Does violence in movies, games, media -- affect humans?

[Alpha]

I truly believe that any violent movie a person watches truly affects their brain in a harmful way. Especially horror films like, "Saw", or even a drama, "Panic Room". If it weren't for movies showing people getting shot in the head every 5 seconds, nobody would be so paranoid of their own security these days. I have friends who believe some group of robbers are going to walk in and shoot everyone whenever they enter a 7Eleven! And who doesn't think twice before walking in a bank?

 

The point of the matter is that violent media, including games, flock up our minds. Humans are sheep and they're minds can easily be molded like clay.

 

Agree, disagree, what do you think?

[BlackKnight]

There are two arguments here... are you saying that mediated violence introduces it into our awareness and makes us more worried about it happening to us?

 

Or are you saying, like everyone from that senator to Dr. Phil says, that representations of violence encourage violent behaviour?

 

 

If it's the first, then no. I don't think there's a case in that. I'm never scared walking into a bank or a 7-eleven. I carry my Zen in my hand when walking home from the station at night without a huge perceived risk of getting mugged for it. But then that's just me. Might be different in certain parts of the States, but then Western Sydney certainly isn't the safest place around either.

 

 

To the second question- it's more difficult. People worry about games being the influence that causes people to shoot up schools etc. I think that is largely unfounded. I believe anyone with any kind of weapon at their disposal, and a willing mentality, can potentially end up hurting others, whether Grand Theft Auto and its ilk were ever made, or not. I do however believe that popular media help shape social norms and codes of behaviour in negative and subtle ways. Again, at least in Australia, the social and cultural climate- trends, mannerisms... ways of reacting to situations- mirrors that of the US so closely because of TV and film. That says loads about the way in which people learn about social interaction from media as opposed to real life. Of course this is only a problem when the difference between reality and the representation shown is not obvious. I think any halfwit will realise its wrong to go out and bludgeon hookers with golf clubs, but its not so easy to discard the suggestion that you'll look cool for driving a car a certain way, as per Need for Speed or The Fast and the Furious.

 

 

I don't think representations of violence are, in themselves, of great social concern, because most of the time it is easy to set them aside from everyday life with little effort. It also helps that often violence is heavily stylised to further remove it from reality. People who make films like The Departed (which had an unconscionable number of headshots) are recklessly irresponsible in their blatant portrayal of violence, but in their defence, those are films rated retrictively anyway. The bigger problems are the less-obvious negative influences, simply because they are not so overtly and noticeably unnatural as a point blank gunshot to the head. Those are my 2c on the subject although I get the feeling I hit a tangent somewhere...

[Jitway]

Personally violent video games or horror movies do not bother me. I have been watching horror movies since I was 5. My mom is a big fan of them too and use to take me to see them. I do not feel like something bad is going to happen to me just because I see it on the big screen. I know that it is not real. It is just like video games when I get done mass killing a bunch of people in a game I do not feel the urge to go out and act it out in real life. Most of the people that do this and blame it on this are looking for a easy cop out. What it comes down to is parenting. Most of these people that act it out come from bad parenting. As I child I was taught what was right and wrong and how to treat others. I had 2 loving parents and these days kids are lucky to have 1.

[solidius23]

i disagree if movie or games affected me i would be shooting and chopping up people every chance i get. my mind can differentiate between real and false.

[DropDeadEd]

there are sensitive people that do get stimulated by violence in media.

 

 

But the general minority just enjoy it

[Gryph]

I think violent media definitely can affect already fragile minds, but I don't think they make normal people anymore violent.

[OverlordMondo]

I have a desire to walk out into the streets, go berserk, and commit wanton acts of violence. I don't though, because my parents taught me not to.

 

Or maybe I'm just lazy, you can never really tell.

[DropDeadEd]

I think violent media definitely can affect already fragile minds, but I don't think they make normal people anymore violent.

 

 

Depends on what normal is agreed upon as.

[Gryph]

Normal = not psycho.

[DropDeadEd]

Normal = not psycho.

 

 

Dumbass psychologists would say "what's normal for you isn't for everybody"

[OverlordMondo]

It's all about perception, really. If I studied it rather than read about it a lot, I could probably go on for pages about it.