I’m absolutely positive that if an individual were to demonstrate or display a clip of an act of violence, teenagers would be numb. Numb, meaning hardly a double glance and most definitely not a look of astonishment. The biggest concern is not their lack of surprise but their overall neutral reaction to the violence demonstrated. Most would go as far as to laugh. I’m a victim of this as well. This media has been in front of my eyes my entire life. I’m not blaming my parents, I’m blaming the normalities in this generation. Even children shows, like Teen Titans Go, are filled with violence. Mario Kart is violent. Yet, to others it does not appear grotesque in any way. So what makes the media violent and why are teenagers subjected to it? 

Cartoons have been around since the 1930s, the “Golden Age” of theatrical cartoons. Famous and beloved characters arose such as Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny. Children were now watching and imitating cartoons displayed on their own television. Yet, the issue wasn’t Mickey Mouse, but the many cartoons that followed which depicted violent scenes just to gain a laugh. Classic cartoons such as Looney Toons and Tom & Jerry featured the use of explosives, household items and the character’s own body to inflict harm on the other. Since there was no blood or trauma that came from the characters, the cartoon didn’t raise red flags toward any adult. The range of children shows that depict passive violence continues. Superheroes are adored and an inspiration to millions of children, but Batman doesn’t use his words to settle the dispute. 

Children in the United States spend an average of between three and four hours per day viewing television and studies have shown that over 60% of programs contain some violence, and about 40% of those contain heavy violence. Video games are also violent and harming the youth. Studies show that violent media acts as a catalyst for aggressive thoughts, angry feelings, and physically aggressive behavior. Children often imitate what they see on screen and even in their own lives especially when violence is present. An experiment in 1961-1963 featured an inflatable clown doll called the Bobo Doll Experiment. The experiment showed one group of children being exposed to adults attacking an inflatable clown and the other who saw a non-aggressive model of this. Children exposed to an adult attacking Bobo were far more likely to replicate those violent actions, proving that behavior is learned through social observation. 

The scream murder, a perfect example of the many flaws of violent media. The movie franchise, Scream, stars two psychotic killers whos characters remain hidden using a black gown and a voice manipulating device. Public outcry emerged when this fictional movie became a reality for a 16 year old girl named Cassie Jo Stoddart. On September 2006, in Pocatello, Idaho, the crime was committed by Cassie’s high school classmates. Brian Lee Draper and Torey Micheal Adamcik, who were teenagers at this time, were directly inspired by the horror movie franchise. Videos that had been taken that night by the young boys documented their plan to kill someone for fame and to fulfill the gruesome plot of Scream. 

Knowing this, why does media that is marketed towards children and adolescents include violence?  Research indicates that high consumption of violent media during childhood is a strong predictor of increased aggressive behavior in adolescence and adulthood, sometimes even if the consumption stops. It’s honestly concerning to see children/teenagers completely numb to the violence around them. No adolescent is immune to this growing epidemic. 

I watch violent media and play video games that include it as well. It’s hard to avoid. I believe the reason for this is because the violence displayed in shows and video games is supposed to be comedic and most likely more thrilling than playing chess with one’s grandparents. 

My question is how did violent media make its way into shows originally? My leading theory, early cartoons utilized violence to capture their audiences, a trend that naturally escalated into modern, more graphic content. I don’t necessarily think exposing children to violent media immediately indicates that yes, that child is a violent person. Yet this exposure might predict their next actions or responses to a conflict. 

Violence is inevitable, the world around us is a constant reminder of it. Yet, do children really need to be exposed to it at such an early age? Does this exposure make them more susceptible and aware of it however? These questions just depend on what someone may view as moral. Studies keep coming out as well as news articles portraying violence. At what point will our society connect the dots?