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Jordyn Terry Prof Allison Fernley English 1010 April 6, 2013 Desensitization to Violence: An Issue with Media or Surroundings? We are all exposed to violence every day. We all know that it probably isnt the best thing to happen to us on a daily basis, and it is an issue we shouldnt take lightly. Even children are exposed to it whether it be on purpose or unavoidable. There isnt really a way to avoid it with it being in the news, on television, in video games, and even in our lives around us at all times. With wars going on it is constantly being put on television and in the newspapers. Its even being talked about in schools. With more and more children playing violent video games and watching more gruesome shows on TV, it has become a concern whether or not its having an effect on them. Some say that it is causing children and adolescents alike to have anger and aggression issues. Others believe it is causing younger generations to see violence as less of an issue than it is. Until we got discussing it in class, I had never really thought about the issue. But it grabbed my attention and I wanted to learn more. As I was researching I saw that many people see it in a similar way. But what I was most interested was the cause of desensitization. Is there more desensitization to violence in children and adolescents caused by exposure to media or real-life? Mrug, Sylvie, and Michael Windle. "Prospective Effects Of Violence Exposure Across Multiple Contexts On Early Adolescents Internalizing And Externalizing Problems."

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Journal Of Child Psychology & Psychiatry 51.8 (2010): 953-961. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Apr. 2013. In Sylvie Mrug and Michael Windles writing Prospective Effects Of Violence Exposure Across Multiple Contexts On Early Adolescents Internalizing And Externalizing Problems", they discuss that between 17% and 25% of children are exposed to violence in home and 50-68% are directly victimized. Externalizing problems, such as aggression and delinquency, are related to witnessing violence or victimization in the community where internalizing problems, such as depressive and anxiety symptoms, are associated with violence exposure at school. They conducted a study including 603 5th graders (52% male, 78% African American, 20% Caucasian, 2% other). The children were questioned on what happened pertaining to violence while they were at home or in school, this was used to record the data correctly. 82% of adolescents reported any exposure to violence in the past year; 79% witnessed violence and 38% were victimized. Context-specic rates of witnessing were 70% at school, 32% in the community, and 12% at home. Victimization at school was reported by 27% of participants, in the community by 10%, and at home by 12%. Witnessing violence at school causes anxiety and depression in children. Witnessing violence in the community predicted delinquency, and witnessing violence at home predicted anxiety and aggression. This causes desensitization to violence which, in the long run, may cause poor outcomes. I feel like they did a very good job of using ethos in their paper. They used actual studies to show facts and the way they spoke seemed intelligent. They didnt second guess any of the things that they said.

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This writing has affected my thinking about my research question by giving me statistics of what happens to children that witness violence in real-life rather than just on TV or in video games. I agree with what they have to say because I know some people who were raised in more abusive situations and the way they have turned out. This position shows the side of real-life violence as opposed to the media violence the other articles discuss. Melissa Myers, et al. "Aggression And Psychopathology In Adolescents With A Preference For Violent Electronic Games." Aggressive Behavior 28.2 (2002): 134-144. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Apr. 2013. In the writing "Aggression And Psychopathology In Adolescents With A Preference For Violent Electronic Games" by Melissa Myers, Jeanne B. Funk, and others, they discuss how the effect on younger generations by violent video games will vary depending on the amount of time spent playing the games. They talk about how the effect of aggression is worse in young children than it is in older ones, and that preference for violent games would be associated with negative externalizing characteristics, in particular aggressive emotions and behaviors, on a standardized self-report measure of adolescent problem behaviors. They studied which games children preferred based on how they reported which ones they liked and their problem emotions and behaviors, and used that to help decide whether or not the video games were the problem. They, too, concluded that there are many correlations between aggressive behavior and delinquent behavior. The article came across as credible because they referred many different reliable sources and used facts. They used ethos well and made sure they used good word choice as

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to not lose the readers. I feel like they were very credible when they were trying to get their point across. It affected my thinking by letting me see that the amount of behavior and delinquency issues the children had had an effect on the type of games they chose. They, too, agreed that there was a link between young children playing violent video games and being more aggressive. This article has different points than Schwartz but they both have similar points. Scharrer, Erica. "Media Exposure And Sensitivity To Violence In News Reports: Evidence Of Desensitization?." Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 85.2 (2008): 291310. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Apr. 2013. In Erica Scharrers "Media Exposure And Sensitivity To Violence In News Reports: Evidence Of Desensitization?" she talks about how often violent crime is shown on TV and the effect it has on those who watch it often. In a 214 hour time period, more violent crime is on local TV than nonviolent. By watching this, not only are children desensitized, but also have a harder time handling aggression. The more respondents are exposed to violent entertainment television, the less likely they will be to perceive the events covered in the news stories as violent. The more people watch violent local news, the less affected they are by violent national or global news stories. By doing the studies she did, she helped prove that people become inured through repeated exposure to violence, ultimately registering a diminished physiological response as well as a higher threshold at which to label something as violent and a greater tendency to think of violence as simply part of the everyday fabric of society.

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The way Scharrer discusses the topic of media having a negative effect on adolescent viewers is very convincing. She uses ethos to give facts about studies she has conducted and the data she collected to prove her points. She doesnt second guess any of the points she is trying to get across and she uses a convincing way of talking. This article has affected the way my thinking on the issue by showing that it isnt just video games that causes the effect on your brain and thinking processes. It also has to do with simply watching television and seeing how many local news casts have violence in them. The article relates to the one written by Wartella by showing the effect of television rather than video games or real-life exposure. Schwartz, Kelly D. "Chronic Violent Video Game Exposure And Desensitization To Violence Behavioral And Event-Related Brain Potential Data." Journal Of Youth Ministry 5.2 (2007): 95-98. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Apr. 2013. In Kelly Schwartzs writing "Chronic Violent Video Game Exposure And Desensitization To Violence Behavioral And Event-Related Brain Potential Data" she discusses how the more people see of violence, whether it is on TV, video games, or in real life, the more they are desensitized to it and actually become more aggressive. While it has been studied before, no one has studied it in a way to test the P300 amplitude and ERPs*. By doing this it is easy to see that there is a connection between violence and desensitization to it because the P300 doesnt see it as an issue any longer. 39 19 year old males were tested using standard placement of wires and either violent or nonviolent video games to test which one caused more effect on the brain. Those playing violent games were more aggressive than those playing nonviolent ones. The connection between

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video gaming, brain function, and the applied contexts of youth ministry and youth ministry education is quite obvious suggest that chronic exposure to violent video games specicallyand not just frequent playing of any videogameshas lasting deleterious effects on brain function and behavior not only do violent games desensitize the players, they also change the way the brain functions. *ERPs are voltage deections in the electroencephalogram (EEG) that reect the engagement of various information processing activities in the brain. The P300 (P3) wave is an event related potential (ERP) component elicited in the process of decision making. In this article, Schwartz uses a lot of fact to present herself as credible. She uses many studies done to test whether or not media violence actually has an effect on children and adolescents. She uses the data that was collected to help her prove her point. By doing so, you want to believe that she is someone you can trust on the matter. This article showed more of the brain activity and functions while playing video games. It affected my thinking about the issue by showing results of those playing violent games to those playing nonviolent ones and the brain activity, good or bad, going along with that. This article suggests video games may be the issue over what younger generations see on television. I agree with what she has to say on the issue because video games do have an effect on people. Ellen Wartella, et al. "The Influence Of Media Violence On Youth." Psychological Science In The Public Interest (Wiley-Blackwell) 4.3 (2003): 81-110. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Apr. 2013.

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In The Influence of Media Violence On Youth, they discuss the effect of violence in music, video games, television and films on children and adolescents. They talk about how the effect of violence in media is more of a subtle aggression problem than it is a severe one. They discuss how with little exposure through childhood there is only the chance of more verbal and mental aggression. With frequent exposure to it, the effects can be as serious as spousal abuse and physical assaults further down the road. They claim that if there were a way to limit the amount of violence children are exposed to, less of them would develop aggression and violence issues in the future. They use facts and knowledge to prove themselves as credible without seeming like theyve gone too far just to make their point. They dont go off on multiple different topics and stick to the one they want to get across. They have good word choice and seem credible throughout the whole piece. This article has affected my thinking about the issue by showing that not only can it cause aggression issues, but it can also lead to abusive behavior later on in life. I agree with what they have to say because of the facts and the way they presented the argument. It adds more to Scharrers piece by elaborating on what the long term effects of violence in media can cause. In conclusion, I feel as though I have learned a lot about the issue based on even just the five articles listed above. I feel as though there is more of an issue in media violence than there is real-life violence because it causes more harmful long term effects. I feel like more parents should limit the time their children spend playing video games and watching violent movies and television shows as it can help them have happier, healthier lives in the

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long run. Even though I see real-life violence as an issue, a lot of the times there isnt anything you can do to stop your children from being part of, or witnessing, it. When your child is outside of the home and sees violence you cannot prevent that, but by allowing your children to play excessive amounts of violent video games and watch endless hours of violent television, you are allowing them to set themselves up for a more aggressive and delinquent life.