Violence in Media

This got me thinking... originally I would have said that violence in video games and on television has no effect whatsoever upon violence in the real world. But recently, even before this lecture there has been evidence to prove otherwise. Can what we see on TV really affect our brain so that we want to kill? Can playing as a hitman or violent character in a game make you act this way in real life? I'm not too sure.

Recently on CSI Miami, there was an episode involving kids who were "recreating" a violent video game in reality. As it turned out, they were part of a group of people, influenced by the maker of the game to act it out in reality, just so that the sales would increase. Although this was a ficticious story, it is easy to see how it could happen, but I do beleive the mentality of people involved in violent acts has to be affected in some way. What was unusual though, and makes a positive argument, is that about a week after this episode was aired in Britain, an incident in England happened, based on the events. A teenager who had been watching the program, tried to reinact the violence by robbing a bank, shooting a number of innocents for no reason. This can therefore argue that both video games and TV can cause violence in reality.

Another example of violent films affecting people's actions was with the release of "A Clockwork Orange". This film saw an increase in gang attacks across Britain, similar to the ones potrayed in the movie, promptly leading to it being banned.

On the other hand, there are counter-arguments to these. Why has there been a decrease in violent youth attacks with an increase in violence in media. Censorship has laxed alot in recent years, with the intensity of violence in films and games becoming extreme and very realistic. But this does not seem to have had an effect on the community. Why would previously banned films be re-released and censorship laxed if it effected our minds so much as to become more violent people?

It is my belief that it takes a certain type of person to commit violent attacks, and those people may well be affected by media violence. But would these people not just be violent anyway? Is media really a trigger for their violence?

Maybe...maybe not