Some people believe that violence on television and in computer games has a damaging effect on society. Others believe it has no effect on people’s behaviour.
What is your opinion?
Plan
| + | – |
| people are desensitized to horrors | society has always been violent |
| school shootings, and assassinations | violent shows is not directly proportional to violent society |
| belief in macho culture, strongman leaders |
The media and entertainment industries have grown substantially in the past century, thanks to the rise of cinema in the 1930s, television in the 1950s, computer games in the 1980s, and the internet in the late 1990s. Within all four of these sectors, violence has become a form of spectacle, and people frequently enjoy shows relating to murder, or games in which the aim is to fight and kill enemies. Although not the cause of the modern world’s problems, this new form of entertainment is changing how people interact.
Evidently violent entertainment is not responsible for the biggest troubles in society; people have been killing each other – often in horrific ways – for thousands of years, as seen by the Crusades or War of the Roses. Furthermore, while violent shows and games are purchasable in many countries, not all of these nations have equally violent societies. For example, Europe and the US have very similar entertainment, but the murder rate is far higher in the latter. This suggests that there are other factors that lead to a violent society.
That said, it can be argued that violent entertainment does affect how people think about violence. Many individuals now are desenstitised to images of death or violence at a young age, which can lead to people trying to show how strong or tough they are, and being less caring. On top of that, the violence that people see in society – not from entertainment, but the news – can lead people with mental or emotional problems to believe this is a way to get attention. Some of the school shootings in America appear to be by teenagers or young adults who think violence will make people hear their problems.
In conclusion, it is impossible to say that violence in games and on television programmes is responsible for society’s largest problems with violence, because people have been violent to each other since before this technology. However, the way that people think about violence has changed, and people are exposed to it in entertainment and on the news. This can lead people with emotional problems to believe violence is an acceptable way to have a voice, which is a dangerous situation.