Unit 6 Assignment 3 notes

Impacts Video Games Have On People

• What is Violence? Blood and Gore, Fighting, Swearing, Usually with weapons. 
• Violence can be classed of one of two things: Gratuitous OR Informative. 

Gratuitous= there to entertain the audience. 

Informative= to educate/inform the audience about something. 

DESENSITISATION

-Meaning less sensitive towards something, so used to seeing it that it doesn't have an impact on you, you won't form an actual response and it won't have the desired effect on you. 

Task:  Pick a clip from a media product that represents violence. Write about your response to the clip. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y60kJDuuYQo
Gladiator Scene -Maximus kills Commodes.

• I felt enticed and full of energy when watching the scene.
• I had a shocked reaction but I was glad of the violence and that it showed Commodes's death in that way.
• My reaction was the Preferred Reading as the violence was meant to shock the audience. 

Effects Model

• What Is It? It is a theory. It was made up by people from 'The Frankfurt School' and it is based on how the media effects your behaviour. 
• It is otherwise named 'The Hypodermic Needle/Syringe Theory' because they believe that the media injects you with information and the "right" behaviour. 
• In simple terms: Monkey See Monkey Do -you see it and you will copy what you see. 
• The Theory suggests that audiences are Passive meaning that they will just take in all of the information and content without questioning or even thinking about it. -Removing our common sense.
• When the media believe into this theory they create something called a MORAL PANIC. 

I sort of disagree with this theory because I believe that not everyone who sees it will go out and do it as we have common sense. However the theory could be true in the case of children as they can be easily influenced and impressionable but that said it is not always the case. The theory could also apply for those people who already have emotional or psychological/mental issues. 

Moral Panic

1. Moral Panic means creating a panic about something that is seen to be damaging to our society. 
2. It is part of a cycle -using the media as a scapegoat to blame an issue on. People are easily persuaded that this issue is happening worldwide hear bye increasing the panic but never solving the problem. 
3. Violent Films and Violent Games are blamed the most for bad behaviour or issues that have happened gaining a big amount of blame.
4. The latest Moral Panic is that: "Video Games Breed Violent Behaviour" -henceforth blaming the people who MAKE the video games. 

The problems with this are that: Society just look for someone or something to blame. There is no concrete proof or evidence to suggest that the theory is true. Also the theory are based on rumours, suggestions and allegations making it biased and opinionated.  

Uses And Gratifications

• What Is It?  It is another theory. It is the opposite of the Effects Model theory, this theory focuses on why people use media products. 
• Suggesting that audiences are Active meaning that they choose to use the media product for a purpose.
• Reasons why they may choose to engage in the product could be; for entertainment, to inform them or to create an identity. 

List Of Video Games That Have Been Linked With Violence:

1. Mortal Kombat
2. Doom
3. Final Fantasy VIII
4. Grand Theft Auto III
5. Grand Theft Auto Vice City
6. Grand Theft Auto IV
7. Manhunt
8. Lineage II
9. Counter Strike
10. Modern Warfare 2
11. Call Of Duty
12. Mass Effect 

Research Task Worksheet Link