Analysis of Whodunit- the Media

Movies can pressure children to become more hostile as a person. Maggie Cutler analyzes in her essay, â€Å"Whodunit- The Media? †, how media affects children, demonstrating that children who are involved in violent media are more susceptible to practice it. The Senate Judiciary Committee led by Orrin Hatch explains in Cutler’s essay how television’s accountability is highly important: â€Å"‘Television alone is responsible for 10 percent of youth violence. † According to statistics, there were 250 murders and 12,100 violent crimes, which entailed by mentioning if Batman Beyond never played, these crimes would never have been completed (684). Parents need to discuss the media with their child and explain to them that most of the stories and plots they watch on television are mostly fiction and they are exaggerated for show. Once parents have a talk with their child, the child will be able to understand what they are watching (Cutler 688). Cutler continues, â€Å"The APA adds that parental guidance along with reducing kids’ exposure to graphic violence can help keep them out of the correctional system (687). The reason kids tend to become aggressive while they are exposed to influential media is because they mix up the difference between reality and fantasy. In time, children will find out the difference between both. Cutler states, â€Å"Kids understand early that cartoon violence is a joke, not a model. Even wrestling, once kids figure out that it’s staged, gets processed differently from, say, a schoolyard beating† (689). It is vital to not allow children to become violent because the more they are exposed to negatively powerful content, the more likely they are to keep practicing those actions. Cutler explained, â€Å"Several studies have shown that violent boys tend to watch more TV, choose more violent content, and get more enjoyment out of it† (686). There was a study done by Stanford headed by Thomas Robinson and the objective of the study was to lower the use of media for third and fourth graders and study the results. The study lasted for six months and the children had in-class instruction. Cutler clarifies, â€Å"†¦kids used media about 30 percent less than usual. And, they found, verbal and physical aggression levels subsequently dropped 25 percent on average† (688). This all supports the fact that if aggressive kids who minimized the amount of exposure to media, their manners and conduct would progress. According to Garbarino in Maggie Cutler’s essay, he explains how he would like the topic of media violence to be studied publicly as a health problem (686). Media violence is such an important topic in childrens’ lives that it cannot be ignored. The American Psychological Association’s Commission on Violence and Youth (APA) calculated that kids who are pressured into violence due to the media, can be assisted with what they explain to be early intervention. Once interventionists are aware of the problem, they can instruct children how to come up with a solution to any disagreement calmly and maturely (687). The author, Maggie Cutler, expressed how much of a complex issue and topic media violence was. Cutler asked many questions regarding childrens’ personal life and family issues which make a good point of why she doubts some of the reasons behind the results of studies. Cutler asks: â€Å"Do temperamentally violent kids seek out shows that express feelings they already have, or are they in it for the adrenaline boost? Do the sort of parents who let kids pig out on gore tend to do more than their share of other hurtful things that encourage violent behavior? † (686). But, referring back to the study of the third and fourth graders, this study gave individuals the reason to not doubt studies and persist the attention on kids who are affected by media violence in order to further answer any questions or doubts. Cutler explains how much children are influenced by aggressive media and they become more vulnerable to expressing their anger. The media contains so much content that children occasionally confuse it with reality and fantasy. That is why it is very critical that parents sit down with their kids and explain the meaning of some shows so that later the child would not act out what he/she had seen on the television. There have been plenty of studies that have proven to help children with aggressiveness in their life due to media violence. Studies have also proven that children can get salvaged from their anger and are taught how to resolve conflicts in a calmer manner. Media violence is a very crucial topic and it cannot be ignored like many citizens have done already. Now is the time to help children and families who are struggling with the after effects of media violence.