Media’s Effect on Violence: A Closer Look at Song Lyrics and Video Games
The media plays a large role in the violence in society. The media, such as television, music, computer and video games, the Internet are available to everyone all the time. People watch and listen usually oblivious to the messages the media is sending. There are two types of media that are usually violent, and not only are they affecting society, they are mainly affecting the youth. Music and video games are widely available and explicitly violent. This paper will show several examples of how music lyrics and video games affect society, especially younger people, in a violent way.
Video games have become increasingly common, especially among young people. Children are learning to play video games at the age of three. Adults play video games, too, but these games are usually geared towards children and teenagers. Although the video game demographic is very young, video games can be extremely violent. Most games promote fighting, weapons, and killing. This can lead to children thinking it is okay to fight, or even kill. “Typical games cast players in the role of a shooter, with points scored for each ‘kill'” (Senate committee, 2004, para. 31). A video game is a simulation of something that could happen in real life. If the simulation is of the person playing shooting cops and robbing banks they may be led to believe that this is okay in society. This behavior is fun in the game; therefore the player may go on to think that it is fun in real life.
Studies show that violent video games are readily available to children and teens.
Video game units are now present in 83% of homes with children (91a), with no socioeconomic differences in video game unit ownership…on any given day, 52% of children ages 8-18 years play video games (91a)…most of these games are violent; 94% of games rated (by the video game industry) as appropriate for teens are described as containing violence, and ratings by independent researchers suggest that the real percentage may be even higher (50a). Even among games rated “E” (appropriate for everyone), 64% were found to depict intentional violence (96a) (Huesmann & Taylor, 2006, p. 399).
Not only are video games available to kids, but the violence that goes on in these games can induce violence and aggression in the player. “Playing violent video games like DOOM or MORTAL COMBAT can increase the player’s aggressive feelings, thoughts and behaviors, both in laboratory settings and in real life…violent video games may be more harmful than violent television and movies because the games are interactive, very engrossing, and require the player to identify with the aggressor” (Muscari, 2004, para. 29). Anyone who is watching violence or experiencing it in a video game is going to be a little more aggressive and violent than someone who does not. This idea is supported by research. “In a review of 20 years of studies, psychologists at St. Leo University found that the gamescan trigger hostile behavior in kids” (S.N.H., 2006, para. 1).
There are several things that violent video games can affect. One study showed that playing violent video games caused changes in teenagers’ brain activity. “What we showed is there is an increase in emotional arousal. The fight-or-flight response is activated after playing a violent video game” (Violent video games, 2007, p. 10).
Video games are just one way that the media is affecting violence. Another way is music. It is easy to listen to music without really hearing it. Usually, the words of the songs float by without a second thought. Unfortunately, some of those words are violent. Some songs blatantly promote violence. These songs give listeners ideas of suicide, rape, theft, murder, gang activity, and drug use.
Rap, or hip-hop music tends to have very violent content. In “Can’t C Me” by 2Pac Shakur he mentions “real niggas fingers on nickel plated 9 triggas must see my enemies defeated…open fire now them niggas bleedin”. The song goes on about getting money, being on death row, getting high, then says “hittin bitches where it’s most needed. This shows that both rap and rock songs have very violent lyrics. Both Slayer and 2Pac are regularly listened to by adolescents. These are only a couple of songs that contain explicit lyrics. There are thousands more.
Hearing famous people singing about killing people causes the determination that killing people is okay. If someone can get paid millions of dollars to sing about raping girls or smoking pot, it questions the reason that these actions are illegal. These things that people are singing and rapping about are wrong and immoral.
Therefore, these songs are leading to a more violent youth. Kids are murdering their schoolmates, their teachers, and their parents. Much of the responsibility for these actions is leaning toward music. Dr. Frank Palumbo, a practicing pediatrician in Washington, D.C., testifies on behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics that music affects people. He states that music generates a lot of different feelings in its listeners, and if happy songs can make us feel good and think happy thoughts, violent songs can make us angry and think violent thoughts. (1999, para. 7)
Rap music is often geared toward gang related violence. The songs talk about killing people for the color of clothes they wear, doing drugs, and raping girls. When music gives kids these ideas it leads to problems. In the article “Violent Song Lyrics Encourage Aggressive Behavior in Children”, Debbie Pelley explains how a normal, friendly 13-year-old boy, Mitchell Johnson, changed after buying rap CDs. Pelley was his teacher, and three months after buying CDs by Tupac Shakur, and Bone Thugs N Harmony he and another 11-year-old boy killed four students, one teacher, and injured ten others at a school shooting. After the shootings other students began to come forward and tell the faculty that the boys had been listening to gangster rap music. They had been singing the lyrics, and some of the lyrics even spoke about murdering the kids at school. Pelley learned from students what music Mitchell had been listening to, and those students helped her find the lyrics online. She found that Mitchell’s favorite songs were filled with lyrics about killing and selling drugs (2000, para. 2-3). This goes to show that violent song lyrics can lead to actual violence. It plants ideas into vulnerable children’s minds, and some children may be weak enough to buy into these lyrics.
Heavy metal and other types of rock music also have a violent effect on society. The first line of “Mandatory Suicide” by Slayer is “murder at your every footstep”. The song goes on to speak about living a mandatory suicide, most of the lines in the song tell about getting shot. This is a typical heavy metal song. As reported by KCTV 5 News (2002), Kevin Gunby was charged in April of 2002 with the death of his on and off girlfriend Amanda Sharp. The newscast reports that Kevin strangled Amanda with a dog collar that she was wearing during sex. Her body was found in the trunk of Kevin’s car. Although there has been no mention of music as the cause of Kevin’s actions, it could have played a part.
First of all, the followers of rock music have a way of dressing. Amanda was wearing a dog collar because that was her style. Her style was developed from years of listening to rock music, and watching rock artists wear such accessories. It is possible that Amanda wouldn’t have been wearing the collar had she not been influenced by music. Also, as reported in the KCTV 5 newscast, Amanda supposedly enjoyed “rough sex” (2002) or violent sex. Rock music has a tendency to glamorize violent sexual activities. “Time magazine says: ‘Rock music has become a dominant–and potentially destructive–part of teenage culture. Lyrics, album covers and music videos, particularly in the rock genre called heavy metal, romanticize bondage, sexual assaults and murder'” (Jipping, 2004, para. 29). Although rock music may not be all to blame for Amanda’s death, it could have partly been a culprit. If Amanda had chosen to listen to a different type of music, this situation may have never occurred at all.
Our choice of music influences our lives, in many different ways. Most people who like a certain type of music have a tendency to associate with people who like the same kind of music. This happens especially in high schools. At high school age kids are easily influenced by their peers. Therefore, if the music has a negative effect on one person in the circle of friends, they may influence the other people in the group to think the same way. As I mentioned before, music sometimes influences our choice of dress. When you see a group of people who all like the same kind of music, they are usually all dressed in the same style of clothes. The music we listen to is a part of who we are. If we listen to light uplifting music, we are probably a light, uplifting person. If we listen to rap music that talks about selling drugs, we may be tempted to deal them as well. If we listen to depressing violent rock, we may be a depressed, violent person.
Music influences many things in our life According to Morrison, “In experiments on over 500 college students... subjects were found to experience an increase in aggressive thoughts after listening to songs with violent lyrics” (2005, para. 4).
These types of media are affecting society. With so many children being affected by violence this can cause widespread fear. Teachers are aware of the violence that children are being exposed to, which can cause them to have a fear of doing their job. Other students may be afraid to attend school for fear that one of their classmates is going to shoot them. For a student to hear a classmate singing or even listening to severely explicit song lyrics could cause fear. Another affect that this violence can have on society is the burden of overcrowded prisons. If there are more violent children and adolescents because of the music they listen to and video games they play, this could lead to more violent crimes being committed. This could in turn lead to more overcrowded prisons.
Society is being burdened by the violence that children are being exposed to. When one sees or hears violent content it desensitizes them to real life violence. This is causing a lack of concern for the violence in society.
In conclusion, media is greatly affecting violence in society. The only way to change this is to stop glorifying violence through the media, teach children that violence is bad, and reinforce good morals. Music and video games are damaging our morality and it will only lead to more violence.
References
Huesmann, L.R. & Taylor, L.D. (2006). The role of media violence in violent behavior. Annual Review of Public Health. 27 (1). Retrieved February 12, 2007 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=9&hid;=103&sid;=929bf62f-c1e4-49cc-9b15-e29dafaa11a5%40sessionmgr2
Jipping, T.L. (2004). Rap music leads to youth violence. Retrieved March 5, 2007 from Opposing Viewpoints Database (X3010153239).
KCTV5 news team. (Dec. 16, 2002). Teen accused in girl’s death goes on trial. KCTV5 News. Retrieved February 12, 2007 from http://www.kctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1051098
Morrison, B. (2005). Violent rap lyrics can encourage violent behavior. Retrieved March 5, 2007 from Opposing Viewpoints Database (X3010377227).
Muscari, M.E. (2004). Media violence causes aggression in children. Retrieved March 5, 2007 from Opposing Viewpoints Database (X3010032217)
Pelley, D. (2000). Violent song lyrics encourage aggressive behavior in children. In Bryan J. Grapes (Ed.). Violent Children. Greenhaven Press. Retrieved February 12, 2007 from http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/OVRC?vrsn=230&slb;=SU&locID;=cec&srchtp;=basic&c;=2&ste;=17&tab;=1&tbst;=ts_basic&txb;=violent+song+lyrics&docNum;=X3010032204&fail;=9&bConts;=9&printer;=1.
Palumbo, F. (1999). Violent music lyrics can harm children. Media Violence. In William Dudley (Ed.). Media Violence. Opposing Viewpoints Series. Greenhaven Press. Retrieved February 12, 2007 from http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/OVRC?vrsn=230&slb;=SU&locID;=cec&srchtp;=basic&c;=1&ste;=17&tab;=1&tbst;=ts_basic&txb;=violent+song+lyrics&docNum;=X3010153215&fail;=9&bConts;=9&printer;=1.
Senate Committee on the Judiciary.(2004). Media violence leads to youth violence. Media Violence. Louise I. Gerdes, Ed. Opposing Viewpoints Series. Greenhaven Press. Retrieved February 13, 2007 from http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/OVRC?vrsn=230&slb;=SU&locID;=cec&srchtp;=basic&c;=1&ste;=17&tbst;=ts_basic&tab;=1&txb;=violent+video+games&docNum;=X3010153233&fail;=64&bConts;=73.
S.N.H. (2006 February). Video game violence. Prevention. 58 (2). Retrieved February 12, 2007 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid;=101&sid;=02ef13e3-a3ba-428b-9e58-0b8efe2fc04e%40sessionmgr104.
Violent video games poison the teenage brain: study. (2007, February). American School Board Journal. 194 (2). Retrieved February 13, 2007 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=9&hid;=104&sid;=6552606d-3ee6-48e9-9cee-46f7dfc813f2%40sessionmgr102.
