Violence and the Media

Many shows in today’s society include violence to influence their entertainment value. Whether or not violence should be categorized as a form of entertainment has been one of many controversial arguments in recent years; which has been causing a media uproar. Some people may think television violence is one of the many causes for everyday violence; while others may see it the exact opposite way. Some, in fact, believe that television is not the antagonist for every day violence but rather mimics the events happening in real life. Personally, I agree with this stance because it is not only a logical reasoning, but a rational one as well.

If a person with mature attitude was watching a television program that included a brutal attack on an elderly woman, it would be very unlikely for him or her to mimic the same type of crime. On the contrary, if an emotionally disturbed individual were following the same program, the chances would be more likely for him/her to mimic the same or similar kind of aggression. The maturity and age of the viewer are all factors that affect violence caused by what is seen in T.V. and movies. It is hard to draw a conclusion on how violent television effects society, since television affects different people in different ways. There is a significant problem with violence on television that we as a society are going to have to acknowledge and face.

People are so quick to blame the violence that occurs in today’s society on television and the media simply because the are the easiest targets. Unfortunately, many individuals can never take the blame and therefore have to blame either someone or something for problems that arise. What we as individuals have to do is take the blinders off, look beyond this falsehood and combat the real reasons for the violence.

Violence portrayed on T.V. and the media will not effect a person’s inclination to harm another. People watch violent images all the time, and very few actually commit violent crimes. Extensive research has been done over the past few decades, and still there is no concrete evidence, only theories, that prove the direct correlation between T.V. violence and true life crime. Therefore, violence on television and in the media is not the problem. The problem is that we, as a society, are quick to point a finger at the wrong source for violent crimes, blaming them, rather than putting the blame where it actually belongs. Maybe if we dissuade this