Violence 2 Essay, Research Paper
Today, most people attribute the increase of violent acts to the increase of violent video. Studies have proved it and people agree that there is a correlation. However, studies have also proved that violence can only be measured by its context. The question at hand is whether or not the media really makes a significant impact on the developing behavior of children.
John Davidson author of a Rolling Stone article; Menace to Society, believes that the studies which proved a connection between actual and video violence were unsatisfactory and that there is almost no correlation between them. All that these experiments show is potential effect, said Davidson. He agrees to the claim that there are five variables which determine violent behavior: The child s intellectual achievement, social popularity, identification with television characters, and the beliefs on the reality of the violence. However, even if the context is necessary, a person will witness 32,000 murders and 40,000 attempted murders but the time they are 18. Context is key and a child s upbringing by their parents makes troubled kids cross the line and commit horrible crimes. Their home life is the most important thing in their lives. If they aren t happy at home then problems can only get worse after school is out.
Refuting Davidson s statement, Gregg Easterbrook, author of Watch and Learn claims that the media (mainly Hollywood) desensitizes our youth and makes them more violent. Easterbrook agrees that mass murders committed by youth were once rare but now they are on the increase. The young mind while it developed is very susceptible to imitation. Children who don t yet understand the difference between illusion and reality may be slightly affected by video violence, says Easterbrook. Adolescents are now more willing to use guns because society has made them look cool or glamorous. Hundreds of actors are shown in advertisements holding guns and showing them as a strong necessity or even a sexual aid. Easterbrook claims that nearly 99% of real murders result from robberies or drug deals, not the reenactment of crimes seen on television.