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Abstract
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Screen violence has been defined as "depictions of characters (or players) trying to physically harm other characters (or players)". It is as old as the origin of screen media itself, with very violent scenes included in the first multi-reel film "The Story of the Kelly Gang", screened in Melbourne in 1906. Evidence suggests that watching violent TV programmes and engaging with violent video games are associated with aggressive behaviour in children, teenagers, and young adults, both in the short and long term. Although the association between screen violence and aggressive behaviour appears to be modest, this suggests that other factors also play a part in the development of aggression.
Screen violence is globally widespread and has become easily accessible and available on demand in the last decade, courtesy of technology (such as cable TV, tablets, smart phones, and social media platforms). Not even poverty, probably except for extreme poverty, seems to protect many people from being exposed to screen violence because even the simplest TV can be found in modest homes and can be the only source of entertainment in remote areas. Social media platforms (such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram) are extremely popular among adults and children. With an estimated 6.8 billion people worldwide owning a smartphone, nearly 87% of the world's population, immediate access to violent content has increased exponentially.
Exposure to violent content can decrease empathy and cause increased aggressive thoughts, anger, and aggressive behaviour. A meta-analysis of 24 studies from Canada, the USA, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Singapore concluded that engaging with violent video games was related to aggression. This study confirms earlier findings from another meta-analysis of 130 research reports, comprising 130,000 participants. Time spent watching screen violence has also been directly associated with increased bullying and cyberbullying in both boys and girls. In addition, aggressive behaviour during childhood appears to be an important predictor of violent behaviour in older adolescents and young adults...
Language: en |