Don't Worry About Those That Play Video Games, Be Cautious of Those Who Don't Play
Humankind is not perfect, far from it, which is readily evident in excessively common acts of violence. The methods by which violence may be cured, have been hotly debated, each method being a polar opposite of the other. Desensitization is the belief that watching violence in any form of media will lead to violent acts as the viewer becomes numb to horrors of violence. Desensitization leads people to believe that negative images or ideas not limited to that of only violence but as well as sexuality or profane language must be limited and regulated to prevent people from performing illegal or immoral acts. On the other end of the spectrum is the theory of catharsis, first introduced by the prodigious Greek philosopher Aristotle, which puts forth the idea that observing these images allow one to release pent up stress or aggression, mimicking the effect of a safety valve, rather than causing violence to occur. Violence in media does not lead to desensitization because it instead acts as a catharsis, preventing violence by instilling brutal and horrifying images in the mind of the viewer and allowing a release of pent up stress and aggression.
Movies, music, and games deemed to be too violent or profane are given ratings and labels to deter parents from allowing children to experience the media. This has been done to protect the children from inappropriate or violent media, however even with these ratings in place, children still see violent or scary images in the media geared towards them. In Stephen King’s essay, “My Creature from the Black Lagoon,” he argues that to children “even Disney movies are minefields of terror” (585) and that “almost everything has scare potential for the child under eight. Children are literally afraid of their own shadows at the right time and place” (584). The fear that is instilled by these trivial and childish movies does not create mass-murderers or rapists. The images instead linger in the mind of the viewer as they age. Stephen
Movies, music, and games deemed to be too violent or profane are given ratings and labels to deter parents from allowing children to experience the media. This has been done to protect the children from inappropriate or violent media, however even with these ratings in place, children still see violent or scary images in the media geared towards them. In Stephen King’s essay, “My Creature from the Black Lagoon,” he argues that to children “even Disney movies are minefields of terror” (585) and that “almost everything has scare potential for the child under eight. Children are literally afraid of their own shadows at the right time and place” (584). The fear that is instilled by these trivial and childish movies does not create mass-murderers or rapists. The images instead linger in the mind of the viewer as they age. Stephen
Cited: "United States Crime Rates 1960 - 2009." Web. 22 Sept. 2010.