VIOLENCE
- BIGGEST PROBLEM ON TV
Even
if you just watch a few hours of TV, you can't miss the fact that violence is
everywhere on our TV programmes. Although research shows that violence on TV is
worsening and getting more and more many people don't think that there is much
violence on TV nowadays. But those people are confining their definition of
violence to more extreme portrayals. But
violence on TV is any scene which shows one or more people hurting another
person or people. The violence on TV is also less acceptable as it becomes more
graphic and gratuitous. But one of the greatest dangers of TV violence is
probably that it tells us that violence is acceptable. TV says that violence is
trivial, commonplace, everyday and a part of life. That means that the more you
see on television or video incidents of violence, the less shocking it becomes.
Since the TV box had been invented violence does exist on the screen, but at
that time it wasn't shown in such a great measure like that happens nowadays.
At that time there was also a flood of violent films from Hollywood such as the
spaghetti westerns and TV tried to compete with this entertainment by showing
the most violent of these films on their programmes. Another concerning example
of TV violence is a children's programme called 'Power Rangers' that
has caused copycat violence by children in many countries. Even in norway this
programme had to be withdrawn, because a link had been suggested between the
killing of a little five-year-old girl by her six-year-old friends.
A
public survey found out that people are more likely to be sensitive to violence
if they identify with or have great sympathy for the victim, e.g. rape victims,
children and animals. It also shows that the levels of acceptance of TV
violence are strongly related to age and gender. Younger people are rather
unconcerned about gory portrayals of violence than older people which think that
the violence on TV is too graphic. On the other hand men show more tolerance of
TV violence and accept violent portrayals as long as it is in content with the
scene and presented at the right time on TV. And women have less acceptance of
graphic violence and especially reject portrayals of sexual violence against
women.
Other
big problems on TV are also explicit sex, bad language and drugs. Although this increasing public concern the
broadcasting authorities have done little to reduce screen violence. The only
action they have done was to show such 'risky' films at later times.
But for example the government in America tries to introduce in a few years the
V-chip to reduce unsuitable material for children on TV (see further
explanation on Chapter IV 'New censor chip for American TVs')
But
TV isn't the only 'bad boy'. Violence also comes up in the music
industry through violent rock and rap singers like Marylin Manson and the
Wu-Tang Clan, with lyrics about masochism and murder. Also Heavy Metal Music
often glorifies drug use, murder, suicide and satanism. Therefore in America
there had been introduced a warning panel for music CDs with explicit lyrics.
The panel should help parents being aware what kind of music their children are listening to.
Is
there a link between TV violence and violent behaviour?
A
link between violent, agressive criminal behaviour and violent material on TV
has never been proved or disproved by research. But many psychologists suggest
that violent material reinforces anti-social attitudes and people's behaviour
and especially children's one.( - see further explanations at Chapter II
'Children and TV')
