Violence in tv and film:Does it encourage violence in real life?

[Lemon]

I think it all depends on the person. Or it could be that they have these violent feelings deep within and whatever they watch bring it out. Because I've been watching horror movies since I was 6. I love them. I adore them. But in no way am I violent like that...

 

[Buffanator]

I believe that everything a person sees & hears influences them to one degree or another. I do not believe that violence in movies/TV is to blame for some certain individuals' actions. As someone else said, I think it has to be an innate thing for a person to become a murderer.

And let's face it - movies/TV have nothing on the violence of history. The crusades, the civil wars, etc. Violence is a part of human life. Supposedly, the more progressed a civilization becomes, the less violence it would produce, but that certainly isn't the case, is it? Wars used to be fought in hand-to-hand combat, until someone realized their side would experience a lot less mortality if they could fight from "behind that rock". From Slingshots in biblical times to the idealization of the gun, to the newly created robotic weapons of today - it's all about violence, in the name of peace, no less.

And take Buffy for example...as a TV show... she used a buttload of violence to rid Sunnydale of its demons & evilness. All in the name of "good" .... protection... whatever.

In short, I do not think violence in movies or TV shows (or books, or music, or sports, etc.) is what urges one to commit violent acts. But does it influence some people? Of course. But I believe it influences different people in different ways. Some people to create more violence, some people to use violence against violent acts, and some people to find non-violent ways to deal with everyday life.

Imagine the possibilities... 😉

 

[scottmh]

It can infuence people. But generally those people will already have voilence in they nature either visual or simmering beneath the surface.

I dont think you can blame the actual tv or compute game or music for a crime. They might get the idea for a crime from them but there would most likely have done the crime anyway...

 

[Spiral]

I've wanted to start a thread on this subject for a while,but
with so many other interesting threads around,did'nt have the time,lol.
Anyway,do you think the violence shown in television shows like Buffy,and others that are more graphic in nature,and in films,lead people,especially children(We all know they watch them)to copy their heroes.
A person once stabbed someone with a stake(I dont know if they died)in a copycat incident from a tv show.
Was other factors involved,like drink,drugs,illness,to blame.
Shouldn't we be able to comprehend the differance between reallife and acting,fact and fiction?
Its not (IMO)that straight forward.Especially when it comes to children,who learn alot from their idols on tv and films.Usually its harmless fun,kids will be kids after all.
Sometimes however it takes a more serious turn,and someone gets hurt,or worst still killed.
What do you think?

I just decided to answer the original question posed since this is such a long thread.

my perspective is that this shouldnt be an issue as long as a child has parents who are actively involved with their child (which would include monitoring what they watch and making sure to explain to the them the difference between fantasy and reality). When i was coming up, I only had certain times I was allowed to watch TV, and my schedule was filled with other extracirrcular activities. THAT coupled with the fact that i had parents who actually raised me instead of letting me vegitate in front of a tv, computer, on a cell phone etc like many of these kids today are allowed to cuccoon themselves in technology.

It never occurred to me to try to "copy" what i saw on TV because i knew it wasnt real and things didnt happen the way they did on those shows. I have a hard time ever citing violence in TV as a reason why some child did something stupid that resulted in a terrible accident or worse. if it was something they saw on TV...that still leads to question why hadnt the parents been teaching their child the difference between fantasy and reality and just plain common sense lol.

 

[ckg927]

My take on this echoes others in this thread, so I won't repeat it here.

Showtime's Penn & Teller: Bull****! did an episode on video games in the most recent season-and they interviewed a kid who was, I think, 9...and loved playing shoot 'em up video games. The show offered to have the kid do some actual shooting, with real guns and ammo. He wasn't bad at it, but near the end they showed that he was crying and his mom(who was there)was consoling him. (And, for the record, there was an officer on site as well.)