What effect, if any, do you feel aggressive films have on society?

Question

Watch me asking this question on video here: http://uk.video.yahoo.com/watch/2678520/…

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

i think that they de-sensitise violence and the effects of violence.

in the movies, a man is punched violently in the face and bounces back for more. and more, and more. he keeps standing, whilst being repeatedly hit in the face. There is seldom much blood. Teeth stay perfectly "Hollywood" - shiny and overly perfect. His vision is seldom impaired. He fights back.

in real life, one hard blow can knock a man out. the swelling can happen quickly. blood will rapidly fill the face and eyes(the head bleeds quite severely), teeth are usually first to be bashed out. There is nerve damage to the face, and long-lasting repurcussions from the damage.
In severe cases, a very violent blow can cause the victim's neck to break, from the force applied to the head.

Answer 2

As with everything, the right kind of person can be influenced by almost anything. Films are just stories, which anyone is entitled to tell. The story may be a true story - in which case any tragedy has already happened, they may be purely fictional, but still are just stories.

I agree the impressionable, vulnerable, and weak minded few can be influenced by movies, much in the same way they will be influenced by radio adverts, newspapers and commercials. I think aggressive films are just one aspect. It's not necessarily more or less likely to affect people.

I believe that if there is any negative effect on society, it's probably making people relate more to the victim of an aggressive movie - not the aggressor, and society on a whole will turn into the benefit claiming, uneducated, sheltered weak minded individuals we are now. In short - people take comfort in being the victim. It's easier, you get more support, and you don’t have to do as much as the villain.

I'm off to play GTA4 followed by some reasonable, well balanced non aggressive living :)

Answer 3

As everyone knows, it's very hard to distinguish what is the cause and what is the consequence - are films more aggressive and violent because society has become that way? Or does the constant violence and aggression portrayed in the media fuel sensibilities?

Basically, where there is peace, there is fighting. Violence is part of the human psyche. Some act on it, some can contain it. But we all need outlets. Film is an outlet for an angry world. Anger is bred from fear. We live in a world of constant fears, partly spurred on by the media.

I have watched violent films and more often than not, they are violent to actually portray how awful it is, how demonising it is. It is so we can react against it, not commit it. Video games are a little more sketchy. For those who play it and aren't stable enough in mind and morals not to committ violence can be influenced. I have played many a violent game but am not an aggressive person. I never will be. I know the difference between reality and fantasy.

On the other hand, I know people who never play video games or watch violent films but are the most bad tempered and aggressive people I know - terribly so.

This world is suffering from an epidemic of aggression. With a planet of 6 billion people fighting for survival, we have lost respect for life and peace. The more people you have, the higher ratio of uneducated and ignorant people as well. Those people are likely to be extreme and therefore aggressive. That is not always the case.

Pacifism doesn't work in a practical way. The world is all about war - who has what weapons, who has more power, and these are all elements of aggression. We live in a bullying environment. Look at Tibet.

Aggressive films can effect those who are hot headed and that is not good. But others will also be appalled. Violence for the sake of violence is absolutely abhorrent, such as the Saw films - gore fests that do nothing for society, do nothing for humanity and are cheap experiences. Films like that should be discouraged. But films that depict violence because there is a point, such as war and conflict and repression etc, or because the society represented is brutal, i.e Ancient Rome in Gladiator, is fair enough.

But too many films go over the top for no real reason. This only reflects the society in which we live. I wouldn't deny anyone to watch gore fest movies like Saw if they aren't aggressive themselves, but it does make one wonder why human beings want those images in their head just for the heck of it?

Answer 4

I think this is a massive question, and one without a simple answer. My personal opinion is that the media is an easy scapegoat to apportion blame to, for example in the case of the Columbine school shootings much was made of the fact that the killers listened to Marilyn Manson and watched 'violent' movies.
There have been countless studies conducted in an attempt to show the effects of aggressive & violent movies on society, with vastly differing results. Some studies have found that violence in movies can reduce an aggressive drive in a person, while others have concluded that films have played a direct role in shaping criminal careers.
I certainly agree that children should be restricted from viewing certain types of film, as their moral & social reasoning is not as developed as an adult's, and therefore they may not fully appreciate the consequences these aggressive acts carry. However it is also interesting to note that children's cartoons are least likely to show the outcomes & consequences of aggressive behaviour.
Good question Greg, and one which will continue to be debated for years to come.

Answer 5

I don't watch very violent films myself as I don't enjoy them. However, if a 'bit' of violence is essential in the context of the plot, ie it is realistic, for example in the context of a war film, that is fair enough. Sadly, it is the reality that there are weak minded people or people with psychological/emotional problems in Society who can't differentiate between the violent world portrayed in the movie and reality. A small minority are influenced into mass killing or lower level criminal/unsocial behaviour by very violent films portraying very aggressive behaviour as 'cool'. When it is shown, it should be within a context and reflect reality.

Answer 6

Society is becoming more and more fractured and with the breakdown of the family unit, there are thousands of ferral children wandering the streets getting into gang culture, violence, drugs etc. Aggresive films serve as a fuel to the fire of these kids who are increasingly carrying guns and knives. It dehumanises violence and even glamourises it. I think there is room for violence in films if used contextually and filmed cleverly enough to show the impact without the graphic blow by blow. Let's remember a lot of these kids are not that bright and may be easily influenced. There are also a lot of nutcases out there that may get ideas from these type of movies. Another thing to remember is that even though they are rated, once they are out there as dvds, children with older siblings are getting to watch them. Who knows how this is affecting them? We need to take responsibility and not just think about the money!!

Answer 7

I don't care what effect your film has on 'society' - it is the effect on the individual that concerns me.
Everything you watch opens your mind to new experiences, new possibilities, new pathways in the brain. We are wired to make new connections according to our experiences - it is how we evolve, we can no more prevent this than we can stop breathing.
We are unique in our history in that we have the ability to convey an experience almost exactly as someone else imagines it- instead of how we might imagine it using our past memories. Films are a terribly powerful method for expanding the mindset of a generation - and their potential has barely been scratched.

Answer 8

When a child grows up with films depicting various forms of violence over the growing years, (particularly the teen years) it does enter the sub-concious and builds continuously. It is exactly a form of indoctrination of the mind. Once grown into adult-hood it lays dormant until something stimulates that stored mental agression. Most often in society this will be when under the influence of alcohol and the violence is brought into action by merely a remark taken the wrong way for instance. Instead of a civilized reaction, a disproportionate agressive response will occur and likely include physical violence.
It is equally true that if a child grows up without television or seeing said films, again, especially during all of the teenage years, the adult will be much calmer in any 'provoking' situations, as well as more intelligent and alert.
In principle television as a whole (and films) behaves with the effect of a mild drug and over 10 - 15 years will have a permanent affect on the mind and intelligence of the individual. It erodes the ability to reason with logic.
I do not advocate abolition of television or any of the media however, but merely make the statement that television, films of violence and other programmes depicting violence do have a detrimental affect in the long term from child to adult. How a parent or guardian deals with it regarding their offspring is a matter for them. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Answer 9

Aggressive films, have the same effect upon society as any other form of aggressive behaviour. Films, dramas, news and probably most of all, computer generated war games, are all conduits of violence that society is subjected to every single day. Individuals who have a propensity for violence will have it regardless of whether they watch violent movies or not. We can't say that they don't have an affect, however, no more than any other film of any other genre. If we blamed films for violent behaviour, then we would have to blame them for wars, teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol addiction and every other unacceptable form of behaviour.

Answer 10

The Hypodermic Syringe theory would suggest a great effect on society. Long story short it basically suggests that the audience of any form of media is passive, and will therefore believe and/or act out whatever they have experienced in a text. This theory was used as a reference in the Jamie Bulger case and as an explanation for the Columbine High School tragedy. However it's never been proven with any viable evidence, and personally I don't agree with it.

Now another media theory is the Uses & Gratifications theory. This applies to a wide range of media issues, but for this particular problem, this is what it would suggest: As well as taking into consideration the effect of peers, this theory suggests that a media text can influence someone into actions if they exhibited tendencies towards the behaviour in the first place. For example, if someone already harboured murderous tendencies then went out and watched a particularly gory slasher movie, it could spur them on, so to speak. Likewise anyone with depression and suicidal thoughts watching a depressing film. Note use of the word "could", this is by no means a black and white response that anyone with a murderous thought would act out, it's simply the idea that it's likely agressive films could have an effect on an individual.

Source(s):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypodermic_needle_model

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uses_and_gratifications

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audience_theory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_influence

NB: I didn't actually use wikipedia as my source, I just thought these links were handy further reading...

Answer 11

"Society" is too large a group for me to comment on. Also it depends on the intention of the person displaying aggressive behaviour. Actually I don't think the question is worded very clearly as only people can display aggressive behaviour, a film cannot be aggressive. Speaking for myself, I chose not to watch violent films as it upsets me, I feel sickened by act of brutality and violence. If I unexpectedly come across any violence in a film I fast fwd because I cannot even stomach the sounds associated with brutality.

Answer 12

I think the problem only really exists if the child or adult involved, is lacking a solid role model or a group of people they look up to and respect their views.
If they don't have this role model, or means to differentiate right from wrong then whatever their morals are at that point, they can easily be warped by exposure to outside influences of any kind - and therefore led astray - unless it is simply in their 'makeup' to begin with.

Alcohol and drugs being involved may also lower their inhibitions enough to copy what they see.
I do feel there should be tighter restrictions on the availability of '18' certificate films and video games - possibly having them available behind the counter only.
I also feel the same material should be regulated by 'age verification' software on sites such as 'youtube' so that a child cannot bypass this safeguard easily.

There is the argument that by putting restrictions up, it makes the material that much more attractive - but there has to be some middle ground that provides a deterrent or we have chaos.
Alternatively if you remove all violence from films altogether, you have no means to describe the difference between light and dark, good and evil - everything becomes bland, and suddenly our freedom of expression is gone!

No simple answer, but life never is that simple.

Answer 13

Aggressive films probably are only most problematic in youth, since they can lead to kids getting the wrong idea about some issues and they can be lead to believe that Aggression and Violence is normal even though the majority of Aggression shown is meant to depict the extremes of situations to entertain viewers. In Later life however, Aggression is better understood as Adults can perceive that these situations don't just happen to everyone and they can better empathize with the people involved. Apparently Kids lack the more developed empathy that Adults develop during adolescence. Still it always comes down to our own opinion on what is acceptable. Though slightly off topic, Behavior in youths seems to have deteriorated in a similar trend as aggression and violence became more and more acceptable in normal everyday life. Though I can only comment on UK first hand, it does seem to becoming more apparent everywhere as more and more problems arise, still I suppose films aren't the only problem, I mean it always depends on ones own experiences and what happens in their life. Anyways, Thats enough from me...

Source(s):

General Observations...

Answer 14

I think that a number of people are affected directly by watching such films. I am not an aggressive person, but love motor racing, and I become aggressive on the track and get an indreneline rush, to a certain extent, I get such feelings from watching motor racing, so maybe it is a similar effect. Unfortunately, those so affected, inflict futher damage to innocent citizens. I think the majority are not affected to any great extent

Answer 15

Aggressive films at the end of the day don't promote any acts committed by the individual watching it or any part of the film that is aggressive. Its not like they're saying "Hey watch this and then try it yourself."

Its up to the viewer to take control of any impulse they have of replicating what they've viewed. Weak minds are easily penetrated by violence or any acts of civil disobedience. Tortured minds are twice as likely to be influenced to commit crimes when exposed to aggressive media.

so its really the viewer who should be careful about what they watch. the blame should not fall on the film makers or anyone else.

Answer 16

I always think that people will take films as real life and get mixed up with what is fact and fiction. I think also the people that dream up all these aggressive films, video games etc etc must be affected by the mind set that they must possess to write the aggression down in the first place.

What causes aggression in society is bad parentage, example a car hire shop in Drogheda was broken into and over €400'000 worth of damage was done, the guards caught a 10 yr old and a 16 yr old, when they confronted the parents they were told to "feck off" and also "prove it" the 16 year old had over 28 offences prior!

Source(s):

So No I don't think films have an affect on society as a whole, but the minority will always blame someone!

Answer 17

Not much. Someone somewhere will see a message in any film, though just as many will ge a message from TV, the radio or the words of a pop song.

If the effect were true then musicals would make us sing all day long. Cowboy films may have had us pretending to be John Wayne, but generally you did not see an increase in the number of horses being ridden to work as people adopted the lifestyle

Some films reflect the society around them - in which case society is already violent

Others tell a fictional story and use violece as a way of adding to the tension or providing a climactic scene.

The effect of violence in films is exaggerated & targetted my politicians because they can control films but cannot control real life.
Newspapers go along for the ride 'coz it's easier than taking their share of blame for violence in society.

Answer 18

I think it depends on the individual.
If your personality is somehow predisposed to violence, or if violence and anger was part of your daily life when you were a child, then, aggressive and violent films/games have a tendency to show you how you can 'out-do' yourself and or friends.
They would bring an 'insight' into more effective ways of 'defeating' the 'enemy'.
This is why you would see kids on the street thinking that it's 'funny' to see 2 dogs fighting, or why they would try to intimidate other people on the street.
If they are exposed to violence constantly, then they become de-sensitised to low levels of violence.

Answer 19

i dont think it makes a difference at all, films are not to blame for violent tendancies, its just typical life these days its so bad, every time you turn the news on its nothing but attack after attack and stabbings reported often for very little reason.

its just gotten out of hand, the anger people have and way they behave, it will only get worse, its the fact that they know they can get away with it, i dont think yrs ago, people would just stab or attack someone in a busy street in broad daylight, yet its not surprising at all to hear this happens all the time these days.

i am glad i grew up in the 80's knowing what the violence on the streets is like these days with the whole happy slap attacks/teenage gang attacks, hoodie attacks, etc (although still young now) i would not like to be a very young person growing up in these times.

Source(s):

personal experience

Answer 20

Yes I feel strongly that visual impressions can put an inprint into less stable mind sets. There are people more susceptible to reacting from stimulii than others. It is a natural course that people learn by what they see. The younger they are, and the less in control of themselves, then I feel these are vulnerable people who can easily be swayed to re-enact things seen, especially if under the influence of a mind altering substance (drugs, alchohol etc.). Also people who have been mentally disturbed at a younger age might be liable to take on what they see within a film and feel enthused to try it out. Violence is on the increase, but so is population. What is seen today by a younger audience would not have been acceptable or tolerated in the previous decades. The margins have moved, and boundaries and as a result, so has the youth's mind set of today. It is the same with paedeophiles. They are able to access things to feed their problem, and likewise this has increased and blown the situation to the magnitude it is today. Feed a susceptible mind with its weakness and see the results. It would take a fool to not see what media has done to enrage the world today. Not only films, but computer games, TV dramas/soaps etc. Music even. It all has its effect. Seriously, it does. Why on earth can one not see something so damn obvious !? Just think about it, look at statistics, research all said above and your will see it is correct.

Answer 21

I think aggressive films have a big effect on society because they remove the real element of violence. I work as a night worker in a city centre hostel and have seen quite a lot of aggression outside due to nearby night clubs, and have dealt with a few potentially dangerous situations in my job. Whether it is due to alcohol, films, video games or a combination, I don't know. But there have been situations outside where I work that have involved murder.

People don't always realise the damage and harm that can be done, even if a situation is nothing more than a slanging match.

Answer 22

How can anyone be positive and helpful in this life if all the information we are 'fed' is negative, aggressive and violent?

Everything we read, hear and see causes an effect ~ as people grow as individuals and as a society, we accept that this is 'normal' or even acceptable behaviour because it is so often in our face....we have already become numb to it. Those in circumstances of pain or pressure then don't think it's so bad to lash out instead of dealing with life's difficulties in a peaceful intelligent manner.
Not everyone has an ideal upbringing or born with the sense of right and wrong......watching this bombardment of mentalist behaviour can sway people's judgement.
Not to mention that the violence in films or news on TV gets progressively worse ~ to cause a reaction, to grab attention, to get people to watch.

This world is going to the scrap heap and people in the film industry are a large contributor.

Personally I've chosen to not watch any film containing violence ~ I choose what I want to read in the news.

Some people want to live their life out as it could be in a movie.......sadly there are so many films that cause a negative effect....it's easy to choose the wrong one.

Answer 23

I would say that it depends on the aggression depicted in the film. Aggression in itself is a natural if basic instinct in our species neither good nor bad. Both positive and negative effects can be generated from aggresive films. I think it is the actual morality of the characters and film, the ends to which the aggression is used, the age/ mental health of the viewer and the subsequent message recieved from the film which defines the major effect. But yes, I do think we are swamped with too many films depicting mindless aggression and violonce, which in the long run cant be productive towards acheiving a more peaceful society

Answer 24

This question is somewhat overgeneralised. Society is often perceived as a whole. However, the fact is that society is made up of individuals that may, or may not, be classifiable into different social groups. Aggressive films impact differently on individuals depending on factors such as upbringing, mental state and peer group relations. The underlying complexity addressed by this question cannot and should not be answered with generalisiations about society. The difficulty is that there are individuals who may be easily influenced by aggressive films, which could possibly fuel an already existing predeposition to violence. However, the other end of the spectrum is that some individuals may not be affected at all. Research could possibly shed light on what effects lie inbetween.

Answer 25

Some may feel that aggressive films influences people's behaviour particularly those who are easily influenced. Some may observe the actions of a character in a film then imitate because it satisfies subconscious desires, make them feel in control or simply give them attention they crave.

On the other hand, aggressive films may have cathartic effects that allow people to release anger simply by watching the behaviour as oppose to actually acting it out themselves - just as people use sports or other activities to 'let off steam'.
However, it could just wind them up even more.

It would be reasonable to suggest that it all depends on the individual. Some are more prone to being influenced by things they observe than others.

Personally, I enjoy watching aggressive films... it doesn't make me want to go out and hurt someone afterwards though...

Answer 26

Sociological evidence suggests that children know the difference between video games, violent films and reality. Whether I believe that or not I'm not sure. However, I feel that young people in general are considerably more influenced, and harmed, by the suggested behaviour patterns within the more acceptable "entertainment" that we see every day. I have seen far to many young girls and boys being extremely rude and hurtful to their peers and elders, in all manner of situation, only to come out 'on top' with what they desired initially at the end. This is suggesting to young people that if they are unpleasant in the extreme, they will always get what they want. Then these children grow into adults, the true impact of which we have yet to see. However, I'm quite sure that the consequences will not be good.

Answer 27

Well, all I know is that 'feel good' movies can have exactly that effect on movie goers, as can comedies - I have come out of the cinema after watching either of these genres feeling great... as for violent movies... they do nothing for me, but I guess if a person has a tendency to violence that the 'aggressive genre' of movies could well bring out that side of a person's character.. having said that, I still feel that most people can watch a violent movie without coming out of the cinema with the purpose of creating mayhem...

Answer 28

The effect a violent film has is the same effect a musical, comedy or mystery film would have in so much as it entertains or bores depending on how well it has been directed, written and acted.

I refuse to believe that violent films encourage violence, I love musicals but have never started dancing/singing in the street, I adore crime movies but they have never tempted me to try and commit the perfect crime.....a film is a film, human beings are responsible for their own actions and if they commit a crime after seeing a film then they would have commited that crime anyway regardless...cinema has only been around for just over 100 years and crime was in abundance before then but now it seems crazy to think people used to blame the racy victorian novel for the upsurge in killings, in another hundred years people will laugh at the idea that films were thought to prompt real-life violence.

Source(s):

common sense

Answer 29

A society of freedom doesn't need censorship, this isn't 1984.

I believe violent media can have an effect on people. After all, the whole purpose of film is to evoke an emotional response from the viewer, so it must affect you in some way to be effective, however temporary that feeling is.

That said, films aren't going to make you a murderer anymore than Superman 2 is going to give me the power to fly. And besides for the violent stuff, there's an age rating for a reason. To stop kids watching stuff beyond their level of maturity and ability to handle what they see.

Parents who capitulate and buy their kids films and games way beyond their age disgust me, as they're the same ones who are the first to complain about the violence, did they even read the box/ watch the trailer?

We as adults have the right to choose, no one is forcing you to pay through the nose to see a film at the odeon, so respect my right as a consumer and don't cut SAW down to an episode of the teletubbies (because that would make me go on a killing spree:)

Answer 30

The effects are at a number of different levels.

Firstly, there is the physiological effect on the viewer. I know from my own reactions that some scenes of violence will effect my heart rate. There's a psycho-physiological link that means what we see and hear has an effect on unconscious biological processes. It's an effect useful in an evolutionary sense, which means we can't turn it off just because we're in the cinema.

In a broader sense there is a desensitising effect. The more we see something the more we become accustomed to it. This means the strength of our reaction reduces over time. Again, from an evolutionary perspective, why waste energy running from / fighting something that is not dangerous. In the medium and long term the physiological reaction to the film stimulus is reduced. However, by this time we've become desensitised to the concepts portrayed in the film - so death and pain no longer mean the same to us.

As a society we then collect more and more individuals who consider scenes of terrible violence as the norm. It would be surprising if this did not result in more violent behaviour. Acts of violence may not be attributable to a specific film, except in the sense that a particular event may be copied. I know that sound's odd, but... For the violent act to be committed the individual would already have been predisposed to violence by their previous experience.

Before we blame all this on films we need to look at the whole picture. This means personal experience (a brutalised childhood perhaps), TV with police chase shows ending in gun shot, news broadcasts with video of war , newspapers, violent music, etc. These things don't just operate at the concious level, but also at the unconscious.

So, do violent films have an effect? I believe they do, but so does everything else in society. If we want to reduce the violence then film is not the only thing to look at. There's all the media that would need to be moderated, plus social injustice issues that provide some motivation for a person disposed to violence to commit a violent act.

Would removing violence from mass media help - probably. Would the effect be instantaneous - no. Could other factors in society also be significant - yes. Will there be a coherent drive to reduce the violence in films - unlikley.

Source(s):

Decades of life, and some academic education in psychology.

Answer 31

I think the results or effects depend much upon what statement if any is made by the work of art, upon the use of violence or aggression.

Simply reflecting the aggression that already exists in human behaviour does not make a person more aggressive. If any effect is derived, this depends on the response of the person to the disply of aggression.

Source(s):

For another look on aggression in animals and humans, read On Aggression, by Konrad Lorenz