Media, Violence and Crime in America - Coursework Example

Media, Violence and Crime in America Introduction There are many causes of violence and numerous reasons as to why people commit criminal acts, though media plays one of the biggest roles in violence and crime in American society (Potter, 1999). People are often influenced by the glamorized criminal worlds that they witness on television and in movies and experience in video games. When people see these horrific things playing out for them on the screen, they are under the delusional that they are ideas for the taking, and that their actions can be condoned because they “saw it in a movie once.” The harsh reality is that a variety of copy-cat crimes have been reenacted due to images and acts seen in movies. People, especially young children and teenagers, are impressionable by what they see in their entertainment. With many things, they feel an urge to mock what they have seen. Unfortunately, the violent nature of many television shows, movies and video games are the last things that people should be getting their ideas from due to their heinous results. Types of media and their influences Each media medium allows people to see and experience criminal acts and violence in unique ways. Due to each of the different ways media is presented to people, they can act out on what they have experienced in equally unique ways. Regardless of what they see or how they see it, it all comes down to the same thing: people are using media as an excuse to become criminals. Television and movies Television shows and movies are shrouded in harmful, violent and potentially damaging images. In this day and age, there is hardly such things as conservation and censoring in visual media made available to adults and children alike. As Americans become more open-minded, media production agencies take advantage of the amount and degree of violence that they display in their shows and movies. Violent acts, such as those seen in the Saw film franchise, go above and beyond the typical level of violence; this is the last series that people should be exposed to and influenced by. What is worse, the criminal in the Saw series, as well as others, feels that what he is doing is condoned because he believes he is teaching others a lesson in regard to the wrongdoings that they have done. People witness violence such as this, as well as the condonation of the criminal and feel that it would be all right if the did something of the same (Samenow, 2004). Furthermore, simply seeing such violence inspires the wrong people to go on their own blood-shedding spree. Children imprint theses images on their young, growing brains, where they remain for years to come. These images have the tendency to arise years later, inspiring the child, now a teenager or adult, to do something of a terrible degree. Video games Video and computer games are a different type of influence on people who partake in these forms of entertainment. Games allow their users to commit crimes and acts of violence from a first person point of view. “First person shooter” games, such as Medal of Honor, involve the player actually being the character; instead of seeing the character that they are playing, as in traditional video games, they are actually the player. They only see the hands of their character and any weapons or tools that they may use. As far as the player is concerned, their character has their same face. Some parents have gone as far as to say that these games are training programs for acts of crime and violence. Fiction versus reality The biggest issue with violence and crime stemming from media is that it seems people have difficulty distinguishing the differences between fiction and reality. In so many movies or television shows, the criminal gets away with what he has done, or is honored and regarded as a hero for his rash actions. People who have committed crime based on having seen similar acts on television feel that they can get away with the same crime or be rewarded for it. It is because of this that people tend to use the media to cushion their fall when they are caught. It is a jarring wake-up call and reality check when someone realizes that just because an act is condone on television or a movie, does not mean it will be condoned in real life. Consequences The consequences of being influenced by media violence can be life changing. The most mild effect is that people will forever retain these gruesome images in their minds. They can cause fears and nightmares in children, and paranoia if the images or situations really hit home. The worst that can happen, and has happened, is that people are murdered, raped and left with fatal, life-altering injuries. The criminals can end up dying while committing their acts, or they can end up facing lengthy stays in prison or, in states that allow it, the death sentence and a long stay on death row. Children tend to be the most influenced, especially as they see those images during the most impressionable years of their lives (Tallim, 2009). A large percentage of violence starts when a child is younger, and that need to commit crime and violence stays with them. It is not common that children do not grow out of that stage; in fact, their violent acts tend to increase the older they get and the more they are subjected to. Solutions It is not the job of the media to preach the differences between right and wrong, though they can help to pass on a more positive message, or a more powerful message against crime and violence. It also is not the task of the media to censor or tell children what they should or should not watch. That job belongs to the parents. As children are impressionable and teenagers are more than eager to mimic something at home, parents need to monitor what their children and teenagers watch and teach them the differences between reality and fiction, right and wrong. They can also monitor the ratings on the video games that they wish to play; games are clearly marked if they contain excessive violence or graphic images. Parents can use parental codes and locks on television sets to prevent their children from watching certain shows or stations. If they want to take even more drastic measures, they can contact their local television stations or television studios and protest against the content being released. If enough people speak up, these production companies usually have no choice but to adhere to the wishes of the protesters. Conclusion Media is one of the leading key principles to violence and crime in American society. People become affected and influenced by what they see on television shows and movies, or what they play on video games. These images stay with people, and when in the wrong minds, become projected to reality - a place in which these events were never meant to be. Parents need to instill moral ideas of right and wrong into their children while they are still young, so they can grow up knowing the differences between the two. If people do not learn the differences between reality and fiction, right and wrong, they can end up in prisoner or worse, six feet under. References Potter, J. (1999). On media violence. Los Angeles: Sage Publishing. Samenow, S. (2004). Inside the criminal mind. New York: Crown Publishing Group. Tallim, J. (2009). Research on the effects of media violence. Retrieved from http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/effects_media_ violence.cfm Read More