Violent Scenes Trigger Aggression
In the News (from Iowa State University): “The Media Violence Commission’s research-based report concludes that the research clearly shows that media violence consumption increases the relative risk of aggression, defined as intentional harm to another person that could be verbal, relational, or physical. …
“In their report, the commission wrote that aside from being sources of imitation, violent images — such as scenes in movies, games or pictures in comic books — act as triggers for activating aggressive thoughts and feelings already stored in memory. If these aggressive thoughts and feelings are activated over and over again because of repeated exposure to media violence, they become chronically accessible, and thus more likely to influence behavior. …
“While most public policy has focused on restricting children’s access to violent media, the commission found that approach to have significant political and legal challenges in many countries. For that reason, it recommends putting efforts into improving media ratings, classifications, and public education about the effects of media on children.
“‘Improving media ratings really has two pieces. One is that the media ratings themselves need to be done by an independent entity — meaning, not by an industry-influenced or controlled system,’ said Anderson, himself a leading researcher of the effects of violent media on children. ‘They need to be ratings that have some scientific validity to them.’”
My Comment: Since these media are beneficial to many, it is much more difficult to ban them in our society than smoking. The environment forms a child, but even parents cannot talk in the organized manner against the media that destroy their children and all the efforts of parents to instill good education. Are WHO and UNESCO opposed to these media? Did anyone put forward such proposals in the UN? There is one answer—we cannot resist such media because we ourselves are no different!
According to Kabbalah, a person never commits his own acts, but only what society, his surroundings, his environment, dictate to him. That is why by choosing the environment, a person completely determines his actions, which are the result of the influence of the environment. That is, one can determine his actions only through the environment in which he exists. And his free will is only in choosing the environment. (See Baal HaSulam, “Freedom of Will”)
[97096]
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Cruelty Breeds Cruelty
The Media Is A False-Bottomed Case
The World Is In Danger
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I vehemently appose the “chronic” watching of television/movies; in particular, those with formulaic plots (good or bad) and violence based shows of any genre.
Although I will not “voice” my negativity in this regard, ( because I believe that people need to learn this on their own) I will quietly disappear if such is being broadcast in my company or I will busy my hands and mind so that I will not have to “listen” to it.
In my estimation, all that “garbage” stifles creativity; indeed, it steals away time from creativity, which to me is a crime.
At the same time, I will say that I feel the computer is no better. It may indeed be worse in many respects: Depending upon its use (everything is a double edged sword) it too, can steal away from individual creativity and an individual’s time. Insidiously, it “occupies” the mind, but to what end? THAT is the question that needs evaluation! IF, the end is solitude, (lack of any REAL FRIENDSHIP) then we have met our BEAST– something very close to home, and how could we ever have guessed: our enemy would be something electronic– non biologic, non human…. Where is conscience and consciousness in the dry bones of ones and zeroes? Indeed, G-d knew the answer. Now, my friend, He’s teaching US.
Sandra