Violence in the Media

Media swamps our world today, it seems inescapable. No matter how sheltered someone may be, at some point they will be exposed to how violently our society is portrayed today. There seems to be controversy over how much blame to put on the media for real world violence. It is no question that crime and deaths take most of the headlining news but how much of that violence can be linked to other sources of media is the question. Sissela Bok and Gerard Jones share their dissimilar thoughts on the subject in the writings “Aggression: The Impact of the Media Violence” and “Violent Media Is Good for Kids”, respectively.

In her article, Bok’s view seems to be based on the factual aspect of the matter. She links the increasing crime rate with the also increasing media coverage on violence. Bok uses the debated brought up by John Grisham on Oliver Stone’s film Natural Born Killers to insinuate the view of some that the movies should be considered products and therefore, those responsible for making the product would also be held responsible for the events following the use of their creation. “Viewers who become accustomed to seeing violence as an acceptable, common and attractive way of dealing with problems find it easier to identify with aggressors and to suppress any sense of pity or respect for victims of violence”, Bok states; America seems to be the only culture in the world that has the problem, “epidemic of children killing children.” It is important to think about why this situation is in place and what makes people so prone to violence. No matter how large the role it can be said that media is part of the problem (17). She closes her article by saying that the media molds a child’s experience before they are ready; the basic development of a child should be shielded from the impairment of the media and in fact should be a right of every child (19).

Jones takes a different approach. He uses his personal experiences as a child and how violent media helped him to argue his point. He explains the wall built by his parents did nothing but suppress his internal desires and be put down by his fears. However, when he finally received a taste of the aggressive cartoon “The Hulk” he was freed and able to live out his needs in a fantasy self and eventually he grew into the writer he is today. He states that over time people have been freed from the emotional grind of hiding from violence by living vicariously through violent stories. People use the scariest, most looked down upon pieces to fill their mind with and ultimately have a more complete self (5). Jones acknowledges that media may be taken into account with some violent outbreaks, but indicates, “I am going to argue that it’s helped hundreds of people for