Where can the media take us?

As I stated in my introductory post, the media plays a big part in my life. When I'm not playing some game, reading a comic, or watching a show, I'm researching news about my media. I recently got an iPhone, which is useful when I want to check for news while on the go. With this in mind, my media intake is relatively large. It makes me think about the kinds of media I enjoy and how it affects me. I'm not one to believe that the media has major, life changing effects on us, but I do think it makes an impression.

Tycho is pretty level headed and stable. Gabe, on the other hand... |Source|

As a gamer, the rich humor of the comic above makes clear sense to me. For at least a couple of decades, various new sites and the government has been constantly trying to link video games with violence and the acts of several teens across the world. Personal feelings aside, the article Tycho is referring to does have some merit. I do feel that violent video games and movies desensitize us to violence, but I don't think that they are the cause of violent behavior. The people who harm others in these kinds of stories are, to be frank, mentally unstable. These people don't necessarily need to be banned from gaming, but should be getting some attention to make sure they are well enough to play violent video games. If I were to point a finger at a cause, I would say the parents of these certain kids are to blame. From my point of view, if a child commits a violent act, they are clearly mentally elsewhere, but they didn't get that way from nothing. While we look at our parents as role models, we also have to remember that they are human; they can make mistakes. The children who cause violence are simply a product of their environment, which I believe a parent has some control over. I can understand that no parents wants to be told that they are doing a bad job, but I feel that trying to cover up parental mistakes by blaming media isn't going to fix anything. I suppose it's just easier for media to be blamed for affecting us in a bad way.

Nothing's more relaxing than sitting in from of the TV and being worthless for several hours. |Source|

With the media's effects on our view of violence in mind, the media can also be very helpful. Television, in particular, can be very soothing. Millions of people all across the world come home after a long day of work or school ready to take a load off and watch some TV. While some may argue that TV shows aren't as good as they used to be, and perhaps they aren't, but the content that's currently on air is still a very much welcomed escape from reality. Those who detest video games can look at TV as a safe alternative. On the other hand, TV can also desensitize us to violence. However, I think that video games and TV are two completely different entities. With video games, there is interaction. Most of the actions that happen are controlled by the player. The viewer doesn't control anything that happens on the TV. Like a book, TV has no interaction at all. It's up to the viewer to become immersed in the world of his or her favorite show. TV is like an antidepressant or a nice big box of chocolate; it makes you feel better.