media violence moral panics and video games
TRANSCRIPT
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Media Violence, Moral Panics and
Videogames
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Introduction
Behavioural Research into Media Effects
vs. Normative Research into Media and
Culture
Columbine and Moral Panics
A look at the various contexts and
contents of violent media
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The Media Effects Tradition
Based on behvaioural research
Focus on quantitative, observable and
generalisable effects
Media effects generally limited by selective
perception shaped by existing
values/beliefs
Children, however, are less equipped with
existing values and beliefs.
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Behavioural Media Effects,
Violence and ChildrenBehavioural studies have shown that
receptiveness to violence is influenced by
a) The nature of the depicted aggression
b) The gender of the child
c) The tendency of the child to seek sensations
d) The aggression levels of the child
Empirical research into violent video gameshas shown that playing video games lowersplayers empathy and reaction to violence
But the overwhelming conclusion is that violentmedia does NOT CAUSE violent behaviour
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Violent games get some bad
press Columbine High School Shootings
(Littleton, Colorado 1999)
2 students shot and killed 13, thenthemselves
The students concerned played Doom
and Wolfenstein 3D Had computer playing privileges
progressively revoked followingbehavioural problems
Red Lake Massacre (Red Lake,Minnesota 2005)
16 year old killed 9 people then himself
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/195194
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/195194http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/195194http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/195194http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/195194 -
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Dr Phil and Moral Panics[T]he problem is we are programming these
people as a society. You cannot tell me --
common sense tells you that if these kids
are playing video games, where they're on a
mass killing spree in a video game, it's
glamorized on the big screen, it's become
part of the fibre of our society. You take thatand mix it with a psychopath, a sociopath or
someone suffering from mental illness and
add in a dose of rage, the suggestibility is
too high. And we're going to have to start
dealing with that. We're going to have tostart addressing those issues and
recognizing that the mass murders of
tomorrow are the children of today that are
being programmed with this massive
violence overdose. http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/04/dr_phil_also_bl.html
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Considering the wider social
context
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Normative Research on media
effects
Asks what about the context of these
signs?
(remember the difference between European
and American research traditions?)
Questions whether the categories of
violence selected in Behavioural Studies
are ever sophisticated enough to behelpful
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Normative Research on media
effects
Asks that violence be viewed within a wider
social and cultural context
Our societies are complex, interlocking structures,
and this means that we should not attempt to studyany single institution or social process in isolation.
The problem of media violence should be studied in
relation to other institutions and to violence in society
as a whole, and it should be set within the appropriate
social, political and economic frameworks.(Halloran 1978: 817, quoted in Cunningham 1992: 143)
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In summary
Behavioural media effects research is subject tothe following general criticisms (fromCunningham 1992) Generally does not consider the textual context of the
violence Assumes children and viewers to be nave cultural
dupes
Fails to consider other factors which contribute toviolent behaviour (personal experience, socio-
economic group) Implies causation where it identifies correlation
Often fails to critique officially sanctioned violence
Contributes to moral panic
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Where to next?
A more thorough and open classification
system
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Where to next?
A focus on modelling the correct behaviour As a society/culture
As parents
A rejection of moral panic The average age of a computer game player in
Australia is 29
Implies a general lack of respect towards children(and their parents)
We have real issues with violence to deal with andundermining the ability to confront violence andcommunicate about it might not be the smartest thingto do