decades ,and it has rose a question about how does it influence the youth?. From movies to video games society has been accustom to seeing violence in their everyday entertainment. Since children are easy to be influence by their environment, it is safe to say that violence in the media can and will contribute to violent behavior.