I believe that the quote by Barry Glassner is completely true. A fear-saturated media has an unbelievable influence on people, and the society they live in. A perfect example of this is gated communities and the amount of fake security it assures people. It's amazing how people will live behind a gated community and believe that one fat guard with no training is going to stop a killer from getting in to the neighborhood. Although I believe that a fear-saturated media has an influence on people, I don't believe in can influence they're emotions one bit.
I don't think that watching a scary movie, or a crime show is going to affect someone's happiness or any emotions in general. The reason I believe this is because of how easily people forget things. There at least a thousand things forgotten each day and although a scary movie might not be one of them, it'll be forgotten eventually. Also, people have a huge list of events to deal with in a day and while your doing those, you'd never think about something you saw the other day. Watching a scary movie, or hearing a news report about a man going on a rampage with a gun doesn't mean you can't hang out with friends or be happy. Sure, it might make you more careful and more protective, but it shouldn't affect you more than that.
I want to know what you guys think about the quote though, leave a comment saying whether or not you believe in the influence a fear-saturated society has on us or even just general thoughts on the quote.
Catch you on the flip side,
A
"Watch enough brutality on TV and you come to believe you are living in a cruel and gloomy world in which you feel vulnerable and insecure. In his research over three decades Gerbner found that people who watch a lot of TV are more likely than others to believe their neighborhoods are unsafe, to assume that crime rates are rising, and to overestimate their own odds of becoming a victim. They also buy more locks, alarms, and- you guessed it- guns, in hopes of protecting themselves."
Do you live in a gated community? Just wondering because you seem to have a rather specific view of what security guards are like. I agree that they offer a false sense of security and don't all have training that would be necessary to protect the people living behind the gates.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on that what we watch on TV does not really affect us because of the things we are tasked with on a daily basis and your opinion clearly states your perspective on the influence of the media. It is strange to see your clear description of the security at the front of a gated community, but it helps prove your point.
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