Economists Say Movie Violence Might Temper the Real Thing

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/07/business/media/07violence.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=violence%20in%20media&st=cse

This article from the New York Times argues that violent movies actually decrease the statistics relating to violent crime. The study focused on crime rates in relation to release dates of violent films, popular theatre hours (such as weekend evenings) and a short period after the movies had finished. This research shows that violent crime rates drop significantly around the release of a violent film. Many of the quotations talk about keeping the people who are intrigued but such things in a theatre—where there is no drug or alcohol abuse.
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I’m really glad I found this article. I am (maybe) arguing the opposite side of this argument—that violence in media does have a negative effect. But this is an argument that I had considered as well. I didn’t know that there was substantial research that had been done. This is a very well done article, obviously—New York Times. It has a very strong argument. But one of the opposing voices of the piece does bring up that this study only involved a look at the immediate effects. How is this effecting society in the long run? And as become less interested with the same stuff all the time, we’ll need the media to turn up the violence. It’s like when you take a hot shower and your body becomes accustomed to the water, you turn the water hotter so you still feel warm. If you were to turn the water on as hot as it would be by the end of your shower, you’d burn yourself. So looking at society, isn’t there a logical burning point?

One opposing argument in this article was that movies need not be violent to draw in the crowds that are more inclined to violent crimes (young men). I agree. The study here shows that it was not only violent movies, but any movie that was appealing to young men. This presents a challenge to the media: to, maybe this time, not opt out for the easy thrill of violence that everyone expects anymore, but find a different direction to turn our heads.