Welcome to the Media Influence Spring 2012 blog maintained by Dr. Burns' MSS 495 class at Quinnipiac University.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Welcome to Media Influence!
Welcome to our class blog. Blogging begins the week of February 6th. Lead blogs will be posted by no later than noon each Monday. Responses are due by Wednesday at noon. You only need to respond to one of the posted blogs each week.
Violence on Children’s Television Programming and the Cultivation Theory
We have undoubtedly seen an uptick in violence all over American media. Whether it is in newspapers, on the television, online, in video games, etc. it has become a prevalent part of our society. Studies continue to go back and forth in determining if aggressive behavior in children is a direct result of the violent behaviors they are seeing in the media. For our purpose, I want to spark the discussion of how violence on children’s television does result in the emulation of these behaviors in reality. Gerbner notes that we are amidst a ‘”Cultural Revolution.” In his definition it is made clear that this involves a societal change that results in a “transformation of the common symbolic environment that gives [the] public meaning and a sense of direction to human activity” (144). In relation to the other readings, I related this to the readings on the violence we see in the world today. Children raised in America are expected to “have seen over 8,000 murders and more than 100,000 other acts of violence” by the time they are in the 5th grade (Wartella et al, 399). These numbers seem incredibly high, especially for the time frame it is in regard to in a young child’s life. In addition to this, a study reported on by Fox News also presented the statistic that after analyzing 444 hours of kids’ daytime TV shoes, The Parents Television Council found 6.3 incidents of violence per hour which is more than what they found in prime time aimed at adults during a 2002 study (Associated Press). Now, not every child is going to witness these acts and then become murderers or aggressive as a result, but there are other effects that unfortunately do not gain as much attention. The idea of children becoming desensitized to real world violence is an interesting one. According to Wartella, Olivarez, and Jennings, “Research has demonstrated that prolonged viewing of media violence can lead to emotional desensitization toward real world violence and the victims of violence which in turn can lead to callous attitudes toward violence directed at others…” (403). In a study featured on Fox News they reported that “children under age 8 are cognitively unable to distinguish between real and fantasy violence.” Additionally, in a study on reactions to the violence of the September 11th attacks, a researcher found that children were must less upset than adults, which he potentially linked to their inability of determining the seriousness of this violence in comparison with what they are regularly seeing on TV (Associated Press). Granted this could be a stretch, there is relevance. Gerbner notes in terms of cultivation theory that “the usual purpose of the fictional and dramatic modes of presentation is to present situations rather than fragments of knowledge as such” (148). However, when we use this idea to look at children’s television it becomes much deeper. Yes, fiction is meant to be fantastical and is not always a reflection of reality, but not all children have the wherewithal to determine this for themselves. This is where we see the violent behaviors presenting themselves in a child’s day to day conduct.
The last point I want to make on the topic is about the fear that many Americans have due largely in part to what the media focuses on. It is not only the fictional television shows that we watch, but also movies and actual news broadcasting. In the world of journalism I have learned that “if it bleeds, it leads” which is directly applicable to the American media industry. Even if a shooting isn’t overly serious, you can beat that it will be one of the biggest stories on the evening news. Our society has been hardwired to pay serious attention to violence and its frequency in our daily lives. Wartella, Olivarez, and Jennings quote Gerbner in saying that “heavy viewers of television become fearful of the world, afraid of becoming a victim of violence and over time engage in more self-protective behaviors and show more mistrust of others” (404). This goes for adults and children as well. The more violence that they consume in the media they intake, the more it seems people are afraid of the world we live in. It truly is shameful that people have to live in this way and children are being taught to adopt a nonchalant attitude to violence through media so silly as cartoons, something we deem as innocent and entertaining.
Violence on Children’s Television Programming and the Cultivation Theory
ReplyDeleteWe have undoubtedly seen an uptick in violence all over American media. Whether it is in newspapers, on the television, online, in video games, etc. it has become a prevalent part of our society. Studies continue to go back and forth in determining if aggressive behavior in children is a direct result of the violent behaviors they are seeing in the media. For our purpose, I want to spark the discussion of how violence on children’s television does result in the emulation of these behaviors in reality.
Gerbner notes that we are amidst a ‘”Cultural Revolution.” In his definition it is made clear that this involves a societal change that results in a “transformation of the common symbolic environment that gives [the] public meaning and a sense of direction to human activity” (144). In relation to the other readings, I related this to the readings on the violence we see in the world today. Children raised in America are expected to “have seen over 8,000 murders and more than 100,000 other acts of violence” by the time they are in the 5th grade (Wartella et al, 399). These numbers seem incredibly high, especially for the time frame it is in regard to in a young child’s life. In addition to this, a study reported on by Fox News also presented the statistic that after analyzing 444 hours of kids’ daytime TV shoes, The Parents Television Council found 6.3 incidents of violence per hour which is more than what they found in prime time aimed at adults during a 2002 study (Associated Press).
Now, not every child is going to witness these acts and then become murderers or aggressive as a result, but there are other effects that unfortunately do not gain as much attention. The idea of children becoming desensitized to real world violence is an interesting one. According to Wartella, Olivarez, and Jennings, “Research has demonstrated that prolonged viewing of media violence can lead to emotional desensitization toward real world violence and the victims of violence which in turn can lead to callous attitudes toward violence directed at others…” (403). In a study featured on Fox News they reported that “children under age 8 are cognitively unable to distinguish between real and fantasy violence.” Additionally, in a study on reactions to the violence of the September 11th attacks, a researcher found that children were must less upset than adults, which he potentially linked to their inability of determining the seriousness of this violence in comparison with what they are regularly seeing on TV (Associated Press). Granted this could be a stretch, there is relevance. Gerbner notes in terms of cultivation theory that “the usual purpose of the fictional and dramatic modes of presentation is to present situations rather than fragments of knowledge as such” (148). However, when we use this idea to look at children’s television it becomes much deeper. Yes, fiction is meant to be fantastical and is not always a reflection of reality, but not all children have the wherewithal to determine this for themselves. This is where we see the violent behaviors presenting themselves in a child’s day to day conduct.
CONTINUED....
ReplyDeleteThe last point I want to make on the topic is about the fear that many Americans have due largely in part to what the media focuses on. It is not only the fictional television shows that we watch, but also movies and actual news broadcasting. In the world of journalism I have learned that “if it bleeds, it leads” which is directly applicable to the American media industry. Even if a shooting isn’t overly serious, you can beat that it will be one of the biggest stories on the evening news. Our society has been hardwired to pay serious attention to violence and its frequency in our daily lives. Wartella, Olivarez, and Jennings quote Gerbner in saying that “heavy viewers of television become fearful of the world, afraid of becoming a victim of violence and over time engage in more self-protective behaviors and show more mistrust of others” (404). This goes for adults and children as well. The more violence that they consume in the media they intake, the more it seems people are afraid of the world we live in. It truly is shameful that people have to live in this way and children are being taught to adopt a nonchalant attitude to violence through media so silly as cartoons, something we deem as innocent and entertaining.
**Additional article: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,186670,00.html
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