LO6 - Essay

 * ‘The content of digital media products makes people commit acts of violence.’ Discuss the statement based on digital media products you have studied.

Use contemporary examples and theoretical ideas to support your answer.

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Overall I believe that in some respect that media companies have some lenience over people's violent actions however I do believe that since people have full consciousness over their actions that it is down to them as individuals and how they have been taught right from wrong at a young age.

One reason I am against this statement is due to media regulations, in which I will be discussing age ratings on certain media products and how they restrict audiences. In terms of games, PEGI rate games based upon violence, gore, language and more, through this they can make it so only specific age groups are legally allowed access to these products, from this restriction audiences that shouldn't be allowed to view the content in certain games cannot view them so will not be able to become influenced by this, a clear example is with how most racing games such as Forza Horizon 4 are rated a 3 and yet games such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto are rated an 18 as if a child was to have access to these types of games, they may believe that it is okay to shoot and kill people outside of the digital world as most companies like to increase the verisimilitude of their games so that it seems more realistic. Away from games, in the film sector of media the BBFC age rate films based on similar categories as games, this is as in film, a lot of images shown are of real places and people, from this it makes the scenes seem like they are real life, this links to how many movies aimed towards younger audiences are animated or includ~appearances, an example is in the movie Space Jam which includes the Looney Tune characters added with CGI so that it doesn't seem real, this is so when elements of slapstick comedy occur when characters are hurt, it is overexaggerated so then it doesn't influence the younger generation to commit acts of violence.

Moreover I agree with the statement do to the cultivation theory on desensitisation in which proves how that progressing from the early 2000s, audiences have become more used to acts of violence, this means that they are more willing to view these graphic scenes and play violent games as it is in no way disturbing or shocking to them and since it becomes somewhat normal to audiences, it then becomes applicable to the live world in their eyes influencing them to become more violent in real life. A prime example is how when the game Grand Theft Auto was released, soon after followed a mass shooting and homicide by a " mentally ill young man", this young man being mentally ill was probably under the influence of some form of media and the likely suspect being this game as in the game the player is able to commit many crimes one including mass homicide, so from being able to this in game, this young man having a mental illness may have believed that it was acceptable to do in real life proving that violent actions from games and film carry over to real life with this younger generation.

Another reason I am against the statement is because a lot of good comes from media as it creates things such as fandoms and even in violent games and film, audiences build relationships with characters who are usually the protagonist and hold morality throughout the story, a prime example is with the Star Wars fandom in which people have build careers as theorists and prop makers, and in some cases like Disney they even have a theme park for it, this shows that the audience is not persuaded into violence even though like in its name it is centred around the concept of war and violence, this shows that it isn't necessarily the violence within the media product which influences violence and that external factors hold a larger influence. Perhaps instead of having a negative influence, in this case the media actually has a good influence as throughout all fandoms there is one common theme, it's the sense that people are coming together as a community and building friendships instead of diving it and starting conflict, in which we should use the power of the media in this case more as it is preventing people from becoming violent towards others so that we do not get instances like mass shooting in the future.