Week 2 1/12-1/16

Title: ‘Broad Consensus’ that Media Violence Can Lead to Increased Child Aggression
Link to source: here

 Citation: Locker, M. (2014, October 7). ‘Broad Consensus’ that Media Violence Can Lead to Increased Child Aggression. Retrieved January 15, 2015, from http://time.com/3478633/media-violence-children-study/

 

Summary:This article focuses on debunking the myth that violent media doesn't actually cause aggression in children. This has been an ongoing debate. Do violent video games and other forms of violent really affect children? This article explains the science and evidence behind the truth of how media really is a factor in aggression in children.

 Quotes:"This study dispels that notion completely by showing that, in fact, there is broad consensus that violent content can lead to more aggression."

“I think there’s a perception partly driven by the mass media that the field is divided,” said Bushman. “When they report on a finding that violent media produces aggression in children, to find a balance, they find someone else who disagrees with it. It leads to the conclusion that scientists don’t know about this topic and that the field is divided. But the field is not divided. There is broad consensus that violent media leads to increased aggression in children.”

 

 Reflection: With recent events, the world is debating over the effect media has on the world. Are the terrorists in France justified for defending their religion against the satirical magazine, or is media free to share the least censored of media? But media has other effects, and a previously popular debate was: does media violence affect behavior in children? This raises the question: what other effects does media have on society? The responses to this question are endless. Social norms, self esteem, protests and awareness, etc.  If media has such a strong impact on society that it can produce aggression in children, media can rewire the brains of children in other ways too. This should be used in a positive way. This significant impact is borderline brainwashing. Media is psychologically rewiring the brains of children, and that is a scary notion, along with the other negative aspects of media. Media's power and impact is becoming increasingly frightful.