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Immortal Goat · #1

This debate came up in school today, and I would like to know people's opinions on it. We were discussing whether or not mass media (such as movies, TV, music, or video games) could affect the minds of teenagers and younger into doing things that they would not normally do.

Surprisingly, many people thought that it could. Many people brought up music, saying that lyrics ABOUT suicide could CAUSE someone to commit it. Others said that, for example, the horrible incident at Columbine High School happened because the kids played a lot of DOOM.

I did not agree with these viewpoints, seeing as how I listen to depressing music, play violent video games, love violent movies, and watch NYPD Blue on a regular basis, and I have not committed suicide, killed anybody, or even assaulted any human being.

What are your opinions?

AChimp · #2

There is no influence, IMO, and even if there is, there's no way to prove it, and here's why:

The relationship between something like "committing violent acts" and "watching violence on TV" is purely correlational rather than causal. You can't say that violence on TV causes people to commit violent acts in real life, because correlation is a two-way street. It could be just as likely that people who have a violent temperament are drawn towards watching violent television.

The faggots who say that "TV made my kids do it, so I'm gonna sue you" can't face that fact that their kid may have been a rotten apple to begin with.

FS · #3

I typed up a huge reply to this post at first, then realized I totally lost sight of the point I was trying to make. Thing is, I find it hard to pick a solid statement on this issue.

I used to totally dismiss the influence of TV, movies, video games, song lyrics and other fiction (hereafter to be referred to as "fiction) on violent crimes, but that's kind of like sticking my head in the sand. When I see a violent movie, I might get in an asskicking mood. I don't go out and punch somebody. I get over it or play a video game. Obviously, there are people out there not properly able to distinguish the line between make-believe and reality.

I should think that such a mechanism is developed at a relatively early age (sometime after a child grows out of the me-me-me phase). And that the people who do not develop this mechanism either suffered a traumatic childhood or have a specific mental disorder. It'd be great if we could equip these people with devices that automatically switch off TVs, eject CDs and cause books to spontaneously combust whenever they come within ten feet of them, but fact is, we don't know how to detect these people.

A person who might be inspired by fiction to commit a murder at a certain time or in a certain way, might've committed that murder with a different weapon or a week later if they hadn't come across said fiction. Maybe they would never have committed it at all if they had been deprived of fiction their entire life. I don't see how that puts fiction at fault. You can't track it down to the source. Maybe what really set them off was seeing a fight happen down the street. Or seeing daddy play around with his guns like they're sleek and cool gizmos instead of dangerous, deadly firearms. Or something more fucked up. I think that once you've crossed the line of being ready to kill someone, all bets are off. You could pick up a shotgun because your favorite action hero uses one. There's bound to many circumstances that cause a kid to shoot up his school, but one thing I am sure of - it wasn't just playing Doom.

A guy like Joe Lieberman seems to think he can decrease the chance of violent crimes committed by children by banning videogames. I'm sorry, but if you live in a country where people with children sometimes don't even take proper care of where they leave their guns, is there any point? It's like trying to keep a sinking ship afloat by mopping up the water that's flowing in.

kahljorn · #4

I could see how the influence of suicidal lyircal music has an effect on people, except rarily does a band member actually commit suicide.

Immortal Goat · #5

Man, now I miss Kurt Kobain. Thanks a lot, Kahljorn!

Emu · #6

I think it depends more on the person than the music. For example, listening to Black Sabbath might want to make one person kill someone. Why? Who knows. On the contrary, listening to a band like The Backstreet Boys makes me want to kill The Backstreet Boys.

El Blanco · #7

I agree that it is more about violent people making violent music than vice versa. However:

Guys, why do we play Barry White when a girl is coming over? It may not cause sex, but it is certainly going to let her know what we're thinking and hopefully push things in the right direction.

Its the reason I listen to heavy metal and such during my workouts. It gets my mind going in that direction.

While violent movies, music, and video games aren't the cause of these acts( that is always with the purpetrators), they are at the very least warning signs.