Violent Media: A Negative Influence

Increasing Youth Violence From 1960 to 1991 Violent crime up 500% -Murders up 170% -Rapes up 520% -Aggravated Assaults up 600%

Violent Crime and Murders per 100,000 People

Mass media such as movies, television, and videogames increases the frequency and brutality of violence occurring in the United States today. Thesis:

Investigations Of most recent 1000 studies… -982 showed a connection between increased youth violence and violent media -18 showed no connection, but 12 were funded by the television industry 5 Landmark Studies…

1954 Congress orders first in depth investigation of the “causes and contributing factors” of an increasingly violent youth. RESULTS: “movies, television programs, and comic books may serve as a contributing factor to delinquency among juveniles”

1972 Surgeon General publishes “Television and Growing Up: The Impact of Televised violence” RESULTS: “… in magnitude, television violence is as strongly correlated with aggressive behavior as any other behavioral variable that has been measured.”

1976 At its 1976 meeting, the American Medical Association adoped a policy supporting research on the impact of TV violence. RESULTS: “recognition of the fact that TV violence is a risk factor threatening the health and welfare of young Americans, indeed our future society.”

1985 The American Psychological Association, the nations largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology, conducted a 5 year study on the effect of violent media on youth. RESULTS: “There is absolutely no doubt that higher levels of viewing violence on television are correlated with increased acceptance of aggressive attitudes and increased aggressive behavior…In addition, prolonged viewing of media violence can lead to emotional desensitizing toward violence”

1996 Congress pressured the cable industry to sponsor a three-year study at a cost of $3.5 million, the most expensive and thorough study of violent media ever conducted RESULTS: 1.) 40% of violent incidents on TV are initiated by characters that posses role-model like characteristics. 2.) 60% of all television programs contain violence. 3.) Children who watch 2 hours of cartoons per day are exposed to 500% more violence per year than those who watched no TV at all

Movies Films depicting gruesome and violent scenes lead to increased anxiety and aggression

The Matrix Inspires Murder Attempt Three Oaklyn teenagers, aged years old, devised a plot to kill as many people as possible, dressed like the heroes from The Matrix. They loaded up with rifles, handguns, and swords, and set out into the city, ready to kill.

Television Kids age 4-13 watch an average of two hours of television each day, In those two hours alone they are exposed up to 406 scenes of violence Television programming dominated by violence, Amount of violent programming on the major networks increased 14% in primetime since 1994

Reasons for increased exposure to violent programming: 1.Family oriented shows replaced by dramas centered around crime scenes court rooms hospitals other unwholesome locales 2. Shock value 3. Peer pressure

Sopranos Inspires Murder Two young men killed their mother and tried to cover their tracks by chopping off her head and hands the way they saw it done on The Sopranos

Video Games Increase violence and aggression in 3 ways

1. Desensitizing by repetition

2. Rewarded for violence, no consequences shown

3. Training users in firearms

Movies, television, videogames and other m ass media increases violence occurring in the United States today. In conclusion:

Thank you!

DOH! Works cited is missing! (all pictures and text should be cited in MLA format—even in a PowerPoint)