|
|
This is only a preview of the paper
Click here to register and get the full text.
Existing members click here to login
|
|
|
Violence in the media
In 1944 the Dutch psychologist Johan Huizinga argued in his book “Homo Ludens” that Homo Sapiens was no longer an appropriate name for our apparently unreasonable species. ... Although we rarely admit it, we enjoy watching violence. If we look back in history we’ll see that violence has always been a source of entertainment. ... Not only violence, but also sex, power and control have been continuously incorporated in our ‘playing’. ... However in developed countries such as the US, Europe and Japan, most exposed to entertainment through the media, youth violence has fallen at the same time that sales of this entertainment has skyrocketed. ...
From research on aggression in the media two theories have come forward: the stimulation theory and the catharsis theory. ... On the other hand, the catharsis theory argues that observing violence relieves the individual of the desire to act violently. ... Humans are copycats and the media offer stylistic inspiration from which we steal increasingly. ... Due to over exposure to the media we are desensitized to what we see. ... Active participation’ is necessary, unlike in other media sources. ...
We must not forget that even though it has virtually become impossible to remain unaffected by the media, it doesn’t cancel out the possibility of choice, the freedom to choose what we identify ourselves with. ... The mainstream has always preferred violence.
The question we should first be asking isn’t ‘Why is violence becoming increasingly popular? ... This psychic liberation has encouraged the media to provide us with instant gratification, through violent movies with heavy explosion, virtual reality videogames and pornography. Henry Jenkins, director of the graduate programme in comparative media studies at MIT in Boston, sees little difference between the effect that videogames and pornography have on us, “providing instant gratification for the sort of people no one would invite to a diner party”. ...
To get back to the second question, “Why violence is becoming increasingly popular or rather “Why the demand for this ‘instant gratification’ entertainment is skyrocketing? ... Moore argues that the American media focus a lot more on danger within the community, creating the effect amongst their viewers to be surrounded by imaginative perils. ... The media have manipulated the system to their own benefit by creating insecurity to the extent of paranoia.
This explains why the leaders of nominally democratic countries today don’t recognise non-violence on a international scale, because the economy prospers from violence.
Approximate Word count = 1977
Approximate Pages = 7.9
(250 words per page double spaced)
|
|
|
|
|
|