The Performance Pro

Thursday, November 08, 2007

STOP THIS MEDIA VIOLENCE!!!!

We used to watch an occasional evening detective program, but quite frankly I refuse to watch another autopsy or torture take place in my living room. This season’s version have reached new depths of morbidity and gruesome acts of violence. And then there’s the Computer games – what are we thinking anyway?!

The "Monkey see, monkey do" concept is pretty simple. So what is it that our society doesn’t get?

I would not be surprised to learn that an anti-America terrorist organization was funding our media programming. Surely, we wouldn't do this to ourselves.

In case your common sense needs a boost, consider this:
- In research done over the past 30 years, they found that kids between 6 and 9 years of age who watched heavy violence were twice as likely to be physically aggressive, the men were 3 times more likely to convicted of criminal behavior.

-The computer games of today are changing the way our children’s brain function.

-Studies show the shooting games heighten the aggressiveness. According to L. Rowell Huesmann, Social Psychologist: Watching violence also “primes” aggressive scripts and beliefs, creating a heightened level of neural excitation that spreads to other thoughts stored in nearby areas of the brain. Paradoxically, then, exposure to violent media violence both decreases emotional response to violence and increases neurological arousal —a one-two punch that can be lethal.

What can parents do? Take back the job- or privilege- of entertaining their children. (You might want to rethink those Christmas presents.)

What can companies do?

1. Incorporate into wellness programs, education on the affects of media-induced violence and the resulting lack of sleep, on an employee’s job attitude and productivity.
2. Withdraw sponsorships of violent programming.
3. Create ads that promote positivity and brotherhood.

What can we all do? Stop following like sheep. Turn off tube and dump the gadgets. Write emails and letters to tv stations; and be vocal. Get back to the basics. Demand our rights to positive programming.
Then, take the family, go outside and play a game of ball.

1 Comments:

  • At 5:53 PM, Blogger Joanne Cantor said…

    I agree entirely. I have been doing research on the impact of media violence for more than 30 years. Media violence promotes imitation, increases hostility, reduces empathy, and promotes unncessary fears and anxieties. The media industries do not want to promote this message because they are making billions of dollars on their products to the detriment of our children and our society as a whole. I have my own web site and blog, where I explain the media violence research and also give tips to parents for ways to protect their children. I invite readers to visit it at www.tvtroubles.com.

    Joanne Cantor, Professor Emerita and Director,
    Center for Communication Research
    University of Wisconsin-Madison

     

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