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Types
of TV Violence
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A
recent study noted that violent interactions portrayed on television
can be broken down into the following categories: - Violence
with no evidence of pain;
- Violence with unrealistically low
levels of pain;
- Violence using a gun;
- Violence that is lethal
or deadly;
- Violence that is humorous.
- Keep a list of these types of violent interactions in front
of you as you watch television in your normal way.
- Each time
you view an act of violence, identify whether it fits one of
the categories.
- If it does, place a check next to the category.
- If you see acts of violence that don't fit the categories, list
them as well.
- After a few days, look at your chart and determine
which types of violent interactions are most common on TV.
- What
do your findings show?
- Do you think your findings are cause
for concern?
- Why or why not?
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The
Effects of TV Violence on Young People
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Although there is much debate about
the effects of TV violence on young people, most experts believe
that TV violence has harmful effects on young people’s
development and behavior. The American Medical Association’s,
Physician Guide to Media Violence (Chicago: 1966) lists
the following effects of media violence on young people:
- Media violence causes an increase
in mean-spirited, aggressive behavior.
- Media violence causes increased
levels of fearfulness, mistrust, and self-protective behavior
towards others.
- Media violence contributes to desensitization
and callousness to the effects of violence and the suffering
of others.
Media violence provides violent heroes whom young people
seek to emulate.
- Media violence provides justification
for resorting to violence when young people think they are
right.
- Media violence creates an increasing
appetite for viewing more violence and more extreme violence.
- Media violence fosters a culture
in which disrespectful behavior becomes a legitimate way
for people to treat each other.
- Do you agree or disagree with any or all
of these claims? On what evidence, if any, do you base your
opinion?
- If you agree with any of the claims, what recommendations
would you make to the television industry about future programming?
- How and why do you think the TV industry would respond to your
suggestions?
- How do you think we as a nation should go about
trying to resolve the problem of the effects of media violence
on young people’s development and behavior?
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Violence
at Any Cost?
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Although
there is much debate about television violence,
approximately 60 percent of programs in prime time slots still
contain some form of violence.
This fact is astonishing given that a Gallup Poll conducted
several years ago showed that 78 percent of the people polled
disapproved of the violence they saw on television. The question
then is: ‘why so much TV violence?’ In large part
the answer can be found in the fact that program decisions are
made by TV's "complex manufacturing and marketing machine."
It’s about ratings and the advertising dollars that flow
into highly rated programs.
- In a paragraph or two, agree or
disagree with the following statement: "TV violence must
be curtailed by any means and at any cost."
- After you have
completed your essay, evaluate your argument by asking the following
questions:
- What is the foundation of my argument?
- What evidence
do I use to support this argument?
- Is what I propose realistic
in today's society?
- Who would support or oppose my argument?
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TV
Stereotypes
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In
a recent discussion of programs like The Joey Sellar Show,
it was noted that, to get on the show, potential guests had
to stereotype themselves for the producers.
Potential guests made themselves look more outrageous and unreal
than they were in everyday life. Why, you might ask, is this
practice necessary? TV programs are filled with stereotypes
and, while the reasons for creating stereotypes are complex,
one reason has to do with time. In a short time, viewers can
more readily understand a stereotypical character than a well-rounded,
fully developed character. Stereotyping saves time and allows
for easy understanding of simplistic plots. Think about Elmyra
and Bo Heller. What do you know about them? How do you know
about them? You might say you know them as slow-talking, uneducated,
backwoods, socially inept, easily manipulated victims of their
own stupidity. You know this because they were consciously stereotyped
in this manner. Because of the stereotype, the audience developed
a perception of who they were and no time had to be spent on
character development.
People on TV are stereotyped according to age, gender, job,
race, and looks, to name a few. - Watch TV in your normal
manner and try to identify stereotypical roles.
- Identify the
techniques used to create the stereotype (language, dress, mannerisms,
interests, regional identification, and so on).
- Note characters
who share some of your personal characteristics such as age,
gender, race, and ethnicity.
- How do you feel about the ways
these characters are portrayed?
- Are the characters stereotyped?
- What are some of the dangers of the common practice of TV stereotyping?
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Other
great activities:
Joey
Needs a New Program Distributor: A Simulation
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