Violence, TV and You.

[Destructus86]

So, we've all seen the articles and "Studies" about how violence effects people. It causes people to become violent, commit crimes, it makes cats and dogs sleep together (ok, maybe not the last one) Now...I don't buy it for a second, however a lot of people do because of these half-assed studies.

I started watching TV at a very young age, plenty of it violent since those were the big days of Arnold and Stallone films. I loved action hero flicks. Even saw some slasher flicks...and yet i'm totally fine. I'm not "numb" to violence...infact, I can't even watch the news because REAL world violence disturbs me too much. I'm not numb to tv violence, I just know it's not real, so it doesn't bother me.

So...i'm curious...has anyone seen any studies that prove that violence on TV DOES NOT change a person? Or maybe you agree with all those studies and think it does change a person but watch it anyway?

Where do you stand? Why? And isn't there proof to back up both claims?

 

[James]

I wonder if any of those studies ever bother to consider the thousands of years of violence that preceded the existence of TV, Movies, Video games and rock music. Did Ed Gein go buckwild because he'd seen Casablanca too many times?

If those studies have any merit at all, it's that there might be an argument for desensitizing people. And if people do get desensitized in anyway by watching a lot of pretend violence, I'd say it's to a pretty minimal degree. I've seen plenty of violence on screen and my fair share in real life. Personally, video games and movies did nothing to help, violence is always harsh and shocking in the real world.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Ive watched horror movies and anything I pretty much wanted to since I was just a wee little chubby baby. I have yet to ever get in a fight or murder anyone.

 

[Destructus86]

I wonder if any of those studies ever bother to consider the thousands of years of violence that preceded the existence of TV, Movies, Video games and rock music. Did Ed Gein go buckwild because he'd seen Casablanca too many times?

If those studies have any merit at all, it's that there might be an argument for desensitizing people. And if people do get desensitized in anyway by watching a lot of pretend violence, I'd say it's to a pretty minimal degree. I've seen plenty of violence on screen and my fair share in real life. Personally, video games and movies did nothing to help, violence is always harsh and shocking in the real world.

Good points. Cultures far older than ours were also much more violent. I think violence comes from a collection of things such as poverty, missing parents (or in our culture..parents who are far too busy to take care of their kids) and an assortment of other SOCIAL issues. We just want to blame media because it takes the blame off real issues we would rather just sweep under the rug.