Mean World Syndrome: Cultivation Theory And Its Effects On Society

Proposed by Professor George Gerbner, Dean of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania, and also known as cultivation hypothesis and cultivation scrutiny, cultivation theory is the belief of what you see on television, is how the world/ society is actually like. The research originally began in the mid- 1960s with the purpose to study the effects of media and television influences. “Heavy viewers are exposed to more violence and therefore are affected by the Mean Worlds syndrome, the belief that the world is a far worse and dangerous place then it actually is” (Mass Communication Theory). Mean World Syndrome is the belief that heavy dependence of media and violence causes the viewers to get in a panic that the world is a much more dangerous place than it actually is. The theory states that excessive television users are more likely to exaggerate the perception of real life as a result of what they are exposed to on television.

It is believed that this theory is one of the most controversial in media research because it studies the media effects. The theories main

focus is the initial reaction to the real world of the television viewers versus the created behavior from watching heavy amounts of television. To be considered a heavy television viewer in Gerbner’s research, you would have to watch more than four hours of television a day. Differences between a light television viewer and a heavy television viewer is called cultivation differential, which describes the different levels a person is influenced due to the amount of television that person views.
According to the A First Look at Communication Theory, cultivation differential is the difference in percentage giving the television answer within comparable groups of light and heavy users. In many instances, people fail to realize how much they are addicted and rely on media, which can cause viewers to see themselves as moderate viewers, rather than heavy viewers, in which they are because they have a sense of dependence on media- like an addiction.
Other than asking how long a person watches television, there are other distinctive characteristics to tell if a person is a heavy or light television user. Cultural indicators (theorists) states that those who are heavy television viewers are more conservative towards social issues. For example, they are more likely to be against government and more discriminating. Gerbner believes that traditional beliefs in Americans weaken among those who are heavy viewers. Heavy viewers and their customs have become heavily influenced by mainstream.
The primary question of the research was to see if what is portrayed on television actually influences the viewers’ view of the world, and if so, for how long. Many were concerned for the violence portrayed on television and suggested that these created reactions are actually initial reactions but are just more exaggerated. It is believed by theorists that media has long term effects that can be slight and gradual but also very collective and substantial. The media (movies, songs, news, etc.) takes from what is already represented in society and just re-present them. Although radio is a part of media, Gerbner does not believe that radio does not have an influence on viewers as opposed to television because radio doesn’t develop a commonality.
A commonality that television and other media outlooks except radio share are constant exposures of images and labels. It affects the viewers more because it is exhausting, “taking over,” television and all other forms of media. One major belief of this theory is that “television and media cultivate the status quo, they do not challenge it,” meaning that basically the media enhances what is in society, but never creates false realities of what goes on in the world.
Theorists and Professor George Gerbner believe that television and media viewers associate their heavy television influences with what the viewers’ insight of how the world is and also effects the culture of each demographic group. Through his observations, Gerbner introduced an effect by the name of “mainstreaming.” Mainstreaming in his words, is the belief that television can effect and cultivate political and violent perspectives. Mainstreaming is also used to describe the blurring, bending, and blending process heavy television viewers go through when exposed and influenced. This belief of mainstreaming can also be identified with the Agenda Setting Theory- another Communication theory that explains the influence of media on individuals in today’s society both nationally and internationally.
There is a difference between heavy television and light television viewers because Gerbner believes that how much you are watching television can determine how much your perceptions of the world are affected. ‘First order’ effects are common results for those who are considered light television viewers. Media influences for light television users can affect their general beliefs about the everyday world and violence. “Second order” are common affects for those who are considered heavy television viewers and this can affect their perceptions on specific attitudes; political views, community and personal safety, and law. Although light television users can be influenced by what they are exposed to through media, Professor George Gerbner and other theorists mainly focused on the influence of heavy television users because the heavy television users are watching more of an exaggeration and false reality as opposed to light television users.
Although radio is considered a form of media, it is not considered to be strong enough to influence a person who is prone to be a heavy viewer by television. Television is the most powerful form of media today and has always been, it is even introduced to us as newborns, although proof of influence in perception can only be shown after years due to slow buildup. “Today, the TV set is a key member of the household, with virtually unlimited access to every person in the family. Television dominates the environment of symbols. Telling most of the stories, most of the time” (Gerbner). Gerbner and other theorists believe this to be true because radio does not have visual content such as images and labels. Radio stations tend to broadcast to a very specific audience where as producers of television broadcasts seek to attract a broader audience as possible- moderation of mainstream. By this process of mainstreaming, television programs of different genres tend to share a lot of different similarities with each other.
After discovering cultivation differential and the difference in influence television broadcasts can cause, Gerbner’s next analysis on cultivation was to see if dramatic violence on television can cultivate fear. While studying this theory for more than thirty years, media broadcasting has changed drastically. Today, more than half of households spread across the United States have access to 40 or more channels and each can be accessible by one click of the remote. Surprisingly, remote accessibility was not the only thing that improved in these three decades of the study.
More genres of television were added to television channels (reality TV took the spot of old western films), and television wasn’t in a box in the living room anymore, it has upgraded to laptops and cellular devices. These changes caused viewers to be more exposed to media influence. And with more programs being broadcasted, more dramatic violence was portrayed on television. While studying the amount of violence shown on television, Gerbner created a demographic profile on victims and measured the viewers’ perspective and approach on the violence that was displayed.
In his results, Gerbner concluded that the more things changed, the more they stayed the same. It is evident that it is more likely for a viewer to not remember which is real or fictionalized after watching brutal pictures on the news versus violence on a video game. In conclusion, it is believed that those who are already fearful are more likely to easily be influenced and develop the Mean World syndrome.
These fears also grow through the process of resonance; “the process in which congruence of symbolic violence on television and real life experiences of violence amplifies the fear of mean and scary syndrome” (Gerbner).

In easier terms, resonance explains the deepened influence and effect on the viewer when what the viewer sees on television is what they experienced in life. For example, if a heavy viewer was watching television and they saw a violent scene, they are more likely to have already experienced that violence in real life (robbery, fight, sexual assault, accident, etc.) and relive that experience in their mind, causing them to go through resonance. Theorists argue that heavy television viewers that are fearful already are more dependent and should accept and welcome repression from television to refrain from being manipulated and controlled by the violence they see on

television.
Professor George Gerbner has stated numerous times that worry can make a person a prisoner in their own mind, which can affect their perspectives in many ways and can dramatically lower their quality of life. This is very dangerous because there is proof that there is an effect on heavy television viewing on a person’s view of life. To help there be a better understanding of the cultivation theory, Gerbner founded a coalition, Cultural Environment Movement (1996), of organizations and social activists who are seeking to change the violence and fear in stories that are told in American television. Theorists are convinced that change can be made only if today’s society relinquishes the power and control that television has on viewers.