The Mean World Syndrome -- Clip

Now Available on DVD @ http://www.mediaed.org

The Mean World Syndrome
Media Violence & the Cultivation of Fear

A new film based on the late George Gerbner's groundbreaking analysis of media influence and media violence.

Featuring George Gerbner and Michael Morgan

For years, debates have raged among scholars, politicians, and concerned parents about the effects of media violence on viewers. Too often these debates have descended into simplistic battles between those who claim that media messages directly cause violence and those who argue that activists exaggerate the impact of media exposure altogether. The Mean World Syndrome, based on the groundbreaking work of media scholar George Gerbner, urges us to think about media effects in more nuanced ways. Ranging from Hollywood movies and prime-time dramas to reality programming and the local news, the film examines how media violence forms a pervasive cultural environment that cultivates in heavy viewers, especially, a heightened state of insecurity, exaggerated perceptions of risk and danger, and a fear-driven propensity for hard-line political solutions to social problems. A provocative and accessible introduction to cultivation analysis, media effects research, and the subject of media influence and media violence more generally.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• George
• Gerbner
• Michael
• Morgan
• Cultivation
• Theory
• Mean
• World
• Syndrome
• Glenn
• Beck
• Fear
• Media
• Education
• Anxiety

[beta447]

"Cultivation analysis" --- Excellent way to look at it. People are definitely cultivated to be fearful and self-loathing by the media, much like a Tomato is cultivated to grow larger.

[yankyLOVE22]

sure this is true in a sense but it's not the people's fault and we like to stay cautious because we want to be safe. I don't think its that a bigger deal though... just irrevelant content right now

[nubbs]

i only watch pbs and cspan, so i consequently understand the context of my reality as a cross between a library and a nursing home. so far i can tell, the world is a very quiet, docile place.

[exenrontexas]

@blackiron60 There was an example of this a few years ago when a Scottish tourist got lost in a wealthy Houston neighborhood and knocked on a door. The homeowner blew him away. The court ruled the homicide was justified because the tourist was on private property. The family of the Scotsman came to Houston to confront law enforcement and the judge and the murderers.

[exenrontexas]

The BBC approached this issue from a different angle (government terrorism) a few years ago when they broadcast "The Power of Nightwares" that someone thankfully uploaded onto youtube. It covers the needs and causes of this issue by nefarious groups bent on controlling society.

/watch?v=eOlwbaPe2os

[jasonlajoie]

Perhaps an upside is that all this fear is causing people to avoid situations that might otherwise lead to being the victim of a violent crime. Thus the violent crime rate is drastically reduced by almost half of what it was.

[blackiron60]

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If people think that crime rates are up, if they think they are constantly in danger and if they are afraid - they become more likely to commit a crime themselves by lashing out at any perceived threat to their safety. This combination of factors will then push the crime rate up in the long run.

[coolsteven2]

@MadSmokerBBQ Same. i stopped watching tv and I feel I am much happier and see the world with a softer lens.

[MarkoKraguljac]

I fail to see good intention. It smells heavily on just another old-media project aimed at milking cash and increasing tolerance for further similar projects (brainwashing). Violence on TV has little to do with physical violence in real life or fear of it. Violence on TV is more directly connected with real life fears of losing sustenance and not being able to support oneself or family. Talking seriously about that would be honest but would break old-media approach pattern.

[TheItalix]

It about capturing the mind. Keeping them glued to the screen and avoiding the emptiness of turning away from the glowing orb and for that split second recognizing the reality of life; but only for a second.