Xmas Task 4

Video Games: A Cause of Violence and Aggression

"Children in their early teens found that almost a third played video games daily, and that 7% played for at least 30 hours a week." BBC

"When video games first came out, indeed they were addictive... however, there seems to be a strong correlation now between the violent nature of games these days and the aggressive tendencies in game players."

Our Appetite for Aggression

“Tell me what you eat and I shall tell you what you are.” So wrote Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, French politician and legendary gastronome."

"American children between 2 and 18 years of age spend an average of 6 hours and 32 minutes each day using media (television, commercial or self-recorded video, movies, video games, print, radio, recorded music, computer, and the Internet).”

"the media do more to shape young people’s attitudes and actions than do parents or teachers, thus replacing them as educators, role models, and the primary sources of information about the world and how to behave in it. "

"research has associated exposure to media violence with a variety of physical and mental health problems for children and adolescents, including aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence, fear, depression, nightmares and sleep disturbances."

"Hollywood and video-game makers not only failed to limit access by minors to violent games and movies but actually targeted children in the making and marketing of violent entertainment."

“Companies in the entertainment industry routinely undercut their own rating restrictions by target marketing violent films, records and video games to young audiences.”

“Any parent who goes out to the supermarket and shops for food for their kid wants to look at the can and know the ingredients. We don’t have a rating system that is content based, so we don’t know what we’re feeding our kids’ minds.”

“the media makes the world look a lot more violent than it is."

"The average child will see nearly 100,000 violent images in the media before he or she reaches the age of 18."

"Gurian notes that testosterone is an aggression hormone, and that boys can have 20 times the level found in girls. Because of this, and the way the male brain develops and is formatted, males are more attracted to violent imagery than females are. “Males likewise have more trouble controlling violent impulses,” he said, “which is even more reason for us to come to a better understanding of how the media affects little boys."

“We wouldn't give our children a drug just because they ask for it. It's still important for parents to say no.”

Video Game Effects—Confirmed, Suspected, and Speculative A Review of the Evidence

Negative outcomes include aggressive feelings, aggressive thoughts, aggressive behavior, physiological arousal, and desensitization, whereas positive outcomes include various types of learning. Multiple theories predict, and empirical findings reveal, that violent video game exposure is causally related to a host of negative outcomes and a few positive outcomes."

The Influence of Media Violence on Youth

"media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts."

"Media violence produces short-term increases by priming existing aggressive scripts and cognitions, increasing physiological arousal, and triggering an automatic tendency to imitate observed behaviors."

"Media violence produces long-term effects via several types of learning processes leading to the acquisition of lasting (and automatically accessible) aggressive scripts, interpretational schemas, and aggression-supporting beliefs about social behavior, and by reducing individuals' normal negative emotional responses to violence (i.e., desensitization)."

"Recent surveys reveal an extensive presence of violence in modern media. Furthermore, many children and youth spend an inordinate amount of time consuming violent media. "

Is Media Violence a Problem?

"Children’s exposure to violence in the mass media, particularly at young ages, can have harmful lifelong consequences."

"Media violence causes aggressive or violent behavior."

"Learning of aggressive behaviors and attitudes.” Media violence may not make children violent, but it may teach them that violence is a normal way of solving problems."

“Desensitization to violence.” This is the classic problem that horror movies face: Violence and gore may shock viewers initially, but they eventually become used to it. And heavy viewers of media violence may be less shocked by real-life violence."

“Fear of being victimized by violence.” Constant exposure to violence in the media may lead people to believe that violence is everywhere and that they should be afraid. Researcher George Gerbner has described this as “Mean World Syndrome.”

"viewing media violence is a catharsis which may actually help reduce aggression. Violent entertainment may offer viewers—especially young males—a way to explore their violent tendencies without hurting anyone."

Modern Warfare 2: 'No link between video games and adult violence'

“Younger gamers, typically under the age of eight, tend to be more influenced by games and what they see on screen."

Labour MPs clash over Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 game

"It's not about censorship, it's about protecting our children."

Does game violence make teens aggressive?

“Based on our results, I think parents should be aware of the relationship between violent video-game playing and brain function.”

Violence in Video Games and the Baghdad Massacre

"Shooting dogs, beating children and murdering innocent civilians are dwarfed by the amount of unmitigated evil game developers are having their heroes portray."

Gaming addiction: myth, medical condition or moral panic?

"Case studies provided a clear-cut argument against gaming and its negative effects. One boy followed the motto of “eat, sleep and play games” and had got kicked out of higher education, which subsequently meant he was damaging his relationships with his friends and family. Another study revealed the violent results of parents trying to gain control over an “addicted gamer”, the boy kicking a hole in his sister’s wall and becoming full of rage after his parents disconnected the internet. A screen shot of a game character was used to express this rage if the description wasn’t enough."

"that games do incorporate powerful psychological techniques to create a compulsion loop, but without these there would be no substance to a game."

Violence, War, and Call of Duty 4

"Is it a coincidence that the game came out in 2007, when in January that year an extensive BBC poll found that 73% of the global population disapproves of the war in Iraq?"

"The game even periodically presents quotes on the subject of war and violence (usually when you fail in the single player). Among them are Yassar Arafat: “Whoever stands by a just cause cannot possibly be called a terrorist.” Bertrand Russel: “War does not determine who is right - only who is left.” Erasmus: “War is delightful to those who have not yet experienced it.” And what is Call of Duty 4 but an experience - and therefore, a potential deterrence - of war? Whatever Call of Duty 4 may be, it is certainly not an advertisement for actually being in the situations it places the player. The atmosphere is tense at the best of times. Nowhere is safe on the battlefield as bullets sing through even the densest wall. Even the best player must die multiple times - what of the real life soldier? "

Call of Duty: Calling Off Violence in Video Games

"If we don't end war, war will end us." H.G. Wells must not have had violent video games in mind when he fashioned that quote, but the levels of aggression in war and video games is just the same. Some people have asked, "Are video games too violent"? The answer is yes, video games are much too violent, for they endanger the safety of other kids, they can affect a child's aggressiveness later on, and in our society, violence is on the rise. Violent video games are too violent and they must be stopped."

‘Think of the Children…’ Moral Panics in the Media and Videogames

"Violence in videogames have always been questionable since they become more advanced in graphics and portrayal."

Xmas Task 3

TASK 3

Castle Wolfenstein - 1981

In this you can see the use of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds for example of the arcade like music in the background. The use of this kind of music gives no impression of realism and therefore doesn’t have quite a serious impact on the audience when playing this game. However the use of dog barking, groans once being shot and doors opening does add to the diegetic sounds within the scenes. The graphics within the game are quite simple for example the floor which is all grey with no graphics of stones or any other textures. The walls are blue squares which is also unrealistic, however when enemies are shot, droplets of blood are shown to be coming from the dead bodies, although nothing gory such as blood on the screen comes out just to show how basic the game graphics are. A lot of arcade noises are used such as when power ups and other items are picked up from the dead bodies. The use of bright lighting doesn't really make the audience feel tense or add to suspense whereas modern games would contrast in lighting to have more of an impact on the people playing the game. The game is played through a POV shot which hasn’t changed over the years as it is quite a favourable shot. There are no voice-overs or any people in fact talking over the game play which has changed over the years as now games have voice over’s in order to narrate the game to the audience. There are no negative representations within the game and no representations of race and ethnicity which would cause controversy such as Arabs in modern day games. Instead the enemies are shown to be Americans due to the way they are dressed in suits and this therefore shows how 9/11 affected the way the ideologies of gaming institutions have changed in society. Now the use of Arabs, Germans and Russians are portrayed negatively and as villains. The game does not carry out a narrative which games now do and therefore does not make it such an effective game. The intention of this game is to follow the route of the maze and kill. Modern games now have narratives which make the game more enjoyable for an audience.

Xmas Task 2

TASK 2

Laughey, D, “Media Studies – Theories + Approaches”. (Harpenden, Herts, 2009). Kamera Books.

“Media Studies of moral panics emphasise t he social and legal consequences of widespread public exposure (via the media) to crime, violence and other societal, ethical or medical ills.”

“Major moral panics in recent times have centred on fears about paedophilia, AIDS, drugs, knife and gun crime, Satanism, the MMK (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and effects of video games.”

Williams, K, “Understanding Media Theory”. Euston Road, London, 2003). Arnold.

Lippmann

“Stereotypes are thus neither neutral nor fair, presenting the examination of differences within groups”

Cohen

“Cohen defines a moral panic as follows, a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values + interests; its nature is presented in a stylised and stereotypical fashion by the mass media.”

James Halloran

“We must get away from the habit of thinking in terms of what media do to people and substitute it for the idea of what people do with the media.”

UNKNOWN BOOK AT THE MOMENT (page 110)

“If something is repeated often enough it will tend to be believed and remembered.”

Clark, V, Jones, P, Malyszko, B, Wharton, D, "Media + Film Studies Handbook", (Kirby Street, London, 2007). Arnold.

"Many narratvies have depended on violence and it is clear that violence in fictions gives pleasure to the audience"

"Some research, such as Bandura's experiments in the 1960s, suggests that violent media texts encourage violent behaviour in the audiences but this is by no means conclusive"

"It is equally possible that violent media images serve a valuable function by providing audience with a vicarious outlet for their violent impulses. Occassionally, media violence is the subject of a moral panic such as the video nasties scare of the early 1980s."

Xmas Task 1

TASK 1

In the beginning it starts off with a white blank background with text being scribbled out in black. There’s a person talking over whilst the text is being scribbled out whilst using provocative and abusive language. You hear him say “If you think your government sponsored brutality intimidates me, you clearly don’t know anything about Dragovich “. It fades in and we are revealed to a person on his knees and in a composition where he is the focal point. The person is bleeding heavily and there are bruises all over his face to connote this. A Close up shot is used on his face to reveal the brutality of his bruises and we soon realise that he is the person be interrogated. There is a person behind him who is an interrogator and due to the shot it connotes that you are playing in the point of view of another interrogator. He takes a breather and then says “I have nothing to gain by talking to you”. The interrogator that you are playing breaks a window, and then picks up a piece of glass. He then says “think about what you have to lose”. He then places the glass into his mouth whilst the person behind him chokes him ensuring the glass is in his mouth and doesn’t try to s pit it out. Two punches are thrown at him and the interrogator reiterates, “We can do this all day – we got plenty of windows”. The person being interrogated suddenly begins to choke and starts spitting and spewing out blood onto the floor. He says “I’m already a dead man” but then begins to spill showing how the Americans used violence to successfully interrogate him.
They are all Americans and quite easy to notice due to their accents and the way they look. The person interrogated is represented as a victim and therefore the audience empathize with him. The interrogators are represented negatively due to the violence and brutality used when interrogating him, however the interrogators are in fact not villains and however using this amount of violence and force for a good reason, although the representations argue the opposite. The representations are not fair portrayals of Americans as they are solely not known to be violent and brutal and does not reflect society. It does challenge society and however in some ways does re-enforce the extents some Americans may breach in order to gain important information.
The primary audience is for 13 to 25 year olds whereas the secondary audience is 25+. In some advertisements it is shown to be a diverse game as everyone is playing the game, both young and old with a variety of different jobs. The narrative is quite violent and brutal which creates suspense and drama towards the audience viewing the following scene. It creates a moral panic as it effects young audiences and encourages them that this behaviour is acceptable with society. Some scenes in other countries have been censored in order to protect children from being affected. The hypodermic needle passively injects the media with the portrayals within the game hence making the audience believe it is good to carry out these following actions. It injects the audience with the idea that war and violence is an enjoyable experience and misrepresentations of race, gender and ethnicity are the correct portrayals within the game.
The fact that the Institutions are based in the USA creates the idea of how Americans represent and stereotype society in a particular way. It also creates the idea that violent games come to the UK and affect audiences more than expected then what it does in the USA. The increase in violent games post 9/11 along with the many inclusions of Arab ethnicities gives the impression of how the actions of 9/11 have changed the way society in America view other races and ethnicities.

Watch 0.50 to 2.20

Violence Theories

Video Games + Violence

"One would have to conclude that video games have always contained a high degree of violence, but just now are the realism and gore levels catching up to the level of violence in games."

"The violent video games are also the more popular games on the market" (Schutte et al. 1988; Funk and Buchman 1996; Quittner 1999)

Social Learning Theory

Catharsis theory

The Psychological Effects of Violent Media on Children

"Children who view media violence are more likely to have increased feelings of hostility, decreased emotional response to the portrayal of violence and injury that lead to violent behavior through imitation."

Playing Video Games: Motives, Responses and Consequences

Theories of Violence in the Media

Computer Games, Violence and the Effects theory

Audience Theories

Hypodermic Needle Theory

- Passively intake or inject the mass media's portrayal and tend to believe it.

- Draws attention to power the media producers have.

- Injected Audience > Passive + Powerless

Audience are injected with the idea that war + violence is an enjoyable experience and the misrepresentations of race, gender and ethnicity are the correct portrayals within the video game.

The "hypodermic needle theory" implied mass media had a direct, immediate and powerful effect on its audiences.
The theory suggests that the mass media could influence a very large group of people directly and uniformly by ‘shooting’ or ‘injecting’ them with appropriate messages designed to trigger a desired response.
The Hypodermic Needle Theory is therefore an effects theory that contends viewers are passive, and directly affected by what they view; people accept the message they see without considering its merits. In that way media content is shot at the audience like a magic bullet, directly penetrating the viewer' mind.

“it is the process of creating shared meaning.”(J.Baran, Introduction to mass communication).

“It views audience as the passive receptors of virulent viruses produce by the media” (Starker, Evil influences: crusades against the mass media).

Cultivation Theory

- Different groups/audiences respond differently to the media put before them.

- Audiences gradually develop certain views about the world, some of which are 'false'.

"The mass media are controlled by people who are in power in society, and therefore tend to provide representations which uphold the status quo."

- Audiences gain knowledge about world from media, recognises important role media has in our lives.

- Encourages news > crime watch feeds perceptions that Britain's Crime rate is growing.

They emphasize the effects of television viewing on the attitudes rather than the behaviour of viewers. Heavy watching of television is seen as ‘cultivating’ attitudes which are more consistent with the world of television programmes than with the everyday world.

Watching television may tend to induce a general mindset about violence in the world, quite apart from any effects it might have in inducing violent behaviour.

Gerbner argues that the mass media cultivate attitudes and values which are already present in a culture: the media maintain and propagate these values amongst members of a culture, thus binding it together.

Gross considered that 'television is a cultural arm of the established industrial order and as such serves primarily to maintain, stabilize and reinforce rather than to alter, threaten or weaken conventional beliefs and behaviours' (1977, in Boyd- Barrett & Braham 1987, p. 100).

Hawkins and Pingree (1983)

References

Key publications

Boyd-Barrett, Oliver & Peter Braham (Eds.) (1987). Media, Knowledge & Power. London: Croom Helm.

Condry, John (1989). The Psychology of Television. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Dominick, Joseph R. (1990). The Dynamics of Mass Communication. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Evra, Judith van (1990). Television and Child Development. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Gerbner, G., & Gross, L. (1976a). Living with television: The violence profile. Journal of Communication, 26, 172-199.

Gerbner, G., & Gross, L. (1976b). The scary world of TV’s heavy viewer. Psychology Today, 10(4), 41-89.

Hawkins R.P & Pingree, S. (1983). Televisions influence on social reality. In: Wartella, E.,

Whitney, D. & Windahl, S. (Eds.) Mass Communication Review Yearbook, Vol 5. Beverley Hills CA: Sage.

Livingstone, S. (1990). Making Sense of Television. London: Pergamon.

McQuail, D. & Windahl, S. (1993). Communication Models for the Study of Mass Communication. London: Longman.

Stappers, J.G. (1984) De eigen aard van televisie; tien stellingen over cultivatie en culturele indicatoren.Massacommunicatie 12(5-6), 249-258.

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