# Entertainment Industry vs. Columbine

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainment-industry-vs-columbine/600>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 3, 1999, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainment-industry-vs-columbine/600 "1999-06-03T18:45:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 1999, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainment-industry-vs-columbine/600/1 "1999-06-03T18:45:00Z")

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Have authorities discovered any evidence indicating that the two teenagers responsible for the Columbine H.S. masacre were influenced by violence in movies, TV, and/or video games? In the aftermath of the shootings, these industries have recieved a lot of criticism but I have not heard of any proven link between their products and the shooters.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 1999, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainment-industry-vs-columbine/600/2 "1999-06-03T20:51:00Z")

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Researchers have been trying to prove a link between violence in the media and that violence inspiring youths to commit crimes in the real world for ever. So far, no proof.

Obviously, there’s been a lot of speculation, and many self-righteous people have claimed that: “Well, a kid growing up will have seen umpteen murders on TV, it must have an impact.”

Circle - reasoning does not make for proof.

Research during the last ten years show, however, that it’s not watching too much violence on TV, that makes a kid violent, it’s watching too much TV, period.

Kids growing up in front of the idiot box will have a shorter attention span, will always be searching for new kicks, it induces shallowness and kids will get a false idea about the real world.  
Or in other words: Watching too much TV is bad for you. It’s not the TV that is to blame, it’s the parents.

The guy doing most research on this - **Brandon Centerwall** of U of Washington - claims that without TV, there would be 10.000 fewer murder-victims in the US annually.

It might be that _Wheel of Fortune_ is more to blame, than _Profiler_.

## CT

_When in trouble or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout_