Media violence affecting children.
The media clearly has an impact on our lives and especially on the young and weak-minded people in our society. Children become desensitized to violence when they see it everyday on television, in theaters and even in video games. They see no difference between what is real, what is not, and the effects of it all. Even TV news deadens one's perception of reality. People of all ages, especially those who are at an impressionable time in their lives, need to know that murder, death and violence are real and that sadness comes with all of these. .
The American media is the most violent in the world. Children in America are more likely to be shot than in any other country. The human brain is the most delicate and complex mechanism in all creation (Cousins). This delicate mechanism especially in children absorbs violence quickly. With a significant number of studies supporting the causal connection between media violence and aggressive behavior in some children, we know the more life-like the violence depicted the more likely it will be learned (Buchanan). More than a half of children's programs contain violence and one third have nine or more violent portrayals in each episode. Much of the violence is presented as humorous and less than half of the violent interactions show the victims experiencing any signs of pain. Violence on television is frequent, inconsequential, effective, and rewarded (Buchanan).
Violence ends confrontation quickly and effectively, without a need for patience, negotiation, and compromise. Moreover, violence is an acceptable method to solve conflicts on television. Children, especially young children, do not know that actions portrayed on television, in the movies, and in video games are fantasy (Buchanan). Constant exposure to the repeated depiction of violence on television also leads to blunted emotional reactions of the viewers (Aggressive Youths).
