Television Violence Effects on our Society
Television Violence is at the forefront of an ongoing debate in American society. In particular is the question of whether or not those (primarily children) exposed to violence in programs on a daily basis are profoundly affected by it. It has long been proposed that indeed such content has the ability to influence behavior. In this paper I will examine some of the ways TV violence affects our social culture. Through studies and various authors views television violence will be examined including network programming and economic factors involved in this issue. Origin and the pervasiveness of violence as it relates to the entertainment industry in our culture is also considered. Television Violence indeed has a profound impact on the world in which we live, and this can be witnessed in events we encounter on a daily basis.II. The Effects of Television Violence: Theories Much of the debate about violence in television programs concerns the possibility of its harmful effects on behavior. Noting this concern Hansen and Hansen (1990) introduced this question: "why is the ... violence there in the first place?" (Hepburn 1998). Their reply began: "the conventional wisdom seems to be that ... violence 's
ells'; that, for whatever reason, violence ... increases enjoyment ..." (Hepburn 1998). Do viewers enjoy seeing violence, in any or all of its forms? If people like to see violence, will they watch it more often, or will more people watch violence than other spectacles? (Hepburn 1998). If the answers to the first two questions are not positive, and even if they are, what else is it about violence-containing entertainment that does reward and reinforce viewers? (Hepburn 1998). If studies do not endorse the value of violence why does the entertainment industry continue to believe, or to proclaim that "violence sells"? (Hepburn 1998). One thing is for certain, American television programs are filled with violence. The effects of television violence can no longer be denied. Presently there is little debate on whether TV violence has an impact on society. Among the widely accepted assumptions are: Most psychologists who have studied the question of how aggression operates are convinced that everyone learns violent behavior by seeing it enacted (Callahan 1996). Children will beat Bobo dolls into the ground if they have seen grown-ups do it first, and even those children who do not immediately enact the aggression learn the behavior and remember how it's done (Callahan 1996). The more prestigious the person modeling aggressive behavior, the more likely it is to be imitated by observers (Callahan 1996). Imitation, after all, is an indispensable way that an intelligent species like ours learns.
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Approximate Word count = 1369
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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