Does modern media observe society and replicate it, or does the media lead society and change it over time? This is a question which in today’s media reliant society is becoming ever more relevant. Few people will have failed to notice that the media in all it’s forms has penetrated our daily lives providing us with valuable information, for the most part this is a useful addition to our lives. But the media also has a darker side; it’s not just useful information that we receive, we are also bombarded with thousand of violent and graphic images. The average child watches around 8,000 televised murders and 100,000 acts of violence before the age of 11 with that number doubling by the time the child reaches age 18.
The effect of these violent images on society, particularly its younger members is unknown but it is thought to be detrimental. The argument for this is that if TV executives can encourage companies to spend thousands on 30-second commercials because they can influence consumer behaviour, than surely programs filled with violence which last longer than 30 seconds can also influence social behaviour.
A study by Eron and Rowell Huesmann found that children who watched significant amounts of TV violence at the age of 8 were consistently more likely to commit violent crimes or engage in child or spouse abuse at 30. They concluded "that heavy exposure to televised violence is one of the causes of aggressive behaviour, crime and violence in society.
In our increasingly violent societies it is easy to blame increasing media violence for the surge in violent crimes. The counter argument is that the breakdown of the family unit and lack of morals exhibited by people today that is to blame . Although there have been many studies into the precise effect of the media on society the true effect is unknown. The cause of violence may never be identified but should society still allow young and vulnerable members to be exposed to such violence?
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