Controversial Video Games

Over the past few decades, video games have become increasingly popular and have advanced technologically. Unfortunately, as society grows and adapts, the companies behind video games have become adding explicit content as a result of popular demand. 

Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto V is an open world, action-adventure video game, set within the fictional state of San Andreas (based on Southern California). The single-player story follows three criminals and their efforts to commit heists while under pressure from a government agency. 

GTA V has sparked a lot of controversy in relation to its violence and representation of women. There is a mission featured in the game that requires players to use torture equipment in a hostage interrogation which audiences felt was in poor taste, although agreed that it was needed in order for the story to make sense. 

The game became subject to widespread online debate over its portrayal of women as prostitutes and strippers, and actress Lindsay Lohan even filed a lawsuit against Rockstar over the allegation that a character in the game was based on her. Target pulled the game from their stores as a result of a Change.org petition against the violence toward women in the game.

Stefan Pakeerah Murder

On the 28th of July, 2004, a 14 year old boy was murdered by a 17 year old and Pakeerah's parents blamed his murder on a video game. He was stabbed and beaten repeatedly with a hammer in an attack that supposedly mimicked gameplay in the video game 'Manhunt'. 

His Mother said "I think that I heard some of Warren's friends say that he was obsessed with this game," she said. "To quote from the website that promotes it, it calls it a psychological experience, not a game, and it encourages brutal killing. If he was obsessed with it, it could well be that the boundaries for him became quite hazy."

Does screen violence have an effect on viewers? 

The fact that people have been murdered as a result of their killers being influenced by screen violence should be all the proof we need that this is indeed the case. However, it can be argued that these killers have deeper issues and these video games just set them off. I also find it ridiculous that my next door neighbour allows his nine year old son to play GTA, which is an 18 restricted game. There needs to be serious consequences for parents who do this, and less violence in games which creators know the younger generation are going to play. 

Hall's Theory

Stuart Hall

Stuart Hall (3 February 1932 – 10 February 2014) was a Jamaican born cultural theorist who lived and worked in the UK. He stressed the role of social positioning in the interpretation of mass media texts by different social groups. Hall suggested three hypothetical codes or positions for the reader of a text:

Preferred Reading 

The reader fully shares the text's code and accepts and reproduces the preferred reading (a reading which may not have been the result of any conscious intention on the part of the author(s)) - in such a stance the code seems 'natural' and 'transparent'. 

Negotiated Reading

The reader partly shares the text's code and broadly accepts the preferred reading, but sometimes resists and modifies it in a way which reflects their own position, experiences and interests (local and personal conditions may be seen as exceptions to the general rule) - this position involves contradictions.

Oppositional Reading

The reader, whose social situation places them in a directly oppositional relation to the dominant code, understands the preferred reading but does not share the text's code and rejects this reading, bringing to bear an alternative frame of reference (radical, feminist etc.) (e.g. when watching a television broadcast produced on behalf of a political party they normally vote against).

Miley Cyrus' 'We Can't Stop' Music Video

When Miley Cyrus released this music video in 2013, it received a lot of criticism because most of her fanbase were young girls from back in her Disney channel days and the world refused to accept that she's growing up and discovering herself. 

Preferred Reading - 

Miley wanted the video to be a success and to prove to her fans that she's matured and can be who she wants now that she's not playing the role of Hannah Montana. Most of her fanbase were accepting and supportive of her new image. 

Negotiated Reading - 

Some people, like me, were able to see both sides of the argument. It's understandable and also very evident that she's trying to grow as an artist and prove herself, although it's clear that a lot of people wouldn't be very appreciative of the content of the video such as her provocative clothing and tattoos because they don't want her to influence the younger generation. 

Oppositional Reading -

A lot of audience members will be shocked by the nature of the video and think it's outrageous and inappropriate. They would also most likely believe that there should be age restrictions on such content because it's too easily accessible. 

Desensitisation & Catharsis

Desensitisation

Desensitisation is the theory that media audience’s reactions grow weaker depending on the level/amount of exposure to violence, death and sex. 

For example: if you play a video game involving loads of violence (e.g Call of Duty) then you go into the army, the atmosphere won’t affect you. 

I've grown up with my Dad playing violent video games whilst I'm in the room, and whilst the content of the games themselves doesn't bother me, graphic violence and death in the real world still has a negative effect on me. If you were to compare someone who has always been around this type of media to someone who doesn't have access to it, they're likely to react very differently.   

Desensitisation is a huge issue among children because they aren't mature enough to think about what's right and wrong, so are easily influenced and could think that all of the explicit content that they see on TV and in video games is normal. An example would be my seven year old cousin who plays games such as Lego Batman on the Xbox and constantly talks about blowing thing up and smashing things. This is a game that's targeted specifically to his age range, but should it really feature content like this if it's going to cause such negative reactions? 

Columbine High School Massacre

The Columbine High School massacre was a school shooting that occurred on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Colorado. In addition to the shootings, the attack involved a fire bomb to divert firefighters, propane tanks converted to bombs placed in the cafeteria, 99 explosive devices, and bombs rigged in cars. The people behind it, two senior students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered a total of 12 students and one teacher. They injured 21 additional people, with three others being injured while attempting to escape the school. The two of them then committed suicide. 

Although there didn't seem to be any motive behind the event, a psychiatrist believed that the students' usage of video games caused them to feel enjoyment while playing in a virtual world. Both of them frequently played the video games Doom and Wolfenstein 3D. 

Following an arrest for theft in 1998, both young men had their computer access restricted and it is thought that their personal anger, which was initially released through the video games, was now released into the real world. This also gave them a lot of free time which lead to them becoming homicidal and begin documenting plans to carry out the attack. 

This is a prime example of how frequently playing video games that contain violence can desensitise an audience and make abnormal actions seem normal.

Catharsis

Aristotle invented this term to describe the emotional climax that we feel when we are presented with drama and it suggests that we channel emotions into media to make ourselves feel better. 

For example: if you’re angry, instead of going out and physically hurting someone, you would pay Call of Duty as a source of emotional release. 

This theory can be categorised into 4 emotions:

Anger

Meghan Trainor's music video (and lyrics) to her recent song, Dear Future Husband really gets under my skin. The lyrics to the track outline what her dream man needs to know and do to be hers and the video depicts Meghan going back to the 1950s, playing a housewife; scrubbing floors and working hard in the kitchen. She is clearly trying to romanticise stereotypes, which reverses everything that feminists have achieved in modern society.  What annoys me most is that she uses a catchy tune which she knows is going to attract people and get them to want to watch the video which then spreads an anti-feminist message. One of her lyrics is "So don’t be thinking I’ll be home and baking apple pies" but then the video cuts to a clip of her making apple pie which goes against what's she's saying and doesn't make any sense. 

Sadness

The scene in the Lion King when Mufasa dies is perhaps one of the saddest scenes in Disney history and one that essentially traumatised the majority of my generation. This is one of the few disney scenes that I teared up at when I was younger, probably because I understood what happened, and even now I'll often skip past it because I can't bear to watch it again. Simba's dad not only dies, but Simba believes he is responsible for his own death. Loss is a difficult thing for any child to understand and it's especially sad that a lot of people can relate to this film in some respect. 

Sorrow 

Endless Love is one of those films that had me on the verge of tears the entire way through, and I've never felt so attached to two characters before. David and Jade are constantly battling to be together despite Jade's father trying to intervene, even going as far as filing a restraining order to stop them from being near each other. I was rooting for them and every time they were once again separated, I felt sympathy for them. 

Fear

The Paranormal Activity films still terrify me. Although they aren't particularly scary in themselves, the fact that they are all set in people's homes and are somewhat realistic creeps me out, as well as the fact that the start of the first film suggested that the events had really taken place. There are a lot of build-ups to different events and you never quite know what's going to happen, just like most films of a similar genre, which is why I tend to steer clear of them unless I'm watching them with a large group of people and can hide behind a cushion for the majority of the film. 

Hypodermic Needle Theory

What is the Hypodermic Needle Theory? 

The hypodermic needle theory (also known as the magic bullet theory or the direct effects model) was developed in the 1930's and states that the mass media has a direct influence over passive audiences by injecting their minds with information. It suggests that everyone is the same, and that we all have the same responses to media messages which is no longer considered valid. 

The theory was very popular in the 1940's and 50's and the ideas about the power of the mass media were based on historical events such as Nazi propaganda. It was believed that audiences had no power and were unable to resist the messages being sent to them. 

Despite this theory being somewhat outdated in the modern era, people still believe that the mass media has a strong impact on society; parents worry that their children will imitate the actions displayed in violent video games or in violent films. 

Harold Lasswell 

Lasswell (1902 – 1978) was a leading American political scientist and communications theorist. 

"From a propaganda point of view it was a matchless performance, for Wilson brewed the subtle poison, which industrious men injected into the veins of a staggering people, tunnel the smashing powers of the allied armies knocked them into submission."

- Propaganda Technique in the World War, 1927

In the above quote from his novel, Lasswell was discussing how effective the propaganda in WW1 was, and suggesting that it was having a poisonous, negative effect on society. 

Orson Welles

In 1938, Welles released a radio drama adaptation of 'The War of The Worlds' which featured an eerily realistic broadcast announcing an alien attack. Unfortunately, since it was so good, a lot of people believed that it was real and there was a huge panic. In fact, there was even a billboard above the New York Times building that read "ORSON WELLES CAUSES PANIC" and a swarm of police officers in the building in which the radio drama was broadcast. Some people went as far as fleeing their homes, whilst others were contacting newspapers to clear up confusion. 

When asked about the event and it's negative effect, Welles suggested that he had no idea that people would be so confused:

Question: Were you aware of the terror such a broadcast would stir up?

Welles: Definitely not. The technique I used was not original with me. It was not even new. I anticipated nothing unusual.

Question: Should you have toned down the language of the drama?

Welles: No, you don't play murder in soft words.

Question: Why was the story changed to put in names of American cities and government officers?

Welles: H. G. Wells used real cities in Europe, and to make the play more acceptable to American listeners we used real cities in America. Of course, I'm terribly sorry now

This event is proof that despite not having access to today's technology and media resources, the mass media still had a powerful impact on audiences which backs up the hypodermic needle theory. 

Pros & Cons

Perhaps the biggest flaw, and the key factor which lead people to disqualify the hypodermic needle theory, is the fact that it assumes that the audience consumes media passively and will have a dramatic, exaggerated response which isn't necessarily true. It's a false representation of how audiences are effected by the mass media. It ignores people's personalities and their cultural upbringing, suggesting that everyone will react the same way to the same message. 

In modern society, this theory could still be accurate. For example, Victoria's Secret released a 'Perfect Body' campaign which specified that women should all look like the models in the advertisements in order to be labeled as having a perfect body. More or less everyone who came across the campaign reacted negatively and took offence to it, and a lot of young women felt inadequate and inferior, which validates Lasswell's theory that mass media can have a poisonous effect on society. 

Passive & Active Audiences

Passive:

• Easily manipulated
• Compliant
• Weak willed
• Followers
• Controlled
• Dominated

Active:

• Engaged
• Involved
• Responsive
• In control
• Free willed

A passive audience is primarily believed to be easily influenced by the mass media and not question what they're being told. They just go along with what's being injected into their mind and follow the crowds. An active audience reacts differently depending on their values, interests, education and experiences. 

I personally think that I am most likely to consume something actively. Having my own opinion and beliefs is something I value, and I always take my personal experiences and thoughts into consideration when I consume a product or a message. For example, I grew up in a society where Gay Rights was an issue that was frowned upon but like many other members of my generation, I fought against society to develop my own views. I feel that in this era, it doesn't always matter how many times something is drilled into us by the mass media because society is increasingly powerful and we are able to use social media to turn things around and send reverse messages. We also live in a world where politics are a big issue and there are a lot of mixed messages sent to us by different political parties, but it's still down to the audience to make up their own mind. 

Uses and Gratifications Theory

What is the uses and gratifications theory? 

The uses and gratifications theory states that media consumers are not a passive audience and do not accept whatever is drilled into them by mass media, it suggests instead that they choose what they consume based on their own interests and beliefs. 

James Lull

James Lull is Professor of Communication Studies at San Jose State University, California, and specialises in media and cultural studies. In 1990, he suggested that people use media for a range of reasons:

Environmental

This is when consumers have background noise and entertainment when they are completing tasks of a higher priority. For example, when I'm doing coursework I hate sitting in absolute silence so I listen to my iTunes of Spotify playlists to help me focus. I also do this when I'm reading, working out or traveling. 

Communication

This means that you consume media such as TV programmes or films to create conversation. A main example of this for me is Agents of Shield which I watch weekly, and then discuss the episode with my friend. We can bond over a common interest and we both enjoy the show and sharing our opinions on characters and storylines. 

Affiliation/Avoidance

This is where media is used to maintain a relationship via the consumption of a mainstream product. This can also be used to avoid conversing with people who may alter your views. An example of this is Twitter, where there are trending topics updated daily. It is very likely that if you bring up something that was trending in a conversation with someone else who you know has a Twitter account, you will be able to build up your relationship with them. 

Social Learning

Social learning is a method where media consumers attempt to educate themselves through the media. For example, you might watch a tutorial on YouTube for how to do something effectively or to expand your knowledge of a topic. YouTube is probably one of the most popular methods of social learning because it can be interactive too, and rather than reading pages of text, you can actually see something in action.  

Competence or Dominance

A person may use a media product they have consumed to their advantage in order to win a debate or an argument. For example, someone who watched the Leaders Debate for the UK's 2015 election may use what they found out to start a debate about politics. 

Pros and Cons

This theory supports the idea that people have complete control over the media that they consume, which goes against the hypodermic needle theory. It's a lot more applicable to modern society, especially the younger generation.

Despite the idea being that audience choose what to consume based on their individual interests, producers still have some say. They can use persuasive techniques and good ad campaigns to influence consumers and reviews of, for example, Breaking Bad and the fact that it's so widely popular may convince someone to watch it even if it's not something they would usually consume. 

Media Consumption

What does the term 'media consumption' mean?

"Media consumption or media diet is the sum of information and entertainment media taken in by an individual or group. It includes activities such as interacting with new media; reading books and magazines; watching television and film; listening to radio; and so on"

How do we consume media? 

Ever since there have been cameras, photographs and screens, there has been media consumption of some kind. As the years have gone by, society has developed and introduced new technology which has slowly started to take over generations and gain a sense of control over the modern world. We now have the world wide web which has brought us social networking, and advertising has advanced on a huge scale to which there is no escape from it. 

The level of media consumption is different for every individual depending on what they have access to, as is their response to various aspects. For example, a teenager with a smartphone or a laptop is likely to access a lot more media on a day to day basis than, say, a retiree who isn't technologically inclined. 

Without realising it, everyone consumes media that is used discreetly but effectively through advertisements on billboards, the backs of buses, at bus stops or in shop windows. Almost anywhere you look, you will see an ad for something, whether it's a food chain or a clothing brand or a film. We just don't necessarily look for them on purpose, therefore we don't take notice and they don't all have an effect on us. 

Times Square, New York City

Times Square is a commercial intersection in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is notorious for it's bright, bold billboards and is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions. It is frequently featured in popular culture and is where all the big companies want their ads to be shown due to the vast amount and range of people who pass through and take notice, whether they're shopping, eating or seeing a broadway show. 

Desigual's New York Store

Whilst Desigual doesn't use a billboard or any other standard form of advertising, they transformed the section of building in which their New York store is located to grab everyone's attention. They turned it into a piece of art which lead to tourists taking photographs of it and sharing it on the internet. This is a prime example of people consuming media without realising. When I walked past the store, I just thought it was a work of art and never considered that it could actually be an advert. 

The modern world seems to be very dependent on technology, but it's important to note that radio, newspapers and magazines are still entirely valid. Most people buy newspapers once a week and read them on the train or bus on their way to work or listen to the radio, so it should come as no surprise that you're consuming a lot more than you think you are. 

McQuail's Theory & My Media Consumption

Denis McQuail is a communication theorist and a professor at the University of Amsterdam, who looks into why people use the media. He states that there are four main factors of why we consume media:

Personal Identity

• Finding reinforcement for personal values
• Finding models of behaviour
• Identifying with valued other (in the media)
• Gaining insight into one's self

This essentially means that consumers will try to find something or someone in the media they can relate to and connect with on a personal level and use this to discover more about themselves personally. 

The younger generation would perhaps look up to characters such as those in The Avengers, or just any form of superhero because they save the world and have good values. Although they have superpowers which don't exist in the real world and also tackle issues such as aliens, which are also unlikely to ever cause a problem in reality, at the end of the day they are still heroes. They have everyone's best interest at heart and want to do good, which enables companies such as Marvel to create excellent role models. No end of young children claim to want to be superheroes when they grow up and are inspired to adopt the same behaviours.

When it comes to my own personal media consumption, my personal identity is reflected through YouTube and it's many content creators. Shay Carl is a vlogger and YouTube personality who has five channels, two of which have attracted over one million subscribers. I primarily watch his Shaytards channel where he uploads daily videos of his family life. What I find so fascinating is that he's gone from being a school bus driver to building up a media company which was then sold to The Walt Disney Company for $500 million. On top of his YouTube career, he lost 112 lbs in the space of a year and went on to run three marathons (whilst documenting it all on one of his channels), won three awards for his work, has done voice acting and brand deals, started a clothing company and is currently in the process of writing a book. Youtubers like him are the people I look up to because they're normal people who have worked hard to get to where they are and use their fame to entertain and inspire audiences around the world. 

Information

• Finding out about relevant events and conditions in immediate surrounding, society and the world
• Seeking advice on practical matters or opinion and decision choices
• Satisfying curiosity and general interest learning; self-education
• Gaining a sense of security through knowledge

To put it simply, this applies to media which people consume in order to gather information on something. They could be using Google to research the release date of film or find the definition of a word or be reading a newspaper to get up to speed on political issues. 

Sophisticated Weddings, New York Edition (Magazine)

The magazine above is dedicated to providing information regarding everything wedding related that is based in New York. This includes venues, dresses, florists, caterers, photographers and honeymoon locations etc. Obviously the demographic is very particular, but it's exactly what someone getting married in New York would look at to get the information they need. It's doesn't just contain every possible resource though, it focuses on the best available so people can use it if they need advice or opinions. 

WWF Website

For my own personal media consumption, I rely heavily on the internet because it's free and there's such a wide range of information to access. I often visit the WWF website to find out about the current situation with certain animals in the world, especially Giant Pandas. There are pages upon pages of facts about animals and the work that volunteers carry out, which interests me and helps me to learn more about nature and the environment. 

Integration and Social Interaction

• Gaining insight into circumstances of others; social empathy
• Identifying with others and gaining a sense of belonging
• Finding a basis for conversation and social interaction
• Having a substitute for real-life companionship
• Enabling one to connect with family, friends and society

This is when consumers socialise through online social networks to keep in contact with people and see what they get up to in their day to day lives. 

Facebook has 1.3 billion users, which means that it is likely to be the place where all your friends are sharing information and daily or even hourly updates. You can read the news, share photos and videos, organise events or even build a professional profile. It gives people a sense of belonging; you can meet people online who share the same interests as you and interact with them which helps those who perhaps don't have many friends in the real world, feel as though they do in the virtual world. Although I've never met anyone on Facebook myself and advanced to forming a friendship, I have interacted with people on pages for TV shows that I watch or artists that I listen to because we all share a common interest. 

Tumblr is a micro-blogging platform with 233 million blogs and for me, is a huge aspect of my social interaction. Making a blog is so easy, almost anyone can do it and you soon find yourself swept up in the virtual world of cat gifs and puns. People share photos, videos, music, stories, fashion, art, photography and basically everything you can think of. Even Barack Obama has an official blog.

It's been a place I can go to express myself and I don't have to filter my opinion because everyone on there is open to discussion about just about anything. I mostly use my fandom blog, which is where I 'reblog' fan art, gifs and text posts that relate to my favourite films, tv shows and artists. I also have a personal blog where I share photography that I like, as well as quotes that I can relate to. I've also previously used Tumblr as a portfolio for my AS Level Media coursework because it's so straightforward and user friendly. The site provides so much freedom and customisation, it's a fantastic place for creative people to show their talent to the world.

I think that in order to have a blog on Tumblr, you have to be quite open-minded and accepting of others, which I've seen no end of evidence of during my time on the site. People are constantly spreading awareness of issues within today's society such as the Ferguson riots, gay rights, politics and feminism and it's clear that the majority of the younger generation are extremely passionate about making a change in the world. I have become much more aware of such issues and the consequences, and find myself getting involved in a lot of campaigns and petitions to try and make a difference; something I doubt I'd do if I didn't have my own blog.

Entertainment

• Escaping, or being diverted, from problems
• Relaxing
• Getting intrinsic cultural or aesthetic enjoyment
• Filling time
• Emotional release
• Sexual arousal

The Sims franchise started way back in the year 2000 and is a life simulation video game series. You can build a house with thousands of customisation options and then create a family to move in, of which both processes have advanced phenomenally in the latest game. You can select their careers and make sure their needs are fulfilled, or let them die a slow, painful death. You are effectively playing God with tiny, virtual versions of yourself or your friends. This is a great way to escape from problems and fill time, a lot of people can actually find it quite therapeutic to have control over someone else's life and not have to deal with their own, even though the sims aren't actually real. 

Modern Family is an American sitcom that started in 2009 and has won multiple awards since. It's my go-to show when I need to relax, because it's lighthearted and I don't have to think about what's going on. Each character is different and likeable, and families across the world will find it easy to relate to each episode. The episodes only last for around twenty three minutes so it's easy to watch them to simply full time, but it's so entertaining that I often find myself watching three or four in a row which takes away my stress because I'm too busy laughing.

As well as all of the aspects of media consumption I've listed above, I also online shop and listen to music multiple times a week and to fill time and escape and read the local newspaper to keep updated on events in my area.