Blaming the Media for the Worldwide Increase in Violence

Blaming the Media for the Worldwide Increase in Violence

The mass media are an increasingly accessible way for people to learn

what is important in the world today and what is acceptable behaviour

in this society. Media outlets include film, radio, print, music and

so on; film being the most widely used medium. The media which is

prevalent in every aspect of our lives, is the perfect instrument to

instil ideas in the minds of the people, and the most susceptible of

them all, children. During the past decade, there is an alarming

increase in violence, especially among the youth. A study found that

between 1993 and 2001, incidents of physical violence reported

increased by more than 300 per cent. While there are many other

factors that fingers can be pointed at, in our media saturated

society, the mass media seem to be the most blame-worthy.

Young people, according to a survey carried out in 23 countries, watch

on the average of 3 hours of television, and are exposed to some form

of media about 7 hours everyday. Blockbuster movies that top the

charts tend to be action-packed with fighting galore, such as the

Terminator in 1984 or films about superheroes that save the day by

destroying the villains. Such superheroes include Superman, Batman and

Spiderman. The youth are then influenced by observing these behaviour

and mimicking the actions of these so-called heroes. The relationship

between the media and its audience, is somewhat like that of a role

model and follower. The increasing presence of violence and cruelty in

the big screen actually conditions us to view violence as acceptable,

and a normal way to resolve conflicts. Just as ch...

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...erated the acceptance of casual sex. Hence, in the

case of violence, it cannot be hard to see the relevance between

violent media and crime rates.

The prevalence of violence in every society is a sociological problem

that one cannot pinpoint or solve. The cause of violence among people

is not just one, but an interrelation between many factors such as

poverty, dysfunctional families and so on. Violence in the media is

not just a reflection of the society we live in, but also a

contributor to the increase in violent behaviours around. If portrayed

the right way, violence in the media can show us the negative effects

of violence, such as in movies about the horrors of war and

documentaries of war-torn nations. This can actually steer us away

from violent inclinations and emphasize on the importance of

non-violence.