Does Media Violence Cause Violent Behavior?

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Please review my essay. I am looking for suggestions on my thesis,
evidence to support it, and conclusion. Thank you for your feedback

Does Media Violence Cause Violent Behavior?

Media violence is everywhere you turn, from music to video games, movies, and
television. We have always been told that "everything that children see or hear in the media early
on in their lives affects them in some way." We as parents need to take control of the
environment for our children as their role models it is in our best interest to get in the role of
limiting what they watch, especially when it comes to violent acts. We live in a world where
"unfortunately, violence is one of the most popular forms of entertainment." A majority of
television being broadcasted contains a form of violent acts.

Now there are three sides to this issue. The media that market the violent acts of
television, the video games that the makers argue are safe for its users, and the responsibility of
parents to control or limit what their children watch or play. The best way to get this issue
resolved is through all three working together as a united front to keep our children safe. Given
as parents we should make sure we are aware of what our children watch or what video games
they play. It should also be the responsibility of television owners and video game makers to take
a stand against violence being the main feature in their product.

Now "current research tends to agree with the proponents who argue that violent
media is associated with aggressive behavior. Risky behavior by children and young adults can
include violence against others, lack of remorse for consequences." Children who tend to watch
media violence are more likely to have an increase in feelings of hostility, a decrease in
emotional responses to the act of violence and people being injured which leads to violent
behavior through imitation. The more media violence they are exposed too leads them to portray
it themselves which can bring accidents and injury to person or persons involved in the imitation.
The act of copying what they have seen on television is an example of how media influences its
viewers.

I have a source that states "more than one thousand scientific studies and
reviews conclude that significant exposure to media violence increases the risk of aggressive
behavior in certain children, desensitizes them to violence and makes them believe that the world
is a 'meaner and scarier' place than it is." Now if our children start to believe that these types of
violence are normal behavior "these thoughts are often said to be difficult to change later on in
life." This is also common with studies of domestic violence where children who are exposed to
violence either become offenders or victims because they believe that what they are exposed to is
normal.

"One instance that brought the worry of violence in media is the Columbine
incident. The two young men that committed this act of violence were said to have played
countless hours of violent video games." Their exposure to violent video games is said to have
been the cause since the children involved in Columbine came from secure home environments
with active parental influence. This is another glaring example on how violent acts were imitated
in reality. The games that are being produced have no morals in them and they are creating a
false reality for its players

Another example is Michael Carneal, from Kentucky, who in 1997 shot and
killed three of his classmates. He was also said to have been a video game user. "Michael Breen
an attorney in the case against Michael Carneal stated in court; "Michael Carneal clipped off
nine shots in a 10-second period. Eight of those shots were hits. Three were head and neck
shots and were kills. That is way beyond the military standard for expert marksmanship." Now
this was a kid who had never handled or fired a weapon in his life, but it was his obsession with
computer games that had turned him into an expert marksman" (Ivory, 2003), (Hanson, 1999,
p15). These two examples in a whole may be small evidence however, helps prove that violent
media plays a major role in such violence.

I have another source that tells us that performing violent acts in video games has
a greater effect when it comes to the children's aggression than just watching violent programs
on television. "Now from this view, the more children play out the violent acts, the more likely
they are to perform the violent acts (Cesarone, 1994)". It is common among video games that
women are portrayed as persons who are acted upon rather than as initiators of action, in most
video games they are depicted as victims. For example games like, Grand Theft Auto often
include and has its players participate in theft, prostitution, and violent behavior. This game
often encourages its players to act out these behaviors to advance further in the game.

"The movie the Matrix, for example was said to be the triggering factor to the
violent high school students that wore trench coats." Research has shown us that males play
video games more often than women which is the producing factor of such violence in video
games. Now it is believed from this research that acting out such violence as opposed to just
watching the violent acts causes the viewer to be more familiar with how to act out violence
without consequences. Once again these video games expose its players to violence and for the
player to progress in the game they have to become masters of each level which is played over
and over again until they complete it to advance in the game. This makes the video game a
simulator for violent behavior and teaches the player that there is no consequences for causing
harm to others but instead they are rewarded by being able to harm again with a new level

Now there are actions parents can take to stop this behavior from happening. First reduce the amount of time your children watch, studies have shown that simply reducing TV viewing time reduces children's aggressive/combative behavior. That is, his study did not seek to reduce the viewing of TV with violent content, but simply to limit TV viewing by children to seven hours per week or less. Recommend or even provide alternative activities for children. I suggest that parents should not allow television sets in there children's rooms and not allow them to play violent video games. For young children, they can draw or even play with their toys, for children of high school age alternatives, include listening to music, hanging with friends, studying for school, school clubs, and sports.

As parents it is our responsibility to nurture and protect our children. We need to be the example of good decision making. When it comes to what we watch around our children we need to be conscious of how it can affect them. When no one is watching TV we should have it off and avoid using it as background noise. When sitting down for dinner we should have TV off and use these moments to strengthen relationships with your kids by talking about your day and making sure you take interest in them and them in you. As parents we should also talk with your children about what programs we should watch and which ones we should avoid. That way when the parents are not around the child can know what they should watch from their parents example and discussion.

Conclusion:

I hope that this paper will be a wakeup call for the developers of violent
television shows and video games. I want to challenge them to change what is happening and tell
them that they need to find a different base for entertainment. They should find something
besides violence to be the as the main course of their product. I know that if these companies can
lessen the violence they put out there for children to watch or play through video games that the
violence that is spreading throughout the world can subside. I want to encourage these
companies who produce these violent products to remember all the lives that have been lost
every time they decide to create another violent television show or video game

I am hoping that my readers will walk away from my paper educated and
ready to take action. I hope that my paper will help its readers to be more aware of what types of
media can cause violent behavior. I want this research paper to encourage its reads to 'say
something' to get this message across to those who are responsible for creating these violent
television shows and video games. I want my audience to know that by staying quiet and doing
nothing will only enable our children to continue down the dangerous path that is already laid
before them. The time is now to do what is right for the children and say something.

... no inverted commas;
We often hear that everything that children see or hear in the media early on in their lives affects them in some way.


.... this sentence lacks clarity and therefore your ideas is not conveyed properly.
We, as parents, need to have some control over the environment in which our children grow , especially with regard to violent acts.

dumi
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