I'm even less convinced that watching violence on tv leads to it in life

Last night, for about four hours, I watched a fire fight in Iraq unfold. It was a very slow affair, most the time was spent waiting for bigger guns to move in. First waiting for the tanks, then waiting for the tanks to flush out the resistance, then waiting for the air strike.

Throughout the whole thing I had knots in my stomach–not only for the welfare of the US marines, but also for the Iraqis. The reporter was given the impression that they were Republican Guard soldiers, a group for whom I have less sympathy than for the garden-variety conscript. Still I kept wishing that they’d just surrender. There was no way they could win. At best they could kill a few Americans, but even that was doubtful since the marines were in no rush and taking the situation at a very slow and methodical pace. Of course, I did keep thinking that some things are worth dying for, and I can’t fault someone for choosing to sacrifice for what they believe in. (Though I may fault the belief itself.)

So here’s where the title of the thread comes in. I’ve seen and enjoyed plenty of tv violence. I’ve cheered for bad guys getting greased. But here, where I knew that I was watching real people–and the ones receiving most of the violence weren’t even visible because they were so far away–my gut was bound up in utter anxiety.

I’ve never been a big believer in the whole tv violence=>real violence hypothesis. Now I’m even less inclined to buy into it.

Shaddup, or I’ll drop an Acme-brand anvil on your head.

Not that I have a cite to support this, but I think recent research is pointing the other way.

BTW, I’ve been exposed to loads of TV and movie violence, and I don’t think it has resulted in ME being more prone to violence. But there are millions of people dumber and more vulnerable to suggestion than I am.

Thanks for the genuine snort of laughter this inspired.

Was much needed on a crappy war-news day.

Ooooooohhhhhh, I like you! Bugs Bunny is my hero!

As to the OP … Welcome to the real world. War most often means death. Those opposed to the exercise of force against wrong-doers might want to take a back seat.

As to the other point of your OP. Please be advised that a similar media (i.e., Violent Video Games) has begun to be proven responsible for violent behavior.

Television is nearly as spoon-fed as any video game, if not moreso. Video games are shown to stimulate extremely limited regions of the brain. These regions have little, if anything, to do with social interaction. Yes, violent video games have something to do with aggressive conduct. It is not so short a reach to believe that violent television programming has much to do with hostile behavior.

Gimme a cite or I’ll freakin’ kill ya’!!

Ha! Just kidding. I’ve heard in the news in the not too distant past about an ex-military guy who compares the first person shooter games to military training. He claims, IIRC, that time-series statistics for murders hide the growing incidence of violent crime because improved medical care decreases the death rate from violence. I make no claims to the veracity of his conclusions.

War is a bitch, no doubt about that. Although…I did see Vonnegut on C-Span once saying that going to war was “the damndest vacation” he’s ever had. :eek:

I’ve always wondered, if violence seen on TV has no effect on our thinking, as some believe, why would others spend billions of dollars advertising on TV when it should have no effect?

If my question does not make any sense please be aware I’m on my 12th straight hour of a veeeery long graveyard shift.

Because advertising can alert us to new things, and present arguments that may possibly persuade us to change our minds.

Did you see violence on TV? Did you see it while you were growing up? Are you a violent person now? If not, why not? Are those who claim watching TV violence leads to violent behavior truly able to rule out other factors? After all, we’ve been violent since Cain slew Able and proven ourselves capable of really henious acts long before anyone even thought about sending pictures through the air.

Do you have kids?

I have two little ones. I am very careful about what they watch.
Violence and inappropriate language are no-no’s in our house.

My son, nearly 5, is a pretty considerate non-violent little boy. (he does wrestle, but that is because it is all we allow him to do.) He is being conditioned to talk things out or go find an adult to help the situation.

Now, being involved with preschoolers as I am, I see other little boys ( and girls) who’s parents let them watch just about anything it seems. Pretty much unsupervised. I have noticed a marked difference in how their boys interact with other boys. Hitting, punching, bullying, alpha wolf stuff. Loads of role playing going on.

Boys in general have more muscle energy to expel than girls ( who tend to manipulate through mind games) and that spaztic energy, if left unchanneled into a positive outlet ( exercize/outdoor play) most of the time will end up in the fights and squabbles. This is only natural for little boys, to dick whip each other, but violence in TV doesn’t help.

Girls don’t seem as violent, they are either catty or snotty to other little girls. The alpha girls are very clicquish and destine, I am positive, to be future Home Coming Queens or physcotic little bitches. ( Oh yes, you can see this early on.)

Humans are a pack animal and always trying to establish the pecking order. When children are exposed to violence on TV and it is not discussed of why it is wrong or right, they will start to think about it all the time. TV is essentially an electronic pacificer followed up by video games. ( I detest the majority of video games as does my husband.) TV is something kids jump into, allowing themselves to be absorbed entirely. You don’t think that affects a personality, even in minute proportions?

My kids are not allowed to watch a host of cartoons because, despite the 7 and Older guideline, they are too violent. I may be old fashioned in this respect, but I don’t care, I am following my conscience. I am doing my keep my children from being manipulated by the media, as I am for myself.

Shirley, isn’t it possible that it is the lack of supervision of the school kids, and not what they’re watching on TV that is responsible for their behavior? What I’m trying to say is: you obviously care about your kids and keep them under pretty tight control. Not all parents do. These kids might be aggressive and prone to violence even if they didn’t watch TV, because most kids will pretty much do whatever they can get away with.

Does that make sense?

From my personal experience, I have to say that violence on TV does have an influence on me. That’s why I assume it has an influence on other people as well.

Scary story from my youth: I watched the animé “Crying Freeman” and afterwards some idiot at school was talking to me and I just wanted him to shut up. In my mind I saw myself lifting a gun and blowing a whole into his forehead, crying freeman style.

Having a “daydream” like that totally freaked me out. I attribute my awareness that TV and computer games do have an influence to myself not snapping though. Besides, I was a teen back then and the danger of being manipulated by TV as an adult are minimal. So rest assured, no violence will origin from me. But the danger of violent TV shows and games influencing teenagers is real, people should be aware of that.

Optihut:

I had a similar daydream after playing the latest installment of Grand Theft Auto and then driving home in the wee hours of the morning. I imagined myself crashing into oncoming traffic. It was so cool in the game…so realisitic…except the fact that my car kept going in the game.

I haven’t played the game since. That moment scared the shit out of me.

Here’s are two ways to look at this (or more, but those are the twos which I could think off).

One is to show violence as it is. To show how damning horrifying it could get. To protray it as it is - then I think people would think twice before saying “Hey, blowing that fellow head off is way cool!”

My cousin who is not a wuss himself (he plays games like Quakes and Diablo with plenty of violence and scattering of body parts) once saw a video on which someone blows off someone else head with a gun. It wasn’t a show, or a movie or something faked. It’s real. After seeing the ghasty scene my cousin told me that he seriously think that violence is a terrible thing. It’s something to be avoided.

The other way to look at this is how violence is protrayed in the media. Instead of being shown how dangerous and horrifying violence is, the media glorified it, make it harmless and strip away of its damning horror. It seems to cultivate the thinking that a ‘hero’ must have some kick-ass, body-frying or ability to kill to be called a hero…

:eek:

Maybe we should give individual personality differences some credit, along with possible genetic predisposition.

I have the same attitude about violence as my father. He had NO TV as a kid, and didn’t see a movie until he was a teenager, while I grew up on a steady diet of The A-Team, Stallone, and Freddy Krueger.

My sister, who watched the same shows and movies I did, and has the same parents, is very non-violent. Some of the things I consider to be simply practical advice, she finds shocking, despite the fact that she has calmly eaten dinner while watching bloody “psycho-killer” movies.

Dad likes to hunt, while I have no interest in killing something that isn’t bothering me, although I would do so if I had a practical need to kill it. I have killed animals to put them out of their misery, for example.

I was more violently-oriented as a teen, but later calmed down. At that point, violent movies began to become dull. My male acquaintances report a similar event, generally in their early 20’s, while the females report no change.

Conclusion: although I can’t rule out the possibility that others are influenced by the media, my own experience suggests that attitudes toward violence have more to do with youth and maleness than anything else.