2 - Emulating Violence: The Blurred Line between Fantasy and Reality

Today’s media envisions a world that fulfils fantasy and dreams. With such optimism comes a realisation that reality can reach greater heights, unaware that we are trying to reap more than we can sow. For the youth in particular, this blurred line between fact and fiction becomes even more ambiguous.

Violent snippets of gameplay in 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' that may be justified as themes of war but can be easily emulated; especially if the actions are accepted and 'ethical'

Children are likely to see 8,000 murders and at least 100,000 other acts of violence prior to leaving elementary school at 12 years (Huston et al., 1992). Murder is depicted as a normal outlet for the impulsive and emotional. Youths without a fully-developed sense of morality are at risk of emulating these fictional murderers, believing it to be justified because of the media's ambiguous acceptance of violence.

A fan-made trailer of Dexter. This shows the increased interactivity of viewers with new media, encouraging more participation and ownership of the video that can lead to a distortion of reality.

Dexter, a television series about a forensic investigator moonlighting as a serial murderer, focuses on the inner mind of a sociopath and his hunger for revenge-killing of criminals. This serial murderer-protagonist compels viewers to pity rather than criticise him as he struggles with his ‘dark side’.

A 17-year-old teen, Andrew Conley, reflected this very pitfall by murdering his younger brother, believing the hunger for killing existed within him. "Andrew stated that he watches a show called 'Dexter' on Showtime, about a serial killer," prosecutors said in an affidavit. "He stated, 'I feel just like him.'" [URL: "Prosecutors: Ind. Teen Felt Hunger To Kill".]

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and its portrayal of violence as pure entertainment. Fights and moves are easily emulated and problems seem to be solved in the wrestling ring.

However, this blurred line between fantasy and reality is often mediated by the media’s active role of censorship. A motion picture rating system classifies films based on suitability for audiences. In Singapore, the range of ratings from General (G) to Restricted-21 (R21) reflects the careful analysis given to each film before distribution. This will greatly reduce the young’s exposure to violent materials. Furthermore, warnings before television shows such as ‘Please Do Not Try This At Home’ directly draw the line between fact and fiction, emphasising that there is a difference between the virtual and physical world.

Still, ratings like Parental Guidance (PG/PG-13) remain the responsibility of parents. While parents are important role models to their children, differing views on effective parenting may provide a less than unified response to media violence. This will be further elaborated in the fourth post where perspective of media takes a turn for the better.

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References

Huston, Aletha C., Donnerstein, Edward,  Fairchild, Halford, Feshbach, Norma D., Katz, Phyllis A.,

Murray, John P.,  Rubinstein, Eli A., Wilcox, Brian L., & Zuckerman, Diana M. (1992). Big world, small screen: The role of television in American society. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

Tompkins A. , 2003, The Psychological Effects of Violent Media on Children, http://allpsych.com/journal/violentmedia.html Accessed February 14, 2012.