Maybe Media Is the Real Opiate of the People

[Shakedown1980]

One of today's great untold stories — or, I should say, it keeps trying to get itself told and is usually mercilessly thrashed or ignored entirely — is the degree to which our behavior is manipulated and conditioned by media.

Most everyone has heard about the studies (more than 200 at last count) that show a direct correlation between increased aggression and exposure to violence portrayed in media. The most compelling of this research suggests that the visual media in particular — television, movies and even video games — employ psychological techniques such as desensitization and Pavlovian conditioning which change how we think about and react to violent behavior.

Of course, the entertainment and advertising industries dismiss these studies, saying it's impossible that their little ol' movie or TV show or 30-second ad or point-and-shooter could actually influence anyone's behavior.

To read the rest of the article:

http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/story/71.html

[paulwarnner23]

The most compelling of this research suggests that the visual media in particular — television, movies and even video games — employ psychological techniques such as desensitization and Pavlovian conditioning which change how we think about and react to violent behavior.

[TerryS]

Hi PaulWarner23

“Is turns out corporations aren't the only ones using the power of product placement. In the third-world, Governments and non-profits are using the power of TV and radio (namely soap-operas) to encourage.”

That's right. A big reason third-world countries encourage their citizens to watch TV is because it is such an effective way to propagandize their population, including using TV to very effectively encourage smaller family planning and fewer children. This is definitely a good thing for families and for these countries as a whole. But the same thing can be accomplished by increasing reading and education for girls and women. Unfortunately, many governments prefer the TV route as it dumbs down the populace, thus keeping those in power rich and permanently in power.

Terry

[JuniorMan]

The dumbing down from the TV I believe also has a big impact just looking around.

I heard a few years ago that in America people averagely watch over 8 hours of TV a day, and there is at least 2 TV's in every house. But then I also read how the country is sadly ranked #1 in the world with obesity and the education system is truly failing compared to other countries.

But of course, they don't blame it on TV.

[TerryS]

Hi JuniorMan

“But of course, they don't blame it on TV.”

Yeah, it is pretty frustrating. People come up with a whole host of diverse reasons why America is dumbing down, from bad teachers to video games to women in the workplace, but just about always TV is given a pass (the large number of hours that kids spend every day, on average, is left unmentioned).

There is a lot of clucking an head-shaking by the scientists and intellectuals.

“Those specialists sigh at the notion that parents could not get by without TV.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12948895/#.UHUG91FvB8E

And yet, over the past 50 years there have been only two studies (that I've been able to find) that looked directly at the cognitive effects of watching TV:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/c ... 9.abstract

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 7380900611

It's hard to blame parents for being taken in by the media propaganda, especially when scientists have done so little to provide hard evidence on the cognitive effects of TV.

“The dumbing down from the TV I believe also has a big impact just looking around.”

Yup, that is definitely the case.

Terry

[JuniorMan]

Is there any data on the average hours spent in America watching TV? I think that is all you need to know right there. I lived in a house where my father basically spent all his time off work watching TV. When he had an off day, he'd stay up till midnight starring at the screen, normally until he fell asleep and watching the most ridiculous stupid things.


My only answer to them never blaming TV is that they want you to watch it. What other device can you get to manipulate people and tell them what they want to hear and know and of course spend their money on? I know the internet is quite addictive but no where near the scale of TV, as it's programmed with commercials a lot worse than ads popping up online.

[TerryS]

Hi JuniorMan

“My only answer to them never blaming TV is that they want you to watch it. What
other device can you get to manipulate people and tell them what they want to hear
and know and of course spend their money on?”

Exactly.

“I know the internet is quite addictive but no where near the scale of TV, as it's
programmed with commercials a lot worse than ads popping up online.”

Yeah, there really is no form of advertising as effective as TV ads, except
for perhaps product placement directly in the TV show or movie.

“I lived in a house where my father basically spent all his time off work watching TV.
When he had an off day, he'd stay up till midnight starring at the screen, normally until
he fell asleep and watching the most ridiculous stupid things.”

That's so sad. That must have been depressing for you growing up.

I hope you had someone in your life who wasn't quite so TV obsessed.

Terry

[JuniorMan]

I've been tempted to writing some posts about the advertisements and commercials that want you to buy buy buy.

I noticed it a lot growing up with beer commercials. They advertise that stuff with this big meaning that if you drink beer and buy it, you'll get chicks and get to party, and all this and that, when in reality I have never seen people act right after drinking so much. Speaking of alcohol advertisements, they sure shove that down our throats with sports, football in particular, yet no one is wondering why we have these violent stories pop up every few years with football fans that were drinking.

Just recently there was the story of the young boy who killed his neo-nazi father because he seen a show on TV and thought that was the right thing to do. This stuff gets ignored, but TV does put that stuff in your head at a young age when you're exposed to sex and violence. They always talk about violent video games (Not trying to say they are good, I don't think kids under age have any business with those) but they never bring up violent TV shows or movies.


Don't worry, I was around a lot of folks that could turn the TV off.

[Gutenberg]

I live in an European country, and over here commercials advertising for alcoholic drinks are prohibited, not only on television, but also in magazines and newspapers.

[JuniorMan]

Oh wow that is insane. Would never happen in America. It's as if they want the masses to be dumbed down and fully ignorant. Pot is illegal, yet Alcohol isn't, and most of the ads for alcohol targets young people.

My family has always had alcoholics from generation to generation. Thankfully I never followed the footsteps of drinking like them before me.