Week #2 Framing Questions

1) There’s so much discussion about over exposure to violence and its effects on people, understandably. But as I read about the disinhibition hypothesis, I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone has taken the time to research the positive effects of our exposure to such violence in the media and entertainment. Does it help us stay calm when we otherwise would not? If I saw someone get stabbed, instead of freaking out, throwing up, and going into shock, maybe I’d call for help and apply pressure to the wound (because I’ve been watching movie stars do this since I was 12).

2) If children become media-dependent at a young age (between ages 7-14), what cognitive and behavioral effects does this have on their development and psyche (the instant gratification of being recognized on social networking sites, finding quick and easy answers to complex questions)? Is an inpatient generation of narcissistic know-it-alls imminent?

3) How can the media influence us all in such varying degrees? I understand that perception is linked to a filtering process, but what specifically (beyond the generic biologic, cultural, educational, and religious differences) make those filters so dramatically different? Does this mean siblings raised in the same household start off with similar perceptions but gradually develop different filters the more they experience? I have a difficult time understanding why some individuals allow the media to take such firm root in their value systems.