In the post before me, Jim quotes Gerbner who says “most people who decry violence on television are worried that all too-receptive young viewers will imitate aggression on the screen.” In 1956, Alberta Siegel conducts an experiment on twenty four children in nursery school. Half of the children watch a violent episode of Woody Woodpecker and the other half watch a non-violent Little Red Hen cartoon. The outcome was the children who watched the violent cartoon were more aggressive and isolated. I believe all types of media have a huge effect on how we act and view others. Gerbner says the idea of the “chances of involvement with violence, fear of walking alone at night, perceived activity of police, and general mistrust of people increase in relationship to how much television one watches. I believe this to be completely true while others disagree. For example, when I watch a good ghost movie my mind is more open to the fact that a ghost may be in my room when I go to sleep because my mind has been flooded with realistic images of ghosts that evening. Any other day I absolutely do not believe in ghosts and the thought that my house may be haunted is ridiculous. So my question is, if I watch ghost documentaries all the time, read true ghost sighting stories all the time, constantly bombard myself with ghost images will that change how I think about ghosts. That is why I believe continually saturating oneself with media will cause you to change how you think about violence, sex, or just walking alone at night. I also think the idea of Cultivation Theory also applies to real life and what you are surrounded by, product of your environment. What’s the difference between seeing violence on television constantly or seeing it in real life? I wanted to show you the Alberta Siegel experiment as my media but I could not find it so I choose to do this. Watch the clips below. See if you aren’t a little scared. Just a fun experiment!! See if you can relate these videos to Cultivation theory and how the emotions of being scared and aggressiveness (violent) are provoked the same way through video.
Ghost Crying
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW-oQ7HAB5U&feature=related
Girl In Car
In your blog you state 'I believe all types of media have a huge effect on how we act and view others.' and this could not be more true. From the clear cut examples to the underlying, and often accidental messages media has great power on shaping out thoughts. For example, media influences how people dress and how they look. If a celebrity is seen wearing a new type of pants or a new hair style, those pants will fly off the shelf or in a week everyone and their mother will have that hairstyle. This example is a big obvious and in your face but there are more subtle ways that the media shapes our lives. Like the political messages of bands, one may take opinions with a musician that has influenced their life. Also people strive for things that they see in movies, like romance or revenge, but people need to be careful and know where to draw the line between fiction and reality. Cultivation theory effects all of our lives in various degrees. Fictitious events, and celebrity culture seem to become subconsciously intertwined with reality.
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