Capstone - Dancer 17

Running head: Media violence 1

Media violence 6

Violence in the Media

Adriana N. Matos Flecha

Florida International University

Violence in the Media

Media violence affects people differently, depending on the demonstration and responses. There has been much speculation regarding media violence, along with the possibility that it may be influencing audiences. Violence in the media is something that has increased throughout its origin and reaching levels that are graphic and perhaps too far. According to a publication by the Psychiatric Times, "The average American watches nearly 5 hours of video each day, 98% of which is watched on a traditional television set, according to Nielsen Company." (Violence in the media: What effects on behavior?). The impact media violence has caused is a topic that is worldwide.

In the United States especially, media violence is something that has been censored or rated for specific ages to view. Media violence has transitioned throughout every decade and has now advanced to entertainment, digital media, and video games. According to an article published by the World Health Organization (WHO), the use of media violence is described as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.” (Definition and typology of violence 2011). However, despite the negativities revolving the subject of media violence, there is the argument that this can be useful for effective storytelling. Not only this, but television and blockbuster ratings have proven that there are a large number of viewers for content featuring violence.

People endure into entertainment to escape reality and to be entertained by the characters and storyline being displayed on screen. For this reason, using violence to ensure there is an emotional reaction to the media representation is sometimes useful. Aside from there being plenty reactions to media violence in the United States, other parts of the world react differently to it. For instance, in Africa there is an ongoing trend of violent action films which spreads messages about their politics. In other countries, like the Middle East, there have been independently produced films that talk about the war from their perspective.

Quite often, the complaints surrounding media violence have to do with people not wanting to see such content. To some extent, this is an unreasonable argument for the reason that films and other media content have ratings on them that state what type of adult content will be featured. As a result of such ratings, it is possible to simply avoid viewing content that features violence and other thematic material. Not only this, but parents can enable parental controls if they do not wish for their children to view such content. Even family related programs like Marvel films feature some type of violence to provide the element of action and suspense.

To say the least, the media features all types of content and it is up to the viewer to decide what they wish to see with their given time. Furthermore, some countries like China feature heavy censorship on specific films, so it is not always possible for the viewer to watch what they want, as it is in the United States. In many cases, the films that can be seen in the United States cannot be seen in other countries as a result of censorship. The similarities between the United States and other parts of the world when it comes to media violence is that it is always evident in a portion of their media content. Some of the only differences between other countries in comparison when it relates to this subject is that other places seem to censor violent content more.

In conclusion, media violence can easily be compared in many parts of the world but it can quite often be essential to describing certain lessons or historical accounts. Along with films and other forms of media entertainment, violence is also featured in newspapers and broadcasts to keep the world informed about crimes or other malicious activities. Finally, if specific viewers do not wish to see violent content, they can simply avoid it by tuning into different content. However, violence is featured in daily news or in historical accounts so it can be hard to avoid due to its informed truth. As an individual, one should be aware of their surroundings and be kept informed about what is happening around them, which includes both the negative and positive possibilities. Regardless, the likelihood of increasing violent content in the media is high but the avoidance has become easier to manage compared to previous decades.

References Violence in the media: What effects on behavior? (n.d.). Retrieved March 08, 2021, from https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/violence-media-what-effects-behavior Definition and typology of violence. (2011, November 21). Retrieved March 08, 2021, from https://www.who.int/violenceprevention/approach/definition/en/