In today's society, there are large amounts of highly impressionable people, especially youth. Just how far will people go to be like what they see in the movies. It's a never ending issue as to whether or not films drive people to act irrationally, but is the correlation closer than we acknowledge.
Take for example the film "Natural Born Killers," a depiction of a
man and woman who are on a killing spree that is glorified by the media after they were apprehended. They then cause a prison riot, during which they escape from the prison. The film released and shortly after, there were many people mimi
cking the crimes, attempting to be the modern day Bonnie and Clyde (and not Jay-Z and Beyonce).
Now, back in 1999, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris just finished watching the film "The Basketball Diaries," where a dream
sequence shows a high school student killing his teacher and several classmates. Victims parent's believed that this movie segued Kleold and Harris, among some other factors, to open fire at Columbine High
School. Though these crimes and actions aren't necessarily foreseeable, one may wonder as to whether or not they were led to commit some crime based on a favorite film.
A loose example is the film "Scream," a movie that
portrays killers mimicking classic scary movies to lay out people's
death. This isn't a concept of real people mocking the film, but rather a good example of movies causing people to act out, and something to add to the mix.
I want to regurgitate a question semi-posed earlier, Do you think that films prompt people to act out what they see in the film, not necessarily commit crimes, but act out sexually, dip in the drug pool, or try some Evil Knievel stunt? (Granted I know this can be asked in regards to books, television shows, and even the news, but think about specific films)
38 comments:
the agenda-setting theory says that the media tells people to think about, even if it doesnt tell people what to think. so if there is a movie with a lot of drug use or profanity, viewers who wouldnt ordinarily think about those things at least have them in their mind. this might cause them to firmly decide against doing those things, or it might cause curiousity and interest in it - just depends on the person and the situation.
I guess that saying the media doesn't effect people's actions is like saying reading the Bible/ Book of Mormon doesn't make me want to be a good person. Neither can MAKE me want to do anything, but they both carry highly influential messages. In both instances there is agency involved, but it's also a matter of what people surround themselves with and what they want to believe. In the instance of Columbine, those guys surrounded themselves with a lot of bad media--A LOT of it. You can't point to that and say "this video game" (that they played for hours on end--about everyday), or "this movie" caused them to do what they did. However, you can't deny that a combination of a lot of bad media influenced the way they thought and viewed the world.
I don't think the media can make anyone do anything. It can put thoughts into our heads, and because we see and hear profanity, sex and drugs so frequently, often we may being to believe that those kinds of things are ok, and therefore we may act on those things. . . But the media cannot make us do anything.
People try to mimic films all the time. If had a lightsaber, who knows what I would do. But seriously, I remember my friend telling me of how he saw people mimicing a Fast and Furious scene in real life. It happens. All we can do is try and teach what is right and what is wrong.
I think that although movies don't directly influence action in all people, some people, such as children and the mentally unstable, can be easily coerced. Seeing violence on a movie could plant crazy ideas in their heads that could lead to horrific acts.
Yes, I think people are prone to doing things that the movies portray as cool. I think just about every movie portrays sex outside of marriage which reconfirms people's notion that it's okay.
I think violent films have an effect on people if they watch enough of them. Those two boys at Columbine were big into the Matrix and other such films and so dressed as such on that terrible day. So ya, i don't think watching a few scary movies will do anything, but once it becomes an addition, I think it's a problem. I think it's the same thing with pornography. The more a person does it, the more thye don't respect the other sex.
I think some people have a difficult time telling between reality and fiction. I remember playing demolition derby a TON when playstation was cool back in the day, and i remember in real life thinking of how much fun it would be to run into random cars. would I actually do it? Of course not, but obviously some people have difficulty seperating reality from fiction.
I think the media can give you subjects to think about, but then it's up to you what you think about them. Sure, something like drugs can be shown, but then it's up to you whether you'll become curious about it and experiment with drugs...or just decide that you really don't want to ever use them.
Similar to my response to the previous post, I don't think that a single movie will cause somebody to go out and do something drastically wrong. The people that were involved in shootings and acts of violence, such as in Colombine, continually exposed themselves to violent media. In my opinion, for someone to commit such a violent act of violence, they either have to be mentally unstable and unable to tell the difference between fact and fiction (in which case a movie glorifying violence might cause them to do something drastic) or they need to be violent by nature. The repeated viewing of violent movies can help add "wood to the fire."
That being said, I do believe anyone, no matter how good they are, can become desensitized to immorality and violence if they surround themselves with it.
I think that to a point, yes they can lead us to do things, but I think that we still have a control over how much we let them influence us. For example, after seeing Gone in 60 Seconds, as I left the theater I drove a little faster and harder than usual, but I still kept myself from breaking any laws or going too fast.
I think films have a huge effect on how people think. Do I think people do things solely because they saw it done in a movie....probably not. There are probably other factors that lead to a person acting out something similar to a movie. But I do think movies can provoke thought and convince people to think about doing things they would not do in normal circumstances. We think about those things that consume our lives. If movies consume peoples lives, then they will be more likely to act out what they see.
Films can have a profound effect on our emotions which we may later may give the idea for actions in real life mimicking the feelings from the film, on a larger scale. The film does not cause our actions but rather creates a feeling, then we find or do things in our lives to bring about the same emotions. An ad can't make me buy something, but it can make me want it.
Yes, I think a lot of times movies influence people to do things, good or bad. There are many movies that inspire me and make me want to be better
I don't know. I think that some people are affected by the movies to the point that they would act out certain things that come up in movies, but I don't think they serve to change people completely. I think that most of the time the movies just emphasize or exaggerate something that is already there inside the person.
I believe that it can have some influence, but the people who are influenced most heavily to commit these violent acts already had something wrong with them mentally and probably had been planning on doing something violent. These movies just presented some new scheme to commit their violent act.
I totally believe the actions of people are influenced by movies. I feel sorry for people that have movies as their PRIMARY influence. Our major influences, as far as how we act, should be good family and true religion. After that, wholesome media doesn't hurt. But when media, especially, UNWHOLESOME media becomes number one, that is when things can get dangerous.
I definitely believe that some people act out what they see on the screen. I think this comes largely from a need of social acceptance. The viewer sees something occur in a movie and possibly has the thought that the action is OK to do or will help them attract attention and/or social acceptance.
Today I had the opportunity to hear Elder Ballard speak at my stake conference. He said it is very important for us to realize who we are and draw specific lines that we don't cross. This way, when an opportunity to sin presents itself, we have all ready made our decision to stay pure and worthy.
Whatever we put into our systems ultimately effects our thoughts, which ultimately effects our behaviors. I think horror movies are disgusting and cannot understand why anyone would want to put that into their heads! I watched a documentary about murder in a sociology class and it talked about how one of the murderers had spent weeks and weeks just watching horror movies. Nasty. They should be banned!!!!!
I stopped watching scary movies a long time ago because they affected me. Especially when I was young, I had a harder time falling asleep, going outside alone in the dark, and camping - which is one of my favorite hobbies. The sixth sense messed me up when I saw it in theaters, the exorcist and even what lies beneath had be freaked out. I refuse to watch movies like those mentioned anymore because life is too great and beautiful to be afraid of.
I feel that movies definitely have an impact. I don't think they are the sole factors of people committing terrible acts, however, I do think it opens their eyes to other possibilities. I think the media through many different mediums influences how society thinks and ultimately acts.
its possible. I cant answer that.
I think that movies influence people but ultimately everyone has agency. I think there are a lot of factors that go into people making poor decisions and being engulfed in poor movie choices may have impact, but I do not feel like it is the deciding factor.
Movies tend to have a really big impact on me. I have to be really careful in choosing scary movies since some will haunt me for weeks. I would hope that movies wouldn't inspire people to kill or act out in violence, but I am sure somewhere down the line they have. I think everything that we watch or read affects us in some way.
I hate when people ask this question. It's like the question "did playing video games make that nerdy boy shoot his friend?" NO. the game itself did not make him shoot people. Movies are suppossed to make you feel something. You are suppossed to laugh, cry, think about how things are, etc...But I think people are smart enough to know that it's a stinking movie and just because people on screen are doing cocaine doesn't mean that we need to run to the nearest druggie and buy cocaine too.
As a child some of my favorite movies were also a part of my lifestyle. I think movies definitely have an impact on children, not directly but there is some type of influence. Thats why its so important that we know what our children our consuming. It may not directly affect their actions but it can affect in ways that we cant see such as thoughts or emotions.
To reiterate a number of comments above, I agree that movies can have an influence, although they aren't what pull the trigger. Of course, it does makes you wonder how our culture would be different if our motion picture media had never began depicting violence with lifelike reality...
I remember when I was a kid and seeing "Three Musketeers" in the theater and afterward playing in my backyard, pretending to be a musketeer. I think that movies definitely influence us -- all media does. But in the end, we choose what films we watch and how we respond to them.
I think the media can attract our attention but I do no believe it can make us do something. It can influence us and give us ideas but our actions and beliefs come down to what we are or are not willing to believe or do.
If a movie says it's "cool", I think people are prone to do it... but that would also depend on the individual that is watching. If I see some movie where some psycho is killing off random people, I'm NOT going to go out there in do the same thing, but that may not be the same for everyone. Point is, media has an effect and according to the agenda setting theory, it tells us what to think about. I may not go out and kill people BUT I'll be afraid of people that might.
Sadly enough movies have a strong influence on lots...if they don't have anything else to really look towards you can bet that movies made you want to smoke just because it calmed my favorite actor down, so it would do the same for you...i think it does give people something to try when they might be bored.
I do think that a movie can influence one's behavior. I am not saying it will influence everybody's behavior, but over a time period it can influence behavior. For example, I have a younger brother whose childhood revolved around the movies he watched. First he became a lion, then fish, then Spider Man, Batman, and even the Hulk. He would make for himself costumes of these characters and emulate all their doings. You might think, "he is a child, and that is what they do" but adults do the same thing. I saw a friend repeat to her father, the same words she saw the protagonist of a movie say in her favorite movie, that she had seen several times. It was a very rude line, and she confessed after that that she only said it because it looked so cool in the movie, and that she never meant to offend anyone. And she was 19 at the time. So, even if we don't realize it, they do affect us
I do think that a movie can influence one's behavior. I am not saying it will influence everybody's behavior, but over a time period it can influence behavior. For example, I have a younger brother whose childhood revolved around the movies he watched. First he became a lion, then fish, then Spider Man, Batman, and even the Hulk. He would make for himself costumes of these characters and emulate all their doings. You might think, "he is a child, and that is what they do" but adults do the same thing. I saw a friend repeat to her father, the same words she saw the protagonist of a movie say in her favorite movie, that she had seen several times. It was a very rude line, and she confessed after that that she only said it because it looked so cool in the movie, and that she never meant to offend anyone. And she was 19 at the time. So, even if we don't realize it, they do affect us.
As a kid I would always try to act out what I saw in movies. I had a cool looking Indiana Jones hat and a rope and an interesting bag that I would put stuff in. I would go out in the orchard by our house and just wonder around pretending to be on some quest.
I remember doing a quick study for Comms 211 about High School shootings. I remember there was strong evidence to support the idea that after the movie "Basketball Diaries," the shooters almost always wore a black trench coat. It makes you wonder why the black trench coat became the uniform.
I think movies frame expectations. They create norms which we often incorporate into our own lives. How many women think of the movie "Father of the Bride" and compare that to there own wedding?
I definitely think that films have can have influential powers. There's a reason that the general authorities urge us not to watch rated R movies. No matter what you see or hear in a film, you are responsible for your own actions. You can't exonerate yourself by blaming the media.
I absolutely believe that movies have an effect on the way people perceive reality or what they think is cool or important. I don't know that horror movies produce killers, but I think on a much more subtle level we are influenced to act like the heroes that we often worship on the silver screen. For girls it is often reflected in being sexy just like the girls they see on screen.
Sure, i think movies can have that affect on people...but i think that there needs to be more to it than just "they do drugs in this movie, therefore i will do drugs". I strongly feel that movies and other forms of media can encourage us to live a certain lifestyle, but i think it is just a contributing factor... and probably not the biggest factor. I just can't bring myself to believe that movies and other media were the leading reason that the shootings at columbine happened.
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