Media Violence

Jennifer Wilkes

April 15, 2008

Media Law & Ethics

Lowenstein

Media Violence

Violent content in media has increased over the years. However, not only has media violence increased, it has become more graphic, sexual, and sadistic. Because of the increase of violence in the media, it has been questioned as to whether media violence is to blame for crimes motivated by high aggression.

Media violence has existed as far back as the time of the ancient Egyptians. They would “entertain themselves with plays re-enacting the murder of their god Osiris” (“Media Issues: Media Violence”). According to the Media Awareness Network, these re-enactments led to many imitating killings. The ancient Romans also enjoyed this type of terminal spectacle.

The globalization of media has played a significant role in the effects of media violence. Not only can one be entertained with a book, magazine, newspaper, or radio; but entertainment is easily available through cable television, records, video games, and the internet. Advances in technology have allowed media to be exposed to more than just the local masses. Media can be positive and negative, and because it is naked to the world, people experience both sides.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) conducted a global media violence survey in 1996 and 1997, which highlighted the impact that violence in the media has on children (“Media IssuesвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚Ñœ). The UNESCO “study found that 93 percent of students who live in electrified urban or rural areas have regular access to television and watch it for an average of three hours a day” (“Sheet 15- Children and Violence in the Media”). In its 1998 survey, it found that 91 percent of the children surveyed had a television at home (“Media IssuesвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚Ñœ). It can be concluded that the increase of television in homes leaves children susceptible to media violence. “More than half of boys living in war zones and high-crime areas chose action heroes as role models” (“Media IssuesвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚Ñœ).

One solution to children’s exposure to violent media content is parental guidance. Much of the media has regulations and parental controls for parents to monitor their children’s media exposure, such as the V-chip and blocking internet sites. According to Eric Clearinghouse, to reduce the negative effects of violent television, a parent can watch television with the child, turn the negative program off, limit the time the child watches television, and teach “children to be critical of messages they encounter when watching television” (qtd. in Aidman). Still, it is difficult for a parent to monitor everything their child consumes from the media, especially when the content is portrayed to be harmless; like a cartoon.

Though cartoons are meant to portray a creative idealistic view of life, much of them offer that and more. In the classic cartoon Tom and Jerry there is violence. The cat, Tom, frantically chases the mouse, Jerry, and tries to kill him with many types of weapons. Many of the weapons have ordinary household uses. However, Jerry never gives up on playing jokes on Tom. What message does this medium send to children?

Many of the major television networks broadcast violent content throughout the day. “Television violence is at its core a problem of pollution. Programmers and advertisers use violent content to target television's most valuable demographic segment, viewers aged eighteen to thirty-four” (Hamilton). Though children are not the target of violent programming, their exposure to the violent material can lead to social impairment.

One can find violent content even in news coverage. The universal motto: “If it bleeds, it leads” has become a mechanism for competition between news shows. “Violence and death, they say, keep the viewer number up” (“Media IssuesвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚Ñœ). “Nearly 2 out of 3 TV programs contain violence, averaging 6 violent acts per hour” (“Violence & Aggression”).

Video games are also a very influential medium. Most video games depict sexual violence and violence in general. Normally, the player is the one who is carries out the criminal actions. The experience also includes realistic sound effects.

Grand Theft Auto 3 was the best selling video game of 2002 (“Violence in Video GamesвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚Ñœ). Few of the many criminal acts committed in this game are carjacking, drug usage, and rape. Another popular video game Carmageddon allows the player to advance in the game by running over people with a car, but it does not stop there. This game has bone-crushing sound effects to make the experience more realistic. (“Media IssuesвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚Ñœ)

Another controversial, but popular, video game is Postal. It was banned in over ten countries and blacklisted in the United States (“PostalвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚Ñœ). “Players act out the part of the Postal Dude, who earns points by randomly shooting everyone who appears вЂ" including people walking out of churchвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚Ñœ (“Media IssuesвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚Ñœ). At the end of each level the “Postal Dude is programmed to say, вЂ?Only my gun understands me.вЂ™Ð²Ð‚Ñœ (“Media IssuesвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚Ñœ). According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), children and teens are major consumers of video games. “About 40 percent of those who play Mature-rated games are under 18” (“Violence inвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚Ñœ).

The ratings for video games are established by the Entertainment Software Review Board (ESRB). It “develops and maintains the ratings system in total secrecy. Neither the names of the raters nor the criteria they use to arrive at ratings decisions are available to the publicвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚Ñœ (“Violence inвЂ¦Ð²Ð‚Ñœ). The ESRB rates video games two ways. One way is with rating symbols. Rating symbols determine the age appropriateness of the game and are located on the front of the game’s box. The other is with content descriptors. These descriptors indicate elements of interest of concern and are located on the back of the box next to