Violence in TV

Violence in TV

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Violence in TV

Introduction

The current content in television contains a significant amount of violence. It is clear that regardless of the type of program being aired on the television, an aspect of violence is included into the plot. The traditional representation of violence is shown through actual people perpetrating violence. However, less explicit elements of violence are also included in programs such as cartoon, series, comedy and more. While the content providers in most of the shows displaying violence on television assume it provides entertainment for the viewers. These stakeholders in the television industry believe that experiencing first hand violence in action programs is the best approach to maintain their high show ratings (Signorielli, 2011). Additionally, in the current society, television serves the role of a reasonably parenting aid that grabs the focus of children and entertains them on a daily basis (Cooper, 2007). The issue is that many guardians do not understand the nature of the content that their children are exposed. Most of the time, the programs have a negative effect on their offspring. It is imperative for the level of violence on television programs to be restricted, particularly in children’s shows.

Discussion

There are several programs on television with a high amount of violent content, for instance, science fiction, breakfast talk shows, law enforcement programs, and certain cartoon shows. It is difficult to argue that children in the United States can desist from copying the type of violence perpetrated in shows. On a daily basis, people imitate violent actions at school, at home and at work (Grønstad, 2008). One of the popular games for children is cops and robbers, normally accompanied with theme songs from crime programs (Cooper, 2007). Most of these people are not violent. Rather, they are replicating the excessive amount of violence that they see on television. People turn to television as a source of entertainment, but after they start viewing a program, they normally encounter mild or explicit violence. Television venerates violence and this makes it relatively easy for the current generation to break their psychological barriers concerning their value for life (Signorielli, 2011). Most of the protagonists in the violent program are made out to be interesting and breathtaking.

Violence has a way of entrenching itself in the minds of the viewers. It is imperative to understand that the television is a powerful socialization tool. Human beings who watch television for long durations learn to use violence as the solution to all challenges. Research from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry revealed that people are greatly influenced by violent behavior on television (Cooper, 2007). Many other articles illustrate that exposure to violence in television makes it easier for the afflicted people to use it. The conventional television program with a violent scene normally shows one character solving his or her problems by resorting to violence. This phenomenon is not restricted to cartoon or traditional police shows. Many other programs use violence as their main theme.

Conclusion

One of the measures to reduce this substantial amount of violence is to restrict such shows from broadcasting. However, this is a challenging alternative since many television companies have invested in the action movie industry. A suitable solution to the violence in television involves a close collaboration between the stakeholders in the entertainment industry to reduce the violent content in films, reality shows, and cartoon. These include scriptwriters, media house and producers of television shows (Signorielli, 2011). The excessive amount of aggression is pointless; people are already suffering from actual violence in different parts of the world. It is irrelevant to endorse commercialized versions of violence with the intention of increasing profit margins for media companies.

References

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Cooper, C. A. (2007). Violence in the media and its influence on criminal defense. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co.

Grønstad, A. (2008). Transfigurations: Violence, death and masculinity in American cinema. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. Bottom of Form

Signorielli, N. (2011). Violence in the media: A reference handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO.

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