Does screen violence influence people?Discuss.

 Screen violence has never produced a 100% link to other violence. So people say that it’s a little link to a big problem they feel that although it may effect children it is not the direct cause of trauma or stress- quite the opposite, in fact, it is felt that watching violence calms people and removes anger. One of the arguments against screen violence is that people don’t understand it. This, to many people, is not true because we have film censorship, which shows an understanding of violence and it’s effects.

        Lots of people however, feel that screen violence is wrong. One of the main arguments is that children learn from example. They see the favourite actors being violent and they try to emulate them Young boys play soldiers and karate fighters. They think that it is the norm for violence to be carried out. Even children’s toys can carry a violent message. Take Action Man, he carries a gun and encourages children to “destroy evil Doctor X”, this all proves that children mimic violence. They also emulate their hero’s in other ways like when David Beckham had his haircut, thousands of young boys wanted to have theirs cut too to try and be like him. In the same way people try and copy violence to be the same as their heroes.

People often see weapons as glamorous and think “if I had a gun then he would listen to me.” Violence and weapons boast self-perception; it makes them feel like they can take on the world. Movies say that violence can get you what you want so people try violence to get revenge or even to try and get something that others have. They see people get away with murders or kidnappings in the movies and they think that they can get away with it too. It is often felt that screen violence traumatises children, it makes them scared and they may feel that violence is the only way to protect them selves. Movies may have even caused a child to murder, as in the case of James Bulger where two ten year old boys murdered a two year old child because they had seen a ‘video nasty’- Child’s Play Three. People often argue that this is a direct link to video violence, although it was never proven that they actually watched the film. People say that it can be hard to tell the difference between acting and real life. Children are very impressionable and will believe 90% of what you tell them. They believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy so if they see something on the screen they might think that it’s the truth and that it really happens. They may then; go on to try and copy that or they may feel that this is what grown-ups live. Children remember what happened when they were younger and watching a violent movie may affect them for many years to come, for instance nine out of ten adults who were abused as young children go on to abuse their own children. This is how violence has affected them.

        So does screen violence affect people? I feel that it does. I think that any type of violence affects people in some way. It may not be straight away but maybe in a few years they will remember it and it will upset them. My opinion is that any form of violence is a nasty and horrific thing that we should all try to stop. When people die it is a sad and upsetting thing to happen. We should not be using such terrible things for our own entertainment. If violence does not affect children them why do they try to copy it? Why do they think that it is such an exciting thing? They think that it’s fun and that it is real life. I feel that people do not know the full consequences of screen violence and that is why it affects so many people.