media influence
The medias influence on our youth in today’s society is a prevalent topic of discussion amongst sociologists around the world. The media has at its disposal a broad range of tools and strategies they use to influence today’s youth which include: television, films, videogames, music and the internet. In this essay, studies will explore the medias use of violence and how it influences violent behaviour in children. The three main forms of media I will explore in this essay are music, video games and films.
Music, especially rap music has been one of the central concerns about the potential harmful effects of violence on youth (Herd,2009). Although rap music has been a central concern of harmful effects of violent lyrics on social behaviour, especially in the more vulnerable audience (children), the relationship between violence and rap music is poorly understood. (Denise Herd, Ph.D. 2009) There have been very limited studies into the harmful effects of violent and misogynous lyrics on youth and how it affects their physical aggression. However, Baron-gan and Hall (1995) released a study that suggests the exposure to antisocial lyrics can actually affect behaviour, albeit, the behaviour they assessed was not clearly aggressive. (Anderson, 2003) In the study that was undertaken, male students listened to either misogynous or neutral rap music and viewed three vignettes. (neutral, sexual and violent, assaultive) They then chose one vignette to be viewed by a random woman. The subjects that listened to misogynous lyrics were far more likely to select the assaultive vignette (Anderson, 2003). This suggests that individuals that view violent material have a tendency to seek out more violent material. Also known as cumulation theory, which suggests that the more you are exposed to violent material, the more likely you are to indulge in increasingly violent material and succumb to eventual desensitisation. There have been no comprehensive studies on the direct
Music, especially rap music has been one of the central concerns about the potential harmful effects of violence on youth (Herd,2009). Although rap music has been a central concern of harmful effects of violent lyrics on social behaviour, especially in the more vulnerable audience (children), the relationship between violence and rap music is poorly understood. (Denise Herd, Ph.D. 2009) There have been very limited studies into the harmful effects of violent and misogynous lyrics on youth and how it affects their physical aggression. However, Baron-gan and Hall (1995) released a study that suggests the exposure to antisocial lyrics can actually affect behaviour, albeit, the behaviour they assessed was not clearly aggressive. (Anderson, 2003) In the study that was undertaken, male students listened to either misogynous or neutral rap music and viewed three vignettes. (neutral, sexual and violent, assaultive) They then chose one vignette to be viewed by a random woman. The subjects that listened to misogynous lyrics were far more likely to select the assaultive vignette (Anderson, 2003). This suggests that individuals that view violent material have a tendency to seek out more violent material. Also known as cumulation theory, which suggests that the more you are exposed to violent material, the more likely you are to indulge in increasingly violent material and succumb to eventual desensitisation. There have been no comprehensive studies on the direct