Does Media Violence Cause Violence? Can exposure to Violent TV Shows, Movies and Video Games turn people Aggressive and Desensitized to Violence?

Abstract

The existing literature is indicative of the fact that violence has been rooted in the mass media like never before and with the growing advancement technological advancement children and adolescents spend considerable amount of time exposed to such violence through various sources of media. In order to address this growing concern, this paper analyses the impact of media violence exposure on the development of aggressive feelings, thoughts and behaviour in children and youth. The content analysis of TV shows, movies and video games as most commonly used sources of media have been analysed along with the studies that show rapid increase in violent behaviour after being exposed to virtual violence. It also explores the neurophysiological perspectives by analysing the consequences of exposure to violent media on adolescents’ brain through neuroimaging. Although limited research has been conducted in this field, but the empirical evidence demonstrates an alteration in the prefrontal mechanisms after exposure to violent media, that are responsible for controlling emotion and behaviour leading to aggression. Based on the current longitudinal research, it is also observed that excessive exposure to media violence makes the youth less emotional and desensitized towards real life violence which ultimately leads to aggressive behaviour and have negative long-term effects on the brain. Future research should integrate other risk factors and research paradigms in order to have a more comprehensive picture with continuous development in next generations’ media technology and changing horizons of violence.