Media Violence: Not the Real Culprit for the Problems of Society

Sue Waggoner

Professor Keene

English 1302

4 December 2003

Media Violence: Not the Real Culprit for the Problems of Society

Although the media can influence society in many ways, the media cannot be blamed for the actions of the public or eliminate the public's responsibility for the problems of society. Violence is a major problem in the United States. In any year, there are more murders in one of the major cities in the United States than in all of the British Isles combined. Media violence is a major issue with our lawmakers, especially those who are running for reelection. Violent behavior has always been an issue amongst politicians. Although the cause of violent behavior is a very complex issue, some people have wanted to find a quick fix to the problem. In the 1940s and 50s, comic books were named the number one reason for the rise in juvenile delinquency. Few thought about World War II or the fact that more children were being raised without a father (DotterWeich). In the 1970s, Congress instituted a rating system for movies so that parents could judge the amount of violence in movies before they allowed their children to watch them. Then in the 1990s the invention of the V-chip allowed to block television programs with sexually explicit or violent material (Kirszner and Mandell 564). The American Public has always tried to put the blame for violence on different kinds of media.

Many groups use television violence as an excuse to attack the medium. Because almost everyone in America has access to television, the use of it cannot really be regulated, and those who would like to control its use see TV as out-of-control and threatening. Women blame the prevalence of television violence on men, and religious groups claim that liberals foist...