Mimicry and Media Violence

          Enough exposure to media violence can affect one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. This does not necessarily mean those exposed will immediately engage in violent behavior; however, it can lead to aggressive behavior and thoughts, which is a gateway to violence. The media, as we know, is quite unavoidable. It is everywhere we are, there is no escaping it. Exposure to positive, anti-aggressive media is shown to actually improve the behaviors of people afterward – they are more willingly to engage in helping others and have more sympathy for others. On the contrary, with aggressive or violent media exposure, whether it be in video games or movies, those exposed are more likely to lack sympathy of others and mimic the aggressive/violent behaviors witnessed.

                In the article, “Is Media Violence Damaging to Kids?” by Sasha Emmons, evidence is supported by various research studies that viewing audiences of violence are more likely to imitate such behaviors or display more aggressive behaviors. She also shares what takes place to her child, after watching Star Wars. He began to pretend shooting things around the house. This became much of a concern after all we have come to witness in the past couple of years with school shootings, as she goes on to discuss. The article goes on to mention the further likelihood of a child mimicking the behaviors of a hero in a movie – making the violence appear to be acceptable behavior.

            Further evidence for this potentially harmful link is depicted by graduate student, Laura Stockdale, who has gone as far as to research the areas of the brain affected by exposure to violent/aggressive acts. Through her research, it has been found that correlations between physical aggression and exposure to media violence are as significant as those of smoking and lung cancer. When one is exposed to physical aggressive behaviors, he/she increases normative beliefs of violent behaviors and are thusly desensitized to violence in general. Furthermore, those exposed to these types of acts tend to find ambiguous situations as aggressive that may not necessarily be. For instance, (assuming I have just watched a violent film), if I were to walk down a street and someone were to accidentally bump into me, I would depict the situation as a directly aggressive act towards me as opposed to an accident. Research also supports that media violence makes one lack inhibitory control as well as empathy for others.

            Both of these researchers agree on many levels that this is not something to simply ignore or accept, but rather something that needs further attention and perhaps some change in the material shown to children, especially. Many Pixar films show acts of social and physical aggression that many are unaware of.

                  

             Keep in mind that this mimicry and desensitization to violence is not a permanent condition. However, with that said, the more exposed one is to violence, the longer the effects can last. Of course, the behaviors can be reduced if one is also exposed to media that encourages prosocial behaviors. This positive media influences people to increase their empathy and be all the more social. This is not to say that one should avoid violent media at all costs, but instead to be more wary of the potential consequences of extended exposure. Emmons and Stockdale also agree that a balance can take place with exposure to prosocial acts with others – with a further likelihood of helping others and further compassion for others.

            With children, this can be more significant of an issue due to the fact that mimicry is much higher and there is less awareness of the types of behaviors they are displaying. Parents, teachers, etc. should also be aware of how violent media can affect the mindsets of children. If not, continual violent exposure can lead to less social behaviors in those children and more aggressive acts that to them would seem as innocent as it appeared in the movie or video game they had just been exposed to.

References:

Emmons, Sasha. "Is Media Violence Damaging to Kids?" CNN. Cable News Network, 21 Feb. 2013. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

Images:

http://theco-operatives.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/wreck-it-ralph-calhoun.jpg

http://cdn.wallstcheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Star-Wars.jpg

http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Call-of-Duty-Black-Ops-2-2.jpg

http://howstuffworks.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/lilgamer.jpg