Media Violence and Aggressive Behaviour among Adolescent People - Case Study Example

Investigative study report on media violence and aggressive behaviour among adolesencent people Introduction. Media violence and aggressive among the children has been studied for a long period. Researcher’s policy makers and medical practitioners’ have had a major concern focusing on how exposure to violent media programs bring about violent among the children and adolescents. Exposure to media violence has been categorised as a major contributing factor towards violent and aggressive behaviour among the youths with either long or short terms effects. Researches have indicated that contributing factors to such violent and aggressive behaviour include drugs, gangs, racism, gust and other environmental factors. MEDIA HAS THEREFORE BEEN CATEGORISED as the major contributor of the aggressive and violent behaviour among the youths. Media programs as been taken as risk factor which required more evaluation to identify its contribution and how the violent and aggressive effects can be curbed among the youths as the violent and aggressive behaviour is increasing among the youths at an alarming rate. After interviewing four participants between 10-13 years age group and two aged between 14-17 years with one girl and one boy at each age group the participants provided clear information as far as their TV program preferences was concerned. As per them the TV programs which they have been watching since when they were young include families of the victim, parent group, Grand theft out series, a decomposing body, Underbelly, City homicide, Gangs of OZ, Criminal minds, beyond the dark lands and Dexter. They all claimed that they have been watching the violent programs as they act as a careerist to their life, it helps them on how they can develop a defend mechanism especially when in trouble. The participants were identified to have preference to the violent and aggressive TV programs. All the participants have been watching the violent TV programs since when they were young up to date. The participants also seemed to have a very greater knowledge in identifying the upcoming violent programs as they aim at advancing and identifying the most violent program as that would be their choice especially for male participants. Female participants also showed preference to violent and aggressive programs as according to them it is the best way they can relax their mind. Boys showed high frequency to the viewing of the violent and aggressive TV programs as the results showed that they participated 6 times a week and took more than 5 hours at each session. As per them they could watch the movies throughout the day is only that they are limited by education program. In the discussion they identified that after a TV program has been introduced they prefer looking for the real movie to be watching it with their peers at their own pleasure. Female participant frequency was very low as one of them watched violent programs 3 times a week for 3 hours a day and the other one watched violent TV programs 4 times a week for 5 hours a day. Extensive media violent and aggressive program viewing has been categorized as a contributor to violent behaviour among the youths. The participants identified that their likelihood of entering into the crime is majorly determine by the violent programs. Media programs promote violent and aggressive behaviour through altering the young people minds as after watching the programs they are ever willing to practice what they have seen. Adams, (2012) claimed that when media TV program watchers are exposed to certain physical violence and illegal acts as well as being exposed to harsh language could take just a short period and children starts imitating what was just being showed. Adams also views that violent TV programs enhance immorality hence leading to violent behaviour. This is because young people grow without identifying what is right and wrong in the society. Prolonged exposure to media violence and aggressive behaviour makes young people have wrong motives and identification of violent as the best way of solving their problems. Watching violent and aggressive programs enhanced fear among young people hence ends up carrying weapons for their own defence. In addition to that violent movie viewers tends to develop inhuman behaviour and become insensitive to other human pain and suffering and may start being violent and aggressive to others. Porter & Starcevic , 2007 in their experiment on watching aggressive and violent movies they found out that after watching violent programs the participant’s behaviour changed leading to increased hostility, psychological arousal and aggressiveness. Viewing violent programs affected individual thoughts: especially thoughts of putting what one has seen in action through emotional response. Extensive exposure to violent TV programs could result to cue feeling, cue behaviour and cue thoughts which could impact mental process especially when solving problems. On whether to solve it violently or calmly. Brown (1996) claimed that after watching violent programs it is very easy to make violent decision as a copy cat of what one has experienced. He also urged that TV violent programs impacts viewers indirectly by exposing them to a risk of committing a certain crime. Brown also identifies that it is very easy for violent and aggressive program viewer to commit a crime as opposed to none Violent and aggressive program viewers. The study revealed that the four participants had curiosity to watch more violent and aggressive programs after watching the first program. It was also identified that all participants watched violent and aggressive programs. Age difference did not have large impact on their viewing preferences and duration. The only difference spotted was for a female aged 10-13 years whose frequency was a bit lower compared to the rest. The frequency of those between 14-17 years was impacted by extra school activities of which given chance the participants could opt for watching violent movies as opposed to attending lectures. Older participants were more likely to probe further and to identify the current violent program as they opt watching it with their peers. Those between 10-13 years could not watch more violent programs as they brought about fear to them and their motive of watching such movies was totally different from of those aged between 14-17years. Read More