Media and violence

Extract

[...] Media and violence Today's media is without question the single most powerful collective group in the entire world. The media shapes how individuals think, view the world, learn, feel, and behave. And this is not in a small controlled environment; the media is a global force. The debate in our country for the last fifty plus years has been: Does the violence portrayed in the media have a direct correlation to real-world violence? Both sides of the argument have their studies and their analysis on the topic. [...]

[...] The supreme court declined their case stating find that it is simply too far a leap from shooting characters on a video screen (an activity undertaken by millions) to shooting people in a classroom (an activity undertaken by a handful) Even though research shows a link between violence seen in media and violent behavior, these cases show that people still feel it is an individual attitude and choice to commit violent actions. Violence is, in some way or another, everywhere in today's media. [...]

[...] “Children younger than eight cannot discriminate between fantasy and reality and so are uniquely vulnerable to accepting and adopting the violent behaviors They also stressed the importance that adults play in ensuring that the children realize that violence on television is wrong. The statement also warned that with the current level of exposure to the media today's youth have, the media shapes the young people's attitudes and actions more than the traditional figures. The media is fast replacing parents and teachers as educators, role models, and primary sources of information about the world and how it behaves The main focus, then, needs to be on accountability of the older generations to try and communicate effectively with the younger and give them a realistic view of the world. [...]