Children Final

"National Television Violence Study"

(a lot of this info is on the class notes slide) -3 year study -Three main effects of viewing televised violence: learning aggressive attitudes and behaviors, increased fear of becoming victimized by violence, desensitization to violence -portrayal of violence is: glamorized, sanitized, routine (makes it seem justified) -relative lack of change in portrayal of violence over three years 0encourages more responsible television programming, does not call for censorship; calls on creators and viewers of television to reconsider programming and viewing habits -NOT an effects study -4 foundations: 1. television violence contributes to harmful effects on viewers 2. three types of harmful effects can occur from viewing televised violence (learning aggressive attitudes and behaviors, desensitization, and increased fear of victimization) 3. Not all violence poses the same degree of risks of these harmful effects --> depends on contextual features: -attractive perpetrator (heroes, good guys, attractive) -attractive victim (empathize more with good characters than bad ones, increases fear) -justified violence - legitimize behavior (self-defense or protecting a loved one) (increase learning aggression) -conventional weapon - priming effect (trigger the memory of past violent events and behaviors) -extensive/graphic violence (increase in all three areas) -realistic violence - *children under 7 - no reality/fantasy distinguishing, cartoons are impactful -rewards and punishments - increase learning, leave viewers more anxious -pain/harm cues - showing the serious harm or pain that occurs from violence can discourage viewers from imitating or learning aggression -humor - less devastating and harmful; may seem like a reward for violence, desensitize 4. Not all viewers are affected by violence in the same way -those under 7 are particularly at risk (cognitive abilities are still developing, more likely to perceive fantasy and cartoon violence as realistic; less capable of linking scenes together = if punishment for violence is delayed until the end of a program, it may go unnoticed -issue of television content ratings -rarity of anti-violence programming and public service announcements likely to foster anti-violence attitudes or behavior -definition of violence (overt depiction, threat or actual force)--> include three forms of violence in their findings: 1. credible threats 2. behavioral acts 3. harmful consequences of unseen violence -examined different aspects of the program: 1. identified each violent incident (interaction between perpetrator and victim) 2. violent scene (instance of ongoing, uninterrupted violence) 3. violent program (analyzed entire program) -many reality programs are segmented (a single program contains several narratively distinct stories that are coded essentially as separate programs) -V-chip: parental block -ways to reduce violence among adolescents: PSAs are more effective than celebrity endorsements; anti-violence PSAs would be more effective if they demonstrated negative consequences of violent behavior (most effective: show death, paralysis, no consequence) -violence glamorized: nearly 40% of violent incidents on tv are initiated by characters who possess qualities that make them attractive role models; physical aggression is often condoned; 1/3 bad characters never punished -sanitized: ignores or underestimates what happens to the victims of violence; less than 20% portray the long-term damage -trivialized: more than half of the violent incidents feature physical aggression that would be lethal or incapacitating if it were to occur in real life; 40% undermined by humor -few anti-violence themes (less than 5%) -60% of TV programs containged violence -proportion of programs with violence has increased on the broadcast networks and on basic cable -6 violent incidents/hour; more than 60% involve repeated behavioral acts of aggression -cartoons: typical preschooler watches about 203 hours of tv a day; about 1 high-risk portrayal of violence per hour in cartoons -violent reality programming is concentrated in the evening -reality programming = less violent than tv programming overall -reality programming: "talk about violence" -for most programs, age-based ratings without content descriptors have no relation to the presence of violence -TVG and TVPG are the most frequently used rating -individual channels varied greatly in their implementation of the system Recommendations: -TV Industry: -program producers should make efforts to show: more frequent remorse, criticism or penalty associated with violent acts; more of the serious negative consequences of violence; less justification -greater emphasis on a strong anti-violence theme; produce more programs that avoid violence; reduce number of high-risk portrayals of violence in children's cartoon programs; present more alternatives to violence and strategies for coping with its effects; reality programs should be scheduled later in the evening -Ratings and Advisories: -avoid potential "forbidden fruit" effects; NBC and BET should be encouraged to adopt the amended rating system which indicates the content of programs; rated in a way that clearly warns parents; present ratings orally as well as visually -Anti-Violence Media Campaigns: -stuff listed above about PSAs with direct punishments and negative consequences, anti-violence PSAs, keep corporate logos and tag length to a minimum -Policymakers: -continue to monitor the nature and extent of violence on tv, context is essential (violence as attractive, rewarding and painless = significant in increasing children's aggressive behavior); more research on TV ratings; prioritize parent education -Parents: -be aware of the risks associated with viewing tv violence (3); consider the context; consider child's developmental level; certain types of cartoons pose particularly high risk; try to obtain as much info as possible about content of program before deciding; let your opinions about rating system and violence be known

Class Notes: Policy and Regulation

-"Television is a stable companion after school hours, music is a mood creator, and electronic games may be catalysts for meeting friends. In very concrete terms, the media help structure time and space for their users, just as their various genres, formats, and social uses serve as symbolic means of meaning making and interpretation for the young." -Kirsten Drotner -social media = outlet for identity achievement (know these four stages) -still watch a lot of TV, and multi-screening (more than 10 hours of media use a day) -more influential than any other power in their lives -why is food marketing a problem? -prefrontal cortex (control inhibition) isn't developed; health implications (90's --> higher rates of child advertising and higher rates of obesity); brand loyalty/commercialism issue; not being given the tools to understand they are being marketed to (media literacy); Consuming Kids Movie: schools and advertisements and getting products in school -The New Age of Food Marketing: 5 main categories used to target children: 1. creating immersive environments (interactive online) ex: Avatar and McDonalds, creating a game; allow children a chance to be a part of the world; interactivity component --> cognitive and physical 2. infiltrating social networks ex: sponsored ads based on previous history; also viral marketing campaigns that are meant to be hared and spread; online brand ambassadors --> so what? i you don't know where it's going from, it's a bigger issue 3. location-based and mobile marketing ex: when you check in somewhere, you start seeing marketing gear towards your physical location; mobile marketing; so what? incentives to try to control your behavior, you are being tracked: PRIVACY (and we know from last week's readings that it is a cultural part of youth, kids want to be there); cultivation theory constantly being bombarded; class issue at work: Spotify - pay to be ad-free, pay to not be influenced/save your privacy 4. collecting personal data -what is happening with this data? -civil liberties implications 5. studying and triggering the subconscious -you are competing with MBAs -marketing looks at the cognitive -Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (2000): "Prohibits unfair and deceptive acts and practices in connection with the collection and use of personally identifiable information from and about children on the Internet." -COPPA revisions 2013 - a 6-step process "reasonable procedures" - does not say don't use it, don't sell it 1. determine if your website/online service collects info from kids under 13 2. post a privacy policy that complies with COPPA 3. notify parents directly before collecting info from kids 4. get parents' verifiable consent 5. honor parents' ongoing rights with respect to info collected from their kids 6. implement reasonable procedures to protect security of kids' info -Applies to Apps, Games, Online Activities—any website that collects or maintains personal information from or about kids 13 and younger -Parents can: -Ask for disclosure of personal information collected -Refuse to permit the use of the personal information -Refuse to permit the future collection of personal information -Enforced by the Federal Trade Commission: "When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under 13, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) puts parents in control." -opposite of quote, COPPA does not put parents in control - FTC doesn't want to deal with it, puts responsibilities on parents and away from marketers -Staff report: By 2012 "despite many high-visibility efforts to increase transparency in the mobile marketplace, little or no progress has been made." -Apps containing advertisements (2012) - 58%; only 35% disclose they contained advertising -called for more transparency, more streamlined choices about privacy info -FTC - never really make any changes Self regulation: Representative of marketing teams or online industries make recommendations and then those get approved by the FTC 2011; 2012 Free speech rights of children violated? Corporate free speech? -self-regulation industry is making its own regulation (Spongebob App privacy concern complaint removed) -if we tried to regulate content that is potentially risky or harmful to children, is it violating their first amendment rights? (readings from last week) -Final Report of the Internet Safety Technical Task Force: -sexual predation on minors by adults online and offline remain a concern -bullying and harassment, most often by peers, are the most frequent threats that minors face, both online and offline -internet increases availability of harmful, problematic and illegal content, but does not always increase minors' exposure -minors are not equally at risk online -biggest threat - from bullying -minors are not equally at risk online ex: parental factors -Should anything be done? -In-class work: Addressing as groups both the NTVS, public health recommendations and this week's readings.... Consider what you think could or should be done for both television and video games: Industry issues Parental issues Policy and regulatory issues Cultural issues

"Training recruits and conditioning youth" by David B. Nieborg

-America's Army platform: propaganda; part of a wider U.S. strat comm campaign -freely downloadable, mized educational, ludic, marketing and propaganda elements, fits into FPS genre, promoting a highly politicized recruiting and public relations agenda -developed and maintained by the us army -distributed via peer-to-peer software, websites -online, multiplayer, squad-based tactical FPS game played on the PC -goal: to inform and interact with popular culture rather than to persuade or indoctrinate, and to raise awareness of the US Army brand, rather than recruit directly -show the many opportunities in the army -a fully branded virtual world; gamers are positioned to get an overall favorable impression of the US army as an institution -immersive advertisements in the form of entertainment -Xbox, phone, pc, paraphernalia -interactive "training" 1. advergame 2. edugame 3. testing tool 4. propaganda game -draws on the notion of "soft power" - more culture; modern warfare has already become a familiar and commoditized intertext -digital games as soft power (a persuasive approach to international relations, typically involving the use of economic or cultural influence - wikipedia) -dwindling international support for the Global War on Terror -soft power (cultural power) is split into hegemonic and sweet power As an Advergame: -films, television series, toys, and other entertainment products are co-developed with the direct input of military interests -FPS: the fetishization of weaponry, the focus on infantry and close-quarters combat, and the emphasis on rankings and multiplayer competitions As Edugame: -what it takes to be in the army; loading screen = Soldier's Creed As Propaganda: -showing that violence used by the US Army is justified because freedom must be defended -lethal force is justified as a legitimate and necessary state action; defend freedom -always play as US soldiers -training US army recruits as well as conditioning a global youth culture through a single game -many 12 year olds play; not knowing what the goal of the game is (time of identity exploration)

"When is too much too much? Excessive internet use and addictive behavior" by Subrahmanyan and Smahel

-Jamie: 70 hrs/week, on his mind even when offline, influences his mood, withdrawal symptoms, social and intellectual life linked to it, sleeping patterns suffered, no friends outside online life, denial -adolescents = most at risk for online addictions (LOOK UP her four stages again for identity development, may be useful) -4 areas of online addictions: online gaming, online relationships, virtual sexual behavior and online gambling -debate: addiction on vs. to the internet (in the absence of the internet, is it likely that the problem will manifest itself in other ways? = addiction on the internet) (addiction to the internet - implies the behavior of concern would not have show up in any other context) *they use addictive behavior on the internet to characterize excessive Internet use, without presuming the Internet itself is the originator of this addictive behavior -Young: Internet addiction is any online-related, compulsive behavior which interfered with normal living and causes severe stress on family, friends, loved ones, and one's work environment -completely dominates the addict's life -surveyed 277 US undergrads, 8.1% = pathological users --> 8.5 hrs/weekly; accessed to play interactive games, meet new people for emotional support and behaved in a more uninhibited way -rates of male addicts were higher in Asia; no gender difference in US -no relationship with demographic variables -questions on online addictive behavior measured: 1. cognitive and behavioral salience 2. tolerance 3. positive and negative mood change 4. conflict aspects 5. time aspects - unsuccessful attempts to cut down time -age trends: most prevalent 12-15, then 20-26; no gender differences -increased presence of conflict (in internet use) during adolescence may be responsible for the greater likelihood of addictive behavior in youth -6 basic components of addictive behavior on the internet: 1. salience: online activity becomes most important in an individual's life and dominates cognitive and emotional processes and behavior 2. mood modification 3. tolerance: larger doses are required to experience the original mood 4. withdrawal symptoms 5. conflict: interpersonal (mostly with family and friends) or intrapersonal conflict 6. relapse -Griffiths: a person is addicted only if ALL components are present -when show only a few dimensions, excessive use was purely symptomatic and Internet as a coping mechanism for the real world -many current criteria are based on negative family dynamics; criteria should be modified -study on Taiwanese kids: 13 diagnostic criteria, divided into three groups A. maladaptive pattern of Internet use: leads to clinically significant impairment or distress -preoccupation, failure to resist impulse, tolerance, withdrawal, use for longer than intended, persistent desire and/or unsuccessful attempts to cut down use, excessive time and effort spent, continued use despite knowledge of having a problem B. Functional impairment: one (or more of the following symptoms have to be present: -recurrent Internet use resulting in failure to fulfill major role-related obligations at school and home; internet use results in impairment of social relationships; internet use lads to behavior that violates school rules or laws C. Not explained by any other psychiatric condition -Correlates of addictive behavior: problems in other aspects of lives (academics, family relations, physical health, mental health, finances, substance abuse, cyber bullying) -Online Games: -played by 59-87% of 12-18; issue of violence in online gaming -MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) ex: World of Warcraft; especially addicting; online communities -issue with parents: focus on the time spent playing and treat it as a problem but do not realize that it is a social activity for the youth -average age of MMORPG players = emerging adulthood around 25 y/o; men = 90% players, average age of female is higher (older=more gender even) -"addiction" as a fashion statement -*a lot of communication, cooperation; group-oriented environment corresponds to adolescent's and emerging adults' need to create and become members of groups to compare themselves and measure strength as well as to increase their self-esteem and self-efficacy -youth with deficiencies in ability to read, press and elicit desired emotions are more prone to partake in online-addictive behaviors -Cyber Relationship: -at-times anonymous character; making up for things lacking in offline lives - sense of social support -intimate nature/emotional bonds -access Internet to promote communication among users versus for information -loneliness - use internet for emotional support, meet new people, interact with others, and behave online in a less inhibited way -no significant relationship between loneliness and frequent online communication -Sexual Compulsive Behavior/Sexual Addictive Behavior -exploration vs. addiction -an irresistible urge to perform irrational sexual behavior : 1. Denial 2. Repeated unsuccessful discontinuation 3. Excessive time 4. Negative effects of online sexual behavior (social, individual and personal problems and conflicts) 5. repeating online sexual behavior -3 types of users: recreational and non-pathological users (satisfy curiosity, sometimes experimenting, satisfy sexual needs), compulsive users (sexually compulsive traits and negative consequences); hazardous users (have no prior history of sexually compulsive behavior, but experience their first problems when exploring the internet) -Online Gambling: -risks something of value on the outcome of an uncertain event, no control over results -law and policy implications -very few adolescents report gambling online -more likely to report a drug/alc problem for themselves, peers, family members, have learning disability, slow learners, family problems, score higher in clinical rage assessing emotional problems -Treatment: (need more research) 1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy -premise that thoughts determine feelings -train clients to monitor and identify thoughts that trigger actions and feelings, develop coping skills, takes about 3 mo -limit time spent online: map day, set goals, external announcements, abstinence 2. Reality Therapy -assumes people are responsible for their lives -focuses on rational choice of behavior -10 group sessions

Montgomery Chapter 6: Marketing in the New Millennium

-The Real World MTV 1992 -soap opera/documentary; reunited people and put in an apartment for four months; "reality programming" -Trishelle pregnancy scare: turned educational if you're late on your period; Fight for Your Rights: Protect Yourself -mesh campaigns with teen media habits -Sex Ed in the Digital Age: -August 1996 President Clinton signed the Welfare Reform Act --> people mad/abandoned -"abstinence only" sex ed -so, needed to turn to media for sex ed -in prime-time tv soap operas --> entertainment-edu -Advocated for Youth - birth control, abortion, stds ex: Dawson's Creek and Felicity - teen sexual health and date rape -some outcry ex: oral sex story line (consulted on by the Advocates for Youth) in Boston Public --> continuation of government intervention -Advocates for Youth turned to the Internet -I Want My MTV!: -Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation public health campaign on sexual health in late 1990s -tv/Hollywood -paired with magazines (ex: Seventeen) --> special features and reader surveys about sexual behavior -partnerships with MTV (but, for many social critics, MTV was part of the problem) -Be Safe Campaign 1997 --> hotline, PSAs, booklet -rebranded under MTVs Fight for Your Rights: Protect Yourself -controversy: Rock for Life said they were taking the role of parents -coordinate with offline comm events ex: Planned Parenthood -some problems with reality shows; unscripted nature -incorporate the campaign's themes into unscripted reality shows can sometimes result in unintended and confused messages ex: Real World - put Trinelle in an interview with Planned Parenthood person - showed that the show's fishbowl nature is actually probably what lead to her scare --> distracts from the real problems -"Knowing is Beautiful": (hip hop artists, normalize getting tested) -partnership with music network's parent company Viacom -203 Know HIV/AIDS campaign -BET (Black Entertainment TV) Rap It Up -United Paramount Network (UPN) = one of the most popular channels among AA youth -UPN's sitcom Girlfriends --> emailed plot summary to entice viewers -to normalize testing, Kaiser and Viacom launched PSAs "Knowing is Beautiful" - use hip hop artist and themes -went global -Telling "The Truth" to Youth: -1994 suit against tobacco companies -master settlement agreement: pull tobacco ads from buses, subways, and other public transit systems and sports arenas, malls, video arcades... -non-profit American Legacy Foundation --> use money from tobacco companies to do nation-wide public education campaigns to reduce smoking among young people -Controlling Tobacco: -FEC: free PSAs to counteradvertise tobacco -1988 Cali: increase state surtax on cigs -The Campaign for Tobacco - Free Kids 1994 -public-shaming messages -truth counteradvt campaign, 1997 Florida Department of Health -but, started to attack the character of smoking companies, so wanted MSA to put restrictions on language (no personal attack or vilification, only for public education and addictiveness health and social costs related to tobacco use) -issue of vilification of tobacco companies --> need edgy advertising for target audience; no preaching -Unselling Smoking: -CDC signed with Columbia U -worked with top advertising and youth marketing experts -target audience 15-16 = most vulnerable; rebellious, sensation-seeking; 12-17 y/o -truth.com, branded merchandise, peer-to-peer buzz marketing -The Truth Tour; appearances at popular teen music and sports events; 80 young volunteers for summer 2001 outbreak tour, "truth trucks"; ads did not preach -CBS, NBC and ABC all rejected the idea initially: averse to advocacy advertisement -NBC body bag ad in 2000 olympic broadcast -truth campaign website -- info, interactive, convos -the foundation constantly faced vilification clause concerns -decided to set up mechanisms allowing youth to write "webletters" to tobacco industry through their site after debate -2001 radio ad --> kid asking tobacco company if they want his quality dog urine --> Lorillard filed complaint -finally, Delaware judge ruled against tobacco company, the truth campaign did not violate -Calling All "NOISEmakers": -decline in youth civic engagement -nonprofit Save the Children launched a new org to engage youth; Diane Ty (?) -launch a website -meeting with cofounder of Bolt.com -volunteerism increased -counter "nerdy" image of activism -teen's self-obsession -YouthNOISE - tapping into growing interest in "cause marketing" (link brand/product to charity) -Save the children, AOL Time Warner Foundation... -2000 debut hit by the inflated dot-com market -early 2001, worked with media partner 17 mag --> article about women treatment in Afghanistan -Just-1-Click program to get youth to be engaged to lead to donations; also offered prizes to three random people; however, premiere coincided with 9/11 -9/11 -online communities, reach out to loved ones; youth = online to message boards -launched 1st email newsletter NOISEnews the next day after working all night; as well as other features about the crisis (was increased traffic on site)

Chapter 3: A V-Chip for the Internet by Kathryn Montgomery

-Time story on cyberporn -criticized for causing undue alarm among the public -more responsibilities, harder to monitor children's media consumption -growth of satellite and cable tv -concern over sexual lyrics in music and graphic video games -VP Al Gore's vision of an information highway (good for edu) -A Clash of Visions and Values: -The Communications Decency Act (CDA) - legislation would outlaw obscene content and impose fines of up to $100,000 and prison terms of up to 2 years on anyone who knowingly made "indecent" material online available to children under 18 -conservative media-watchdog group Morality in Media - 1970s filed complaint with FCC against the radio broadcast of comedian George Carlin's "Seven Dirty Words" --> Supreme Court ruled the material in the recording was indecent and had to be restricted to broadcasting during hours when children are not likely to be in the audience -1980's passed a law to ban telephone indecency after "900 number" companies that charged large fees to let callers hear sexually explicit messages -republicans in the majority, influence of conservative religious groups ex: Christian Coalition (May 1995 exec director Ralph Reed release a 10 pt "Contract with the American Family" --> first item was a call to Congress to enact legislation toprotect children from being exposed to pornography on the Internet); Senator James Exon -many opposing the measure: American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), American Library Association... -in their campaign against the Communications Decency Act, these organizations argued that the Internet was a far and different medium from television, and that because of its unique nature it deserved to remain unregulated, any attempt to regulate constituted a severe threat against First Amendment; claim they represented the interests of children -civil liberty activists staged an online "Internet Day of Protest" - December 1995, sent more than 20,000 emails to lawmakers ; but, the Communications Decency Act was passed as part of the telecommunications bill in 1996 -CDA - vague language -September 1995 FBI arrested 12 people who had been using AOL to lure children and teens into sex and to distribute images of child pornography -President Clinton signed Telecommunications Act into law on Feb 8, 1996 -cyberporn was just a part of a host of "family value" issues -A Simple Thing: -President spoke at length about the V-chip: legislation mandating all new tv sets 13 inches and larger would have to be equipped with a new technological device to enable easy blocking of certain TV programs; work with a new tv-program ratings system to be developed voluntarily by the industry -Chipping Away at TV Violence: -1993, congressional hearings on tv violence; industry tried to come up with advisories - criticized by all; Senator Simon warned that if the TV leadership did not do something within 60 days, Congress would legislate; new anti-TV violence bills were introduced -tim collings - v-chip -lobbying force National Association of Broadcasters (NAB); represented local media in every congressional district --> a lot of influence -one of its key lobbying tactics was to bring the station managers from a congressperson's district to meet with the lawmaker to plead in person regarding whatever particular case was on the table -"spectrum flexibility" - new technological processes made it possible for a small portion of the new s[spectrum to be sufficient for digital TV broadcasting, which would allow the remainder to be diverted for a number of other potentially lucrative uses, such as data transmission and multicasting -many people within the industry were anxious that congressional efforts would broaden beyond concerns over violence into areas of sexual content and language: afraid of it becoming the S-chip (sex) -1980s, music industry under pressure -video game producers -as part of the legislative agreement on TV ratings, the industry was to hold a series of meetings with industry groups, academic experts, and health professionals as it developed the new system for labeling programs - the whole process had problems and complications Dick Wolf launched a crusade against the chip, warning that ratings would dumb down television and prompt advertisers to pull their commercials from some of the most successful prime-time shows -challenging Communications Decency Act -national PTA and the American Psychological Association had suoght similar system wit hindicators of violence, sex and language; *survey found parents found "content ratings" such as the one already in use by HBO, to be preferable to "age-based" labels like the MPAA's movie ratings -content descriptors --> ended up being a confusing set of labels: S (sex) v (violence) d (sexual innuendo ex: Friends) l (language) --> MBC and BET did not join the other networks in using these content descriptors -label for violent children's shows "TV-Y7-FV" - epitomized contentious negotiation process -A Family-Friendly Internet: -U.S. Supreme Court declared the Communications Decency Act unconstitutional - new models for policies to handle Internet indecency; this time, Clinton Admin took a clear hands off approach to regulating content on the Internet -administration policy designed to allow the growth of e-commerce to proceed unfettered by government involvement ; White House released a "Framework for Global Electronic Commerce" - outlining the government's official policy -America Online president Steve Case: '"you don't let your kids take a trip in a car without a safety belt. You shouldn't let your kids travel in cyberspace without this Internet toolbox."' -at the heart of the toolbox strategy: array of new filtering software and blocking technologies -Bennett Haselton 18 year old college student at Vanderbilt; wage an online campaign against filtering companies; created website PeaceFire - purpose to expose the inner workings of filtering software and instruct children and teens on methods for dismantling the tools - leaked info about CyberSitter to Wired.com

"The influence of violent media on children and adolescents: a public-health approach" by Kevin D. Brown and Catherine Hamilton-Giachritsis

-consider research from a public health perspective -meta-analyses -consistent evidence that violent imagery in television, film and video, and computer games has substantial short-term effects on arousal, thoughts and emotions, increasing the likelihood of aggressive or fearful behavior in younger children, especially in boys -some individuals are more susceptible than others to the effects of violence -the report emphasizes the need for health services to be associated with the prevention of violence through family and community interventions -the behavior of parents in monitoring the use of televisions and computers and knowingly or unknowingly allowing access to violent imagery should be considered -role of communities and societies -remarkable consistency in children's tv viewing habits across 23 countries -93% of children who attend school spent more than 50% of their leisure time watching television -most parents believe that television affects the way their children talk, dress and behave -a positive association between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior, although some group and cultural distinctions were evident -child's TV: about 20-25 violent acts/hr -structural equation modelling showed that childhood exposure to media violence was predictive of aggressive behavior in early adulthood in both men and women, even when controlling for socioeconomic status, intelligence quotient, and various parenting factors -aggressive or antisocial behavior is heightened in children and adolescents after watching violent television or films -overall, boys more susceptible to violence than girls; young children (0-5) showing highest effects followed by older children (6-11) and adolescents (12-17) -cartoons and fantasy had the most effect of violence-only programs -few have considered the relation of background factors (ex: family violence) with the effects of media violence -music lyrics and videos: desensitization to violence -video and computer game research - amplify physiological arousal, aggression-related thoughts and feelings, and reduce pro-social behavior with a small to medium effect size similar to the effects of television and film violence -over time, games = more life-like, games with human characters had more effect than abstract violence -violent video games are related to later aggressive behavior and delinquency, especially in boys -men are more desensitized to interpersonal conflict after exposure to media violence than women -mental health problems/viewing under the influence of drugs or alc may also be susceptible to violence -social learning theory - asserts that exposure to media violence would produce arousal and imitation, and reinforce aggressive play -cognitive theory: media violence might prime aggressive ideas, feelings, and actions that are already present -individual, social and media influences in order or strength of association with antisocial behavior in 122 young men established by discriminant functional analysis: thoughts of physical confrontation, stepfather present (previous family breakdown), angry temperment, low level of moral devel, low empathy for others, parental violence to young person.......) -individuals from violent backgrounds are more likely to have distorted ideas about physical confrontation, be more prone to offending behavior, and have a preference for media violence can be proposed -American parents prefer categorizations related to content rather than age when selecting an appropriate film for their children -ratings have little effect on children over 10 years of age -should educate filmmakers and producers of violent media who fear a loss of revenue by reducing violent imagery --> reducing violence heightened enjoyment for women and did not have an effect on men Parents should: -be aware of risks; review content; assist child's understanding of violent imagery appropriate to their developmental level Professionals should: -offer support and advice to parents who allow children unsupervised access; educate young people in critical film appraisal (in terms of realism, justification and consequences); exercise greater control over access; use violent film material in anger management programs under guidance Media producers should: -reduce violent content, promote antiviolence themes; ensure violence is presented with remorse, criticism and penalty; make sure it's not justified Policy makers: -monitor the nature, extent and content of violence in all forms; ensure education in media awareness

"Growing up tethered" by Sherry Turkle

-constantly needing to be connected, talking about needing to text while driving -willing to take risks to be constantly connected -sometimes only have time for your friends if they are online -intimacy without privacy reinvented what intimacy means; separation is being redefined, too -connect to Livingston for growing up faster, longer: children separate from parents - the rite of passage is now being transformed - lack of separation/true independence -adolescents don't face the same pressure to develop the independence we have associated with moving forward in adulthood -many parents give cell phones (ages 9-13) with the contract: answer parents' calls -"mistake" of having taught their parents how to text and send instant messages -autonomy is both from parents and peers - online life provides room for experimentation, but can be hard to escape from new group demands (friends are expected to stay available) -The Collaborative Self - share emotions, text friends to get the same feeling/validation; want an immediate response -look to others for validation if there is no firm inner sense of purpose -if one friend doesn't "get" it, calls/texts/contacts another -"I have said in the psychoanalytic tradition, one speaks about narcissism not to indicate people who love themselves, but a personality so fragile that it needs constant support" -computers and phones provide communication when families are absent -many of the high school and college kids' texts are to parents -Erik Erikson's moratorium: they need a "time out", a relatively consequence-free space for experimentation -The Avatar of Me - identity play -Erikson: identity play is the work of adolescents -The Sims Online - rework in the virtual aspects of life -ex: Trish, beaten by alcoholic father; creates an abusive family on Sims but is physically and emotionally strong -"practice" for being a different kind of person, if they wish -social-networking sites: one's profile becomes an avatar of sorts: a statement of not who you are but who you want to be; fb "friend" acceptance rules - how will this "friendship" reflect on you; strangers -Presentation Anxiety - only my friends will know if I lie a bit, and they will understand -13-18 = the years of profile writing; years of identity construction are recast in terms of profile production -putting on different personas, ex: for college applications -molding an fb page -online communication: feel in control, opportunity to ignore others' feelings, you can avoid contact -Brad: you can't be "a little bit" on fb; mistrust friends, get reduced to a list of favorite things; fear of being passed over if he is modest and doesn't put down all of his interests, but feels that to talk about his strengths will be unseemly

"The development of a child into a consumer" by Patti M. Valkenburg and Joanne Cantor

-development of children's consumer behavior from infancy to 12 years -a consumer is able to: 1. feel wants and preferences 2. search to fulfill them 3. make a choice and purchase 4. evaluate the product and its alternatives -children have money to spend on their wants and needs -children are a future market: want to develop brand loyalty at a young age -children are important *influencers (to household and parents' spending) -parents with higher income and edu level... - parents are more indulgent and don't want their kids to lack anything -liberalization of parent-child relationships (understanding, equality, compromise; negotiation) -consumer socialization: a rather effortless process by which children learn the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to function as consumers --> the 4 steps -relies on cognitive developmental theories and developmental theories of parent-child interaction -Infants and toddlers (age 0-2): feeling wants and preferences: -babies: definitive preferences for tastes and smells, innate tendency to respons to language (motherese), enjoy listening to music, rhythmic -because young children are so responsive to songs, rhymes, and music, these devices are often used to elicit interest in educational and entertainment programs for young children -distinct preferences for certain types of images: like to watch moving objects, primary colors and sharp contrasts -4-5 months: start to develop an interest in tv programs: most interested in brightly colored fantasy figures -8 months: able to sit erect without support, sit in shopping cart - brightly colored products POSITIONED; between 18-24 months, start asking parents to buy products -18 mo: increasingly recognize familiar objects and faces -product recognition of advertisements in stores increase with age -Preschoolers (age 2-5): nagging and negotiating: -limited ability to distinguish fantasy from reality -3 yrs: attached to television personalities -think the info in commercials is true -*advertising and marketing efforts have the highest impact on children below the age of 8 -young preschool-aged children need more time than adults to interpret and make sense of information and television images -like to watch programs that show babies and young children; and nonthreatening real or animated animals -4 yrs: particularly boys start to prefer more rapid and adventurous entertainment programs and products -centration: the tendency to center attention on an individual, striking feature of an object or image, to the exclusion -5 year old girls presented with three dolls: preferred the cheapest one with sequined heart -can't keep minds off tempting products for long -under 5: no delay in gratification -growing negotiation skills -Early elementary school (age 5-8): adventure and the first purchase: -centration is starting to decline -starting to know difference between fantasy and reality, but still consider something that looks real on television as real even if it is not -increased attention span -development of imaginative play; social -preference for more fast-paced entertainment -5 = more independent purchases; supermarket/department store with parents -between 5-7: start making purchases without their parents -Later elementary school (age 8-12): conformity and fastidiousness: -opinion of peers -development of eye for detail and quality -critically evaluate and compare products and information -fantasies more often entail realistic and plausible themes -interest in real-world phenomena -become progressively critical of entertainment of low quality, such as those that are poorly produced or repetitious -preference for collecting objects -ability to recognize and interpret others' emotions improves rapidly -peer interactions more sophisticated -children's requests for advertised products decrease by 9 or 10 - more critical of media offerings, sensitivity to peer influences is at its peak in this period -increased loyalty to brand names and their increased negotiation strategies -by age 12, acquainted with all aspects of their consumer behavior -need more research: -in different determinants of children's consumer behavior -changes in child's environment: child-rearing and communication styles -increasing commercial pressures on children -media literacy research

"The economic structure of the commercial electronic children's media industries" by J. Cory Allen

-focus on media produced for children age 2-12 -3 economic concepts: windowing, licensing, ownership -Windowing: the sale of video products through multiple media outlets; good cuz each new child born = new customer, so need to show it again (*audience regeneration) -selling video products through many different channels over different points in time to maximize audiences through price discrimination -producers assess the competitive conditions in all potential windows for their product and often alter its content and composition to improve its chance of success in these additional markets -international video markets: $$$; Disney -Licensing: the sale of characters and images to any commercial outlet -the fee is typically 5-15% of the wholesale cost of the item that uses the license ; since movies and tv are the most popular among children, they make the greatest profit from this -the toy industry has benefited the most from the character licensing of children's movies and television -Broadcast (tv) - almost 99% of households in US receive broadcast tv; point of broadcast = to attract customers so companies want to buy your advertisement space; broadcast signals are free -stations must obtain a license from the FCC in order to broadcast; given for free to stations that comply with FCC regulations; -8the business of broadcast tv is to produce audiences to sell to advertisers; companies pay money to have their products and services advertised in commercials during tv programs -sources of broadcast programming: network, syndication, and local -network: Big 4: ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox -the networks pass their programs to the affiliates free of charge, but rarely pay full price for them in the first place -rerunning shows is a method for networks to maximize their investment in each episode -Network Children's Television: viewers are its products, not its purchasers; have no say over programming (can't influence with their dollar) -Saturday morning tv: children's tv = profit center -child audience is more divided -syndication: syndicated programs are supplied to a station through a syndicator on a market-by-market basis; a temporary distributer; talk shows, game shows, reruns... -children's syndicated television and program-lenth commercials: toy industry took advantage of these conditions; access to audiences of specific demographics, He-Man - designed as a toy and a tv show; 1969 Hot Wheels - FCC rules that the show was undubtedly a commercial for the Hot wheels toys and exceeded the permissible amount of time allowed for commercials -1984 FCC removed its regulations on the amount of commercial minutes permitted during children's programs -cable - pay for it = less regulation; monopolies -cable networks revenue advertisement and subscription -children's cable tv: Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Fox Family: All of these four major children's cable channels produce or otherwise own a great deal of the content they deliver. The companies therefore realize profits not just through production and distribution but also through windowing and licensing -Movies: oligopy; distributors are entitled to most of the revenue a film generates -children's movies: additional barrier to entry because of licensing -home video/rent: children's videos make up 80% of the home videos sold directly to consumers -big Four companies in children's media: Disney, Time Warner, News Corporation and Viacom; international dominance; operate the toll roads to the child audience -Ownership: the business reality that media companies often own the means of both production and distribution -4 media companies have unrivaled ownership control of the children's media industries -self-control: term that describes the ability of these companies to maintain behavior in compliance with industry regulations -CARU - by the companies? for regulation, 6 principles for advertising to children, some reiterated FCC or FTC policies on deceptive advertising; no enforcement powers, industry compliance has been pretty high -v-chip: device that would be installed into television sets to offer parents more power in shielding their children from harmful programs; but, tv industry created their own rating system - only provided age recommendations, didn't actually say what the content of the programs were -television industry's resistance to using the word violence -internet poses economic threats -internet = minimal barriers to entry -Internet = third revenue stream -no collecting personal information from children under 13

What is a theory?

An idea or a set of interrelated ideas designed to explain, predict or describe a phenomena

Growing up with Television: the Demonstration of Power: Violence Profile No. 10 by Gerbner, Gross, Signorielli, Morgan, Jaskcon-Beeck

Cultivation Theory; George Gerbner -tv teaches fear and inequity -mass media altered those who do the storytelling (no longer family or religious institutions) -scenes of violence -"Even when committed in the name of law and order, acts of physical aggression are suspected of inciting impressional viewers to commit similar acts" (connect to prosocial learning reading) -frequency of aggressive acts depicted on tv (by the time the average American child graduates from high school, will have seen more than 13,0000 violent deaths on television) -fear children will become jaded, desensitized, and inured to violence on tv AND IN REAL LIFE -studied prime-time and weekend morning network dramatic tv programs, 1967-1968 -8/10 programs and 6/10 major characters are involved in violence -positive correlations between everyday violence viewing and aggression among adolescents in real life; -*these relationships were not accounted for by other factors (socioeconomic status, sex, school achievement) -imitative aggression among children may be frequent but it is relatively low-level -socially constructed "realities" legitimize actions among lines which are conventionally acceptable and functional -tv is the mainstream of that cultural process *-tv serves primarily to maintain, stabilize, and reinforce - not subvert - conventional values, beliefs, and behaviors -Cultural Indicators 1. commercial television presents an organically composed total world of interrelated stories (both drama and news) produced to the same set of market specifications 2. television audiences view largely non-selectively and by the clock rather than by the program; tv viewing is a ritual -men outnumber women three to one (Wood, Gendered Media connection) -generating among the many a fear of the power of the few -violence in weekend children's and late evening programming on all three networks rose to near record levels in the fall of 1978 -a pattern of unequal relative risks among characters of different age, sex, and social groups -certain groups of dramatic characters consistently were victimized more often than they committed a violent act: women (especially young adult and elderly), young boys, non-whites, foreigners, members of lower and upper class (not middle) -social reality <=> tv content (stable associations between patterns of TV content and conceptions of social reality held by heavy viewers -4 areas of investigation: 1. chances of involvement in violence 2. fear of walking alone at night 3. perceived activities of the police 4. mistrust -heavier viewers = more fear and see the world as more violent and over estimate number of people involved in violence and the proportion of people who commit serious crimes -females are considerably more afraid of walking alone in a city at night -responses to walking at night in own neighborhood = strong and consistent relationship between the amount of viewing and being afraid -more viewing = higher mistrust, think people are selfish -conclusion: heavy tv viewers perceive social reality differently from light tv viewers, even when other factors are held constant -the durable message of unequal power and victimization in tv violence; any real-life violence that television incites may serve to reinforce the fear created by symbolic violence

Class powerpoint

idk when that was from

Montgomery chapter 4: Web of Deception

-"safe zone" websites, edu aspects -Kids Com, 1995; ages 4-15; games, chat, post own stories -approved for classroom use -true purpose: market-research tool; clients: ex: Levi, Blockbuster, Pepsi Cola... -registration info: demographics, fav tv shows/commericals/music groups/dreams... -1995 Center for Media Edu - investigate emerging market practices targeted at web kids -came in conflict with Clinton Administration's agenda for promoting e-commerce -Legacy of the "Kidvid Wars": -1970s - want government regulation and a ban on children advertising; lobbyists -FCC 1974 passed guidelines to govern tv advt practices targeted at children 12 and younger; but lobbyists went to congress to thwart FTC efforts --> forced to terminate the rulemaking procedure -WashPost article called FTC's rulemaking proceeding the "national nanny" (negative) -but, "seperators" (ex: we'll be right back) were added since young children have difficulty distinguishing between programs and commercials - ended up making little difference -also find it hard to resist persuasive product pitches by program hosts (authority figures) -1990 Children's TV Act - time limit on commercials -Children's Advt Review Council (CARU) -non-deception advertisement for kids under 12 -vague principles, no power to crack down on violations -CARUs primary purpose = quell criticism and preempt any further attempts at government regulation -expert advisory board on harmful effects of tv advt -The Whole Web is Watching: -The Jetsons --> a program "specifically designed" to educate kids because "teaches what life will be like in 21st century" --> was publicly shamed in the press -Internet: advt were free from legal and regulation rules that were there in tv -Nabisco Neighborhood; Kellog snap, crackle pop; Kellog General Store sold licensed merchandise -collect large amounts of personal info; incentives for filling things out -Kidscom - Loot Locker (earn points --> kidskash) -fastest way to get rich = participate in a survey -conversations; build relationships with customers online" one-to-one marketing --> privacy threats to kids and their families; tracking of online behavior -CME report "Web of Deception" in March 1996 -took corps off guard -CME partnered with the Institution for Public Representation to develop legal strategy for the complaints against kidscom -Transatlantic Pressures: -push for policy safeguards -Electronic Privacy Info Center -FTC - no power to regulate info practices on the internet; could only hold hearings, prosecute deceptive or fraudulent practices that violated existing laws -Clinton Administration's position: Internet privacy and e-commerce should be governed by industry self-regulation -congressman Ed Markey - online privacy bill -Opting In or Out?: -Direct Marketing Association (DMA) - promoted and defended direct mail and database marketing -proposed online companies post their individual privacy policies on their websites - then customers can choose whether to opt out ; would ensure data collection is the default -but, this wouldn't work with children (no cognitive ability to make complex decisions/judgments) -CME and CFA: opt-in principle - goals 1. make it difficult for online marketers to collect personal info from children 2. ensure parents were brought into all online business transactions involving their kids -propose offline parental permission -christine Varney - spoke on issue of child privacy -"Let the Surfer Beware": -the inline industry created nonprofit org TRUSTe to address concerns over online privacy -companies would pay for a seal indicating their adherence to certain privacy safeguards -Hands-off the Internet: -July 1997 White House announced official US policy for economic future of the Internet -free-market tract, private sector in control of development and governance of Internet, privacy rights protected: industry self-regulation and technical solutions -White House and European Union: policy issues, internet regulation; agreement: no new tariff duties would be imposed -July 15, 1997 FTC issued a ruling supporting CMEs complaint against Kidscom; but chose not to take legal, but established a framework: apply CME/CFA-proposed rules: put operators of websites on notice that they should post clear privacy notices to parents and obtain parental permission before releasing any personal info to third parties -Ty Inc announced its compliance with CARU -"Sweeping" Change: -Ira Magaziner - overseas campaign to sell American-style self-reg on the Internet -The Devil's in the Details: -commercial website providers need to be clear about their data collection, obtain parental consent before collecting for under 13 and ensure quality and security -controversial passages: allow parents to find out what info their children 16 and under had provided and to have that data removed -COPPA's goals (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) - enhance parental involvement -A Congressional Field Day for E-Commerce: -industry and conservative lawmakers fought back with COPA (Child Online Protection Act) -Post-COPPA: -took effect in 2000 -children under 13 -kids just lie about age and get in -teens = fair game for marketers

Documentary Sheet

-(she is more concerned with the second side, big pictures and readings)

Consuming Culture Documentary

-*LOOK AT THE HANDOUT SHEET* #8) -ratings creep --> what used to be rated R is now PG-13 -video games -technology is getting better, makes things look more real -commercials --> the kids are having the best time; you need this toy to be that way (want that fun and excitement) *-commercial tv - it is crucial to limit it (has real affects on things like happiness - addressed by Montgomery in Chapter 4) #10) -Marlboro man --> appealing to men and women -Allen reading: -consolidation in children media: News Corp, Time Inc, Viacom, Disney - how are they linked? -consolidation in food industry as well (10 companies - look at slide) -what's at risk with consolidation: not good for consumers, a lack of choices (ex: shampoo - well, J&J owns all of them) -based on demographics (ex: Dove and Axe - very different campaigns, but same companies) -Honey Maid - Muslim woman; this is wholesome pro: tackle societal issue; friends; can break otherness con: it is not that simple; it's the product that's the glue; it's only until we see an interracial couple in a cereal commercial that it's ok that we talk about it -Mega media (Allen reading) -4 big media company -so what factor: we have a couple hundred people deciding what we see in all of our media -is there room for disruption in this market?

"The children's television business" by Alison Alexander

-Big Four: ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox -shows between 8-9pm have huge child and teen audiences -most of the highest rated programs for children 5-17 are prime time programs -three major age groups: 2-5, 6-11, 12-17; children television is 2-11 -early children's shows were designed to sell TV sets 1960s cartoons, Saturday morning cartoons -cable increased access to children's programming over the 1980s/90s -Nickelodeon garners more than 60% of child viewing -local affiliates run the shows provided by the networks -networks profit from affiliate viewers, who cumulatively provide the national mass audience that advertisers desire. In turn, the networks provide children's programming for the affiliates with some advertising space available for local sales -cable and satellite profit from a dual revenue stream in which advertising and subscriber fees are available -most successful children's cable networks: Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney -the production of children's programming is dominated by major studios, a few independents, and, increasingly, international producers and coproductions some major media giants: Time Warner, Walt Disney, News Corporation, GE/Comcast -joint venturing -international scope of children's tv -syndicators: companies that sell directly to TV stations and cable services -vertical integration and network consolidation: most major networks own production studios and prefer programming from that studio or license a block of programming from an independent -advisory boards - production -external promotion, PSA, branding -revenue for local stations = sell time to advertisers -media giants are gobbling up available broadcast stations -children's programs are significantly less expensive to produce than prime-time programs -concentration of business activity -merchandise licensing refers to an agreement that allows the right to use a name or image in exchange for a royalty fee, generally 5-15% the cost of the item; -Disney is the No. 1 top licensor worldwide -toy/program tie-in ex: popular toys before programs: Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony -self-regulatory groups: CARU -CARU's goal is to work with the industry to ensure that advertising to children is truthful and fair; investigates complaints, recommends modifications or discontinuance of offending claims, and may refer the matter to appropriate government agencies *-the real profit is not in the over-the-air offerings, but in the production/distribution arena, where ancillary marketing, aftermarkets, international coveters and distribution are a multi-billion dollars industry

Class Notes: Children's Media Industries/Advertising

-Consuming Culture Documentary (look at other quizlet slide and handout for info on this) -Why target children? A consumer is able to (1) feel wants and preferences, (2) search to fulfill them, (3) make a choice and a purchase, and (4) evaluate the product and its alternatives. -Children, Adolescents, and Advertising (Pediatrics reading) -How many TV ads will children see in a year? -*product placements, tie-ins, kids clubs, celebrity endorsements -"On average, children 2-11 are exposed to 281 product placements for junk food during prime time; adolescents 12-17 are exposed to 444 product placements." -Ads contribute to issues including obesity, poor nutrition, alcohol and/or cigarette use (connects to consuming culture, montgomery) -How are pediatricians involved? -"The economic structure of children's media industries"  J. Cory Allen -Want to fight it or change it? Must understand it first. -Media ownership structure—advocates say this negatively impacts programming in both type and amount on broadcast television -Consolidation: in 2011, 90% of American media were controlled by 6 companies: GE, News Corp, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner, CBS -232 media executives control the information diet of 277 million americans; 2010 revenue for the big 6 was 275.9 billion -Interlocking directorates: Linkages among corporations created by individuals who sit on two or more corporate boards -Impacts of corporate control -Barriers to entry are "enormous," wrote Alison Alexander in her piece on children's TV structure -vertical integration -Licensing agreements in 2008 earned $187 billion much of it from children's character deals

"Enhancing Child Safety and Online Technologies" by Final report of the internet safety technical task force

-Internet: space for socializing, learning and engaging in public life -dangers of sexual solicitation, online harassment, bullying, exposure to problematic and illegal content -the risks minors face online are complex and multifaceted and are in most cases not significantly different than those they face offline, and that as they get older, minors themselves contribute to some of the problems -sexual predation remains a concern; but most cases typically involved post-pubescent youth who were aware that they were meeting an adult male for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity; youth report sexual solicitation of minors by minors more frequently *-bullying and harassment, most often by peers, are the most frequent threats that minors face, both online and offline -Internet doesn't always increase exposure -the risk profile depends on the type of risk, common uses by minors, and the psychosocial makeup of minors who use them; social networking sites are most frequently used in peer-to-peer harassment (not solicitation and unwanted exposure to problematic content) -minors are not equally at risk online (those who are most at risk often engage in risky behaviors in other parts of their lives) -Task Force asked all members from social network sites to provide overviews of their efforts to enhance safety for minors on their sites -thinks the Attorneys General should continue to work collaboratively with all stakeholders -should work with child safety experts, technologists, public policy advocates, social services, and law enforcement -to complement use of technology, need greater resources in schools, libraries etc. -parents/caregivers should educate themselves

Class Notes: Media Violence

-National Television Violence Study: -What is media violence? -How much is there? -NOT a media effects study --> looking at what's out there --> content analysis; NOT what they do with the violence (looked at programs, was there violence in there?) -NTVS definition: "Any overt depiction of a credible threat of physical force or the actual use of such force intended to physically harm an animate being or group of beings. Violence also includes certain depictions of physically harmful consequences against an animate being or group that occur as a result of unseen violent means" (NTVS, p. 18). -Three primary types of violent depictions that emerge from this definition: 1. Credible threats 2. Behavioral acts 3. harmful consequences of unseen behavior -violence is complicated, study is split into multiple camps; Buckingham --> kids interpret differently; moral panic, scapegoat; children will not be unhinged -About the NTVS: Study of 10,000 hours of television programming over a three-year period (1994-1996) ; Evaluated programming on 23 channels between 6a-11p for nine months each year (Television most frequently viewed by American public, Omitted sports and news); Using NTVS definition, researchers examined incidents, scenes, and entire programs -three years --> notice trends, consistency of rates of violence (link to Tough Guise - a more recent analysis) -Findings: -Percentage of programs with violence ~60% -Higher during prime time -For children, high-risk portrayals most often found in cartoons (kids are watching several hours a day) -Anti-violent themes are extremely rare -Much of TV violence is: 1. Glamorized (make it look cool, ex: Transformers, come the euro; America's Next Top Model dead models; Dexter; gorgeous people who do violence ex: James Bond) 2. Sanitized (no blood, no pain ex: cartoons --> they are always back in the next scene, you're never really dead - in America's Army as well) 3. Trivialized (humor, not a big deal) -Not all violence leads to negative effects, some depictions may lead to positive outcomes Social Learning Theory (if there is punishment, you will learn it in a better way) Cultivation (mean-world syndrome - think there is more violence out there than there is) -Concerned not just with the amount of violence but with the context of violence -->Three negative effects related to the context of violence: 1. Desensitization (cultivation; normalized violence in the real world) 2. Fear (it's how we think, live in a state of fear; mean-world syndrome) 3. Learning aggressive attitudes and behaviors (social learning theory) -How contextual features affect the risks associated with TV violence: 1. attractive perpetrator: increase learning aggression 2. attractive victim: increase fear 3. justified violence: increase learning aggression -Dexter - justified violence, we think he is doing the right thing; violence done in the name of patriotism is justified (need to restore our safety and security) - NCIS and America's Army 4. unjustified violence: decrease learning aggression, increase fear -rape, domestic violence, person did nothing to deserve this 5. conventional weapons: increase learning aggression -gun, knife (more likely to learn violence if it's something that you can replicate) 6. extensive/graphic violence: increase all three 7. realistic violence: increase learning aggression and fear 8. rewards: increase learning aggression and fear -Army video game: going higher in the ranks; sex (James Bond) 9. punishments: decrease learning aggression and fear 10. pain/harm cues: decrease learning aggression 11. humor: increase learning aggression and desensitization -"At a minimum, such findings should stimulate program producers to think more carefully about the ways in which they portray violence" (NTVS, p. 14). -Playing an educational first-person shooter game and priming aggression: an experimental study -Violence in video games: -Video Games -you control the violence, vs, in tv; more interactive violence experienced In a study of 60 video games, 48% contained violence associated with humor Two-thirds (66%) of 41 sampled games included use of conventional weapons and nearly all violence included some reward -Documented effects on aggressive behavior and cognition: US Army -Nieborg: America's Army (propaganda - trying to sway an audience who doesn't know the aim of that media) -created by and for the US Army, a FPS video game available for free online, Has been downloaded more than 10 million times and has a virtual army of more than 519,000 "soldiers" -primary goal: army RECRUITMENT (entertainment is a by product) -action figures (younger targets), endorsements -younger kids (12-14) are playing --> identity formation and trying to figure out where you fit -messaging/branding is much more subtle - nowhere does it mention recruiting goals "Given their political significance and effects, it is important to learn to read media culture politically in order to decode its ideological messages and effects." -Douglas Kellner -not censorship -need more media literacy -a public health goal --> doctors -causality is a huge issue/hard to determine -too many factors for each individual person, can't generalize this -Gerbner: resonance effect: if you have a violent home life, you are more likely to be effected cuz every world you have is violent -NTVS major goal: -What recommendations can be made to parents, media companies and policymakers about TV violence? -Saw this as a major conclusion of Kevin Browne and Catherine Hamilton-Giachritsis' public-health approach article, too -Nieborg, too, wants more education about the use of violent games -program producers - they should think more carefully about their portrayals of violence -ratings and advisoriesL even if you try to use the rating system, it will not give you enough info on the violence/amount of violence in there -In-class work: Addressing as groups NTVS and public health recommendations. Consider for both television and video games: Industry issues Parental issues Policy and regulatory issues Cultural issues

Class Notes: Risks and Dangers

-When is too much too much reading -is the internet addicting, or is it that you are addicted to what the Internet is a portal to -withdrawal, mood affected if can't get it, compulsive, impacts other relationships, tolerance -cognitive and behavioral effects long-term: Disney princess wedding gowns, implemented when you're 4, and stay with you: brand loyalty -Slide notes: -Part of a survey for Taiwanese youth -Maladaptive pattern of internet use: leads to clinically significant impairment or distress, and occurring at any time within the same three month period. Six (or more) of the following symptoms have to be present: 1. Preoccupation with Internet activities 2. Recurrent failure to resist the impulse to use the Internet 3. Tolerance: a marked increase in the duration of Internet use needed to achieve satisfaction 4. Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following: symptoms of dysphoric mood, anxiety, irritability, and boredom after several days without Internet activity; use of Internet to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms 5. Use of the internet for longer than intended 6. Persistent desire and/or unsuccessful attempts to cut down or reduce Internet usage 7. Excessive time spent on internet activities 8. Excessive effort spent on activities necessary to obtain access to the Internet 9. Continued heavy Internet use despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem likely to have been caused or exacerbated by internet use -In-class work: Each group will spend 30 minutes using an assigned theory to discuss the risks and dangers related to a subject area. Students should plan to 1) explain the core themes of their theory and 2) explain using at least one class reading AND one outside source the inherent risks. Careful searching on the web for certain risky stuff please. Finally, each group will address something that they believe requires more study. This "something" should be related to your theory and/or your subject. -social learning theory: pornography -cultivation: pornography -cultural studies: advertising -cultural studies: constant connection/Internet addiction -social learning theory: cyber bullying -cultivation: advertising

"Pornography" by Antonis Rovolis and Liza Tsaliki

-children are held to be "naturally" innocent, yet implicated in dangerous sexuality - rather than seeing them as humans going through a complex and contradictory maturation process, we posit children as inherently pure, yet easily corrupted by exposure to explicit image material -proliferation of online pornography -pornography is also seen as having desirable effects, as in the case of challenging restrictive sexual norms and offering positive expressions of non-heterosexual sexualities -three areas of discussion: child abuse images, grooming, online pornography (adult pornography that children and teens may access on purpose or by accident) -disproportionate public attention on risks -the media contribute to the proliferation of public anxieties that can easily escalate into moral panic -EU Kids Online: aged 9-16, across 25 European countries: less than 1/4 had encountered sexual images online or offline, greater frequency of older children and teenagers (compared to younger children who encounter more online risks) - 14% encountered sexual images online (mostly on accident), 12% on tv, video or film, 7% in magazines -older boys (13-16) are more likely to have seen online sexual content (24%) - of those exposed, about 1/3 were bothered by it (=4% of total pop) -EU Kids Online: risk does not necessarily result in harm -usage hypothesis: the proliferation of private internet usage by children in positively correlated with the likelihood of exposure to online sexual images -risk migration hypothesis: since the boundaries between the online and offline are increasingly blurred, children's risky experiences may occur online as well as offline, so those who encounter more risk offline will be likely to encounter more risks online -vulnerability hypothesis: argues that among those children who have seen sexual images online,those reporting resulting harm are more likely to be vulnerable due to psychological and demographic factors -their study: dependent variable "seeing sexual images", ages 9-16; vulnerability hypothesis: intensity of harm and duration of harm -independent variables: genre, parental level of edu, demographics predictors, restrictive mediation, risky offline activities -private practices of use: private devices of use, private places of use, engagement in any risky online activities -the more children engage in risky online activities the more online sexual images they see (same applies for those engaging in risky offline activities) -more boys rather than girls experience sexual content online -children who have more self-efficacy about their ability to cope with unexpected situations online and sensation-seekers encounter more online sexual images -encounters with online sexual images increases with age -children accessing the internet in private places of use encounter online sexual images -children of more highly educated parents are more likely to encounter more online sexual images -less restrictive parental mediation results in seeing more -self-reporting of being "bothered" by sexual content is low (level of parental edu plays no role in level of discomfort) -*overall, few children are vulnerable (few report being harmed by seeing it online) -those more vulnerable offline are also more vulnerable online

"The new age of food marketing" by Kathryn Montgomery, Sonya Grier, Jeff Chester and Lori Dorfman

-kids are now interacting with brands and products, often unwittingly inviting marketers to connect with them and their friends online -seamlessly integrated into young people's social relationships and minute-by-minute interactions -one in 3 teens is overweight or obese -use many digital platforms -teens = more vulnerable to marketing (prefrontal cortex, controlling inhibition, may not fully develop until early adulthood) -Researchers suggest that these innate factors are likely to make teens more susceptible to advertising, especially when they are distracted, exposed to high-level stimuli, or subjected to peer pressure - all hallmarks of digital marketing tactics. -ethnic minority youth - a particular concern -ethnic minority youth are more interested in, positive toward, and influenced by marketing than non-Hispanic whites; African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely than "general market" consumers to use social networking spaces to share opinions with friends about products, services, and brands -5 broad categories for tactics companies use to target children and adolescents: 1. creating immersive environments 2. infiltrating social networks 3. location-based and mobile marketing 4. collecting personal data 5. studying and triggering the subconscious -Creating immersive environments: -3D experiences, avatars, first-person simulations -integrate advertising and other content so that the two are indistinguishable ex: McD and Avatar, 18% increase in sales, buy big Macs to reach higher levels of play, codes inside Happy Meals... -Infiltrating social networks -social media marketers can observe and insert themselves into online social interactions to influence the conversation -incentives to participate in viral marketing campaigns by circulating brand-related content ex: Mountain Dew, DEWmocracy - fans registered and urged friends and social media followers to vote on the look and taste of a new soft drink -then launched DEW Labs - a private social network for the brand's most fervent supporters, use exclusivity -Location-based and mobile marketing -follow people throughout their daily lives; designed to elicit impulsive behaviors -loyalty-based programs, check in -Collecting personal data -tagged with unique identifiers when they go online, and tracked, profiled, and targeted for personalized marketing and advertising as they navigate the internet -marketers argue data is not personally identifiable -MyCokeRewards - loyalty marketing program, promotes users to provide personalized data to participate -Studying and triggering the subconscious -neuromarketing, fostering brand engagement, use of biosensory tools (fMRI, EEG, eye-tracking) -the direct goal of neuromarketing is to circumvent rational decision making, which is especially troubling when used to market unhealthy foods -Children's Food & Beverage Advertising Initiative restricts advertising to children under 12 -advocates can join the following organizations: the Food Marketing Workgroup NPLAN -can spread awareness about marketing practices

"Children viewing violence" by Buckingham

-media panic -media used as a scapegoat ex: killers of James Bulger; no evidence that the killers had even seen the film that was said to have provoked them, let alone a copy-cat crime -connection between "bad" media and violent crime -these anxieties typically lead to calls for stricter control -while censorship directed at adults could be rejected as authoritarian or as an infringement of individual liberty, the call to protect children is much harder to resist -media panics: stretches far back to Greek philosopher Plato who wanted to ban works of dramatic poets -connected to broader fear of losing control -moral entrepreneurs - issue of children's access to media violence; intrusion of state into private sphere -post Romantic notion of the child as innocent and vulnerable, requiring protection from unnatural influences of the adult world; much older view of child as bearer of original sin -response to changes in the media themselves; new media technologies: video ad the internet - are less amenable to centralized control than those that preceded them (like cinema and broadcasting) -parents don't know how to deal with their power -screen violence has become much for graphics and spectacular -it is important to engage with the issue of children's relationship with media violence, rather than simply dismissing it as yet another irrational moral panic -it is argues the apparent rise in media violence is driven by global marketing: violence serves as a dramatic ingredient that requires no translation and is instantly comprehensible in most cultures -The Limits of "Effects": -children are largely defined by what they lack (inability to conform to adult norms); children copy what they see on tv, it is argued, because they lack the experience and the intellectual capacities that might enable them to see through the illusions of reality which the medium provides -issue: correlations between viewing and behavior continue to be seen as evidence of causality *-fails to prove that media violence makes people more aggressive than they would have otherwise been, or that is causes them to commit violent acts they would not have otherwise committed; it may influence the form or style of those acts, but it is not in itself sufficient cause to provoke them -effects research should be no more -political motives: ex: gun control -Talking "Violence": -need to see what the audience themselves define as violence -studies have found that children do not generally perceive cartoons as violent, as well as "violence" in computer games - don't see it to have any significant analogy with real-life behavior -for parents, assertions about the negative effects of television appear to confer a considerable degree of social status on those who make them: "concerned parent"; social desirability bias ex: parents note that when their children imitate what they see on tv, they view it as play and it is unlikely they will carry it into real life; but other people's children might be led to copycat violence... otherness -central concern among parents was not that their children would become aggressive as a result of what they had seen, but that they would be emotionally disturbed or upset -children: many are frightened by horror movies and some explicit representations of crime, but can distinguish between fact and fiction (may also become upset by what they see on the news) -"Fans", having committed themselves to a particular genre, are likely to be much better at predicting what will happen - and hence at monitoring or controlling their responses - than casual or infrequent viewers -more desensitized to fictional violence and develop strategies to cope -report more anxiety about news/news coverage than the film allegedly provoking this crime -Child's Play 3 - many kids described it as a comedy So why do children watch? -appeal of on screen violence: visceral thrill -many films encourage a self-conscious irony, a "sick" humor, in responses to screen violence which suggest that it is not to be taken literally -Chucky from Child's Play 3 may be so offensive to adults because he represent a direct and highly self-conscious affront to cherished notions of childhood innocence -many vehemently denied that they were scared by horror films, and occasionally mocked those who said they were

Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura

-predictive power -causes of behavior = environmental forces *psychological functioning is best understood in terms of a continuous reciprocal interaction between behavior and its controlling conditions *-places special emphasis on the important roles played by vicarious, symbolic, and self-regulatory processes, which receive relatively little attention -learning through observation; avoid trial and error -learning by direct experience: repeated exposure, rewards and punishments -on the basis of informative feedback (consequences of actions), they develop thoughts or hypotheses about the types of behavior most likely to succeed -motivational function of reinforcement; most human behavior is not controlled by immediate external reinforcement ; actions are therefor regulated to a large extent by anticipated consequences -cognitive mediation of reinforcement effects; learning cannot take place without awareness of what is being reinforced -reinforcing effects of response consequences; response consequences can be informative, motivating, and reinforcing -learning through modeling; under most circumstances, a good example is a much better teacher than the consequences of unguided actions -in order for imitative learning to occur observers must be motivated to act, they must be provided with an example of the desired behavior, they must perform responses that match the example, and their imitative behavior must be positively reinforced -generalize learned behavior to new situations/models -needs to pay attention -modeling and tv -long-term retention -two representational systems - an imaginal and a verbal one; verbal coding of observed events helps long term retention -motoric reproduction processes - symbolic representations guide overt actions -distinguishes between learning and performance of matching behavior -anticipation of reinforcement is one of several factors that can influence what is observed and what goes unnoticed. Knowing that a given model's behavior is effective in producing valued rewards or averting negative consequences can enhance observational learning by increasing observer's attentiveness to the model's actions -abundant and varied symbolic modeling provided in tv, films, and other pictoral displays *-human functioning relies on three regulatory processes: stimulus control, cognitive control, and reinforcement control -stimulus control: a person must be able to anticipate the probable consequences of different events and courses of action and regulate his behavior accordingly; symbolic conditioning (use emotion-arousing words); vicarious conditioning -the same actions can produce markedly different consequences, depending upon the time, place, and the persons toward whom they are expressed -It is not difficult to explain why model status facilitates matching behavior. The actions of models who have gained some status are more likely to be successful and hence have greater functional value for observers than the behavior of models who possess relatively low vocational, intellectual, and social competencies -social behavior is extensively regulated by verbal cues -behavior = controlled by its consequence -people are not only affected by the experiences created by their actions; they also regulate their behavior to some extent on the basis of observed consequences, as well as those they create for themselves -reinforcement control: direct, vicarious, and self-monitored -fixed/variable ratio/interval -most effective: variable schedules -the highest level of autonomy is achieved when individuals regulate their own behavior by self-evaluative and other self-produced consequences -vicarious reinforcement (typically within a social context)/punishment (when observed negative consequences reduce people's tendency to behave in similar or related ways) -self-reinforcement: if actions were determined solely by external rewards and punishments, people would behave like weathervanes; after a self-monitoring reinforcement system has been developed, a given action typically produces two sets of consequences - a self-evaluative reaction and an external outcome -children whose behavior was positively reinforced either by themselves or by others performed substantially more responses than children who received the rewards in advance or were never rewarded -of special interest is the prevalence with which children in the self-monitored condition willingly imposed upon themselves highly unfavorable schedules of reinforcement

Cultural Studies, Multiculturalism, and Media Culture by Douglas Kellner

-radio, tv, film, and other products of media culture provide materials out of which we forge our very identities; our sense of selfhood; our notion of what it means to be male or female; our sense of class, ethnicity/race, sexuality, us vs. them -cradle to grave immersion -media are a profound and often perceived source of cultural pedagogy (the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept.) -contribute to educating us how to behave and what to think/feel/believe/fear/desire/what not to -focus on the interplay of representations and ideologies of class, gender, race, ethnicity, and nationality in cultural texts, including media culture -subverts distinctions between "high" and "low" culture by considering a wide continuum of cultural artifacts ranging from novels to tv and by refusing to erect any specific cultural hierarchies or canons -late 1970s films tended toward conservative positions that helped elect Ronald Reagan as president -the concept of ideology is of central importance, for dominant ideologies serve to reproduce social relations of domination and subordination -ideologies make inequalities and subordination appear natural and just, and this induce consent to relations of domination -relations of power and domination are "encodeD" in cultural texts (tv, film) -media culture manipulates and indoctrinates us -studies: production and political economy or culture, cultural texts, and the audience reception of those texts and their effects culture: -consider demands of format (ex: songs are 3-5 min; controlled by giant corporations looking only for profit) -takeover of the television networks by major transnational corporations and communications conglomerates was part of a "right turn" within US society in the 1980s whereby powerful corporate groups won control of the state and the mainstream media textual analysis: -formalist literary criticism: explicates the central meanings, values, symbols, and ideologies in cultural artifacts by attending to the formal properties of imaginative literature texts ; semiotics (a system for investigating the creation of meaning not only in written languages but also other, nonverbal codes, such as visual and auditory languages of film and tv) -genre criticism - the study of conventions governing established types of cultural forms, such as soap operas -Rambo: follows the conventions of the Hollywood gender of the war film, dramatizes conflicts between US and "enemies"; victory of good over evil -ideological text analysis - should deploy a wide range of methods to fully explicate each dimension and to show how they fit into textual systems -psychoanalysis - interpretation of unconscious contents and meanings -subject position (how the audience interprets) audience reception and use of media culture: -ethnographic research - how audiences use and appropriate texts, often to empower themselves -media culture provides materials for individuals to create identities and meanings and cultural studies detects uses of cultural forms -teenagers use video games and music tv to escape -males use sports as a terrain of fantasy identification, in which they feel empowered as "their" team or star triumphs; generate a community -"dominant" readings are those in which audiences appropriate texts in line with the interests of the dominant culture and the ideological intentions of a text -"oppositional" reading celebrates the resistance to this reading in audience appropriation of a text -violence can either be emancipatory, when directed at forces of oppression, or reactionary, when directed at popular forces struggling against oppression Wikipedia Definition: Cultural studies is an innovative interdisciplinary field of research and teaching that investigates the ways in which "culture" creates and transforms individual experiences, everyday life, social relations and power.

"Children, adolescents, and advertising" by American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Communications

-young people view more than 40,000 ads per year on tv alone -increasingly exposed to advt on internet, magazines, schools -health effects: obesity, poor nutrition, cigarette and alcohol use -children under 8 = cognitively and psychologically defenseless against advertising -frequently accept advertising at face value -FTC 1970s: unfair and deceptive to advertise to children younger than 6 -Children's Television Act of 1990: limits advt on children's programming to 10.5 min/hour on weekends and 12/hr on weekdays -violent movies, music and video games have been intentionally marketed to children and adolescents -M-rated video games are frequently advertised in movie theaters, video game magazines and publications with high youth readership -more than 160 magazines are now targeted at children. youth people see 45% more beer ads and 27% more ads for hard liquor in teen magazines than adults do in their magazines -commercial websites promote alcohol products: chat rooms, virtual bars, drink recipes, contests, branded merchandise... -1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act - mandates that commercial websites cannot knowingly collect information from children younger than 13 -tie-ins/endorsements -tobacco advertising - specifically targeting young children -alcohol advertising - sports; minority children may be at particular risk -drug advt -food advertising and obesity - junk food; fast food ads -sex in advertising: teenagers' exposure to sexual content in the media may be responsible for earlier onset of sexual intercourse or other sexual activities -discrepancy between erectile dysfunction products and lack of advertising for birth control products -inadequate sex ed in schools -models/body image issues -Advertising in Schools: -signed exclusive contracts with soft drink companies -appears under the guise of educational tv: Channel One (10 min current-events programming and 2 min of commercials) -need to increase media literacy of children and teenagers -Recommendations: -pediatricians: -should become familiar with the methods that advertisers use to target children and adolescents -subscribe only to magazines that are free of alcohol and tobacco advt -counsel parents to limit noneducational screen time -write letters to advertisers if they see inappropriate ads, and encourage parents to do the same -work with parents, schools, community groups -ask Congress to make more restrictions (limit commercial advt on children's programing to no more than 5-6 minutes/hour, implement ban on cigarette and tobacco advt in all media..... (there were more, but I didn't want to type them all)

Three theories

1. Cultivation (cognitive) 2. Social learning (behavioral) 3. Cultural studies

Social Learning Theory

Albert Bandura -a key psychological theory of media effects and behavior learned from the media -Consider impacts of media on social order: Focus on what it means to be American, female, male, minority, rich, beautiful, smart, powerful -Aggression: "What the children saw, the children did"; Bobo Doll experiment -they even produced some novel aggressive acts -seeing something, and then reproducing it (to the best they can; ex: Prof. Susca's daughter watching food tv shows, then "making" those dishes herself/adding random ingredients) -Four factors at work: Attention Retention Motor Reproduction Reinforcement People regulate based on social cues and social norms—who creates and defines the social norms? Class Notes: -Bobo doll - looked for NOVEL acts (found other toys they didn't see used and beat the doll) -we observe, learn (then behave that way) -see in media (with attractive people, people we want to model, validates it) Katz - we have learned to behave -Fight club --> backyard fights; scarface = a cult following -impacts on social order - who has the power in these shows? -motor reproduction: can do a novel act to simulate it -reinforcement: media reinforces: praising of certain actions vs. condemning (you should shoot the bad guy)

Cultural Studies

Douglas Kellner (a theory closely associated with others, such as Stuart Hall) -Three part analysis: Focuses on media & visual production, the media text itself , and how audiences interact with that media -A critical theory NOT an effects theory -"Cultural studies insists that culture must be studied within the social relations and system through which culture is produced and consumed" -Ideas about audience production of its own meaning in sharp contrast to scholars like Henry Jenkins. Why?? Class Notes: 3 part analysis: 1. focuses on media and visual production: economic forces behind the game (we read about this) 2. media text itself (ex: Grand Theft Auto - what cars and characters look like) 3. how audiences interact with the media: use it socially? or on their own? -after this, you can arrive at some idea of how culture is shaped -Kellner: product of show/game is produced and put on you (meant to produce culture) = in contrast to Jenkins (an audience can produce media, sculpt it, or appropriate the media in a way that may be changed)

Cultivation Theory

Gerbner *she likes this one -In the late 1960s, media scholar George Gerbner began the Cultural Indicators Project, an initiative dedicated to exploring the effects of television. -Cultivation theory was the result of that work. -"Mass production of messages and images disseminated to millions" combined with an audience that's the product -What is the commercial benefit of violence and "image-driven" media? Wikipedia Definition: Cultivation theory examines the long-term effects of television. "The primary proposition of cultivation theory states that the more time people spend 'living' in the television world, the more likely they are to believe social reality portrayed on television." Class Notes: -cognitive theory -how we think after we see media - perceptions of the world -is there a behavioral element? yes, in that what what might you do? stay in the house, buy a gun, buy alarm systems -but, overall, it is cognitive (paranoia, stereotyping) *cult. makes a key distinction - there is a key marker to how much TV you need to watch to be effected -barrier --> more than 4 hours a day = considered heavy viewing; you are more likely to be cognitively influences by the media you see -tv = new cultural storyteller; mass production of messages (Always connected reading - almost 11 hrs a week) -overexposure to social media, etc changes self worth, etc -image-driven media = a formative part of storytelling -"mean world syndrome" - you think the world is a bad place if you sit and watch tv

Tough Guise 2

Jackson Katz 1. Apply and consider these three media theories as you watch Tough Guise 2. Ask yourselves—what is at stake? Who is at risk? Should society take notice? -Based on the three readings and theories: 1. What are the behavioral consequences? (social learning theory) 2. What are the cognitive consequences? (cultivation theory) 3. What are the cultural and societal issues at work because of our media system? (cultural studies) -violence is a men's issue -avoid talking about gender: commentators go out of their way to find gender neutral ways to talk about violence; but, this is the focus when girls are violent (it is against their gender norms: Wood reading - biys are supposed to be aggressive and women are not) (same with men of color) -girls live in the same society of mental illness, bad families, violence on tv, yet they don't commit as many violent crimes -"violence against women" --> makes it seem like no one is committing it, it is just something that women experience -conceal dominant power: our language always focuses on the subordinate group, not the dominant -testosterone, genes -gives them a biological excuse, boys will be boys *social learning theory: taught behavior -in entertainment -gun organizations pay Hollywood to feature certain guns *cognitive consequences: boys are taught to act tough and not show emotions -real man: old west, John Wayne -movies: few words, a few rounds -sociopathic rage and violence -extreme violence: blurs line between being a man and using a violence to prove you're a man - *cog/behavioral consequences -being a man is about sexual conquest; caring for a woman is for fags and cats -not just movies; video games --> immersive and interactive -dominance over women: pornography is 24/7 -sports: less about healthy competition and more about physical domination -"the cool pose" -identity under threat, extreme to signal they are still men -those who are under threat in the real world (ex: ethnic, race, class) = more pressure to conform to violent masculinity -asian men - only masculine with marital arts, or try to adopt african american or latino behaviors -white suburban middle class kids acting black --> if they take on this urban cool pose, they will be more real men -in movies: races and ethnicity are being played/combined by others -body image: upping the ante -pumped up and ripped ex: GI Joe - his bicep size increased -porn has moved to aggression; gonzo porn -a culture in retreat* -despite these increases in violence, society is saying that men are going soft; "wussification of America" -because women/feminists have been raging a full scale war on traditional images/ideals of manhood -immasulation of men by the consumer culture -teaching that the best way to respond to change is not to adapt, but to reclaim traditional masculine content and domination from the forces of feminization --> culture in retreat -Boy Scouts -refuse gay kids, was made in attempt (founded in Britain) to fight back against "civilization", to keep up manliness; in the US in 1910 -President Reagan -against all liberal legislation; tap into American cowboy image, new John Wayne; immasculated by movements -rush Limbough --> crisis of young man boy education; feminazi; white men as victims of the feminist movement -violence as a way to gain control: men feel they are loosing control, and violence is the only way to get that back -owning guns has shifted from hunting and recreation to protection over the years -hate troops and militia -Borat: how men make bonds with one another and prove they are men -violence => when guys toe the line -Stupenville, OH rape = 2 football players; only concerned with the future of the players -gang rape --> twisted expression, males bond by dehumanizing women, prove they are real men -tend to be more homophobic -kids went out and beat up homeless people; bumhunter/bumfights video series -turn to violence out of fear they don't measure up to our rigid cultural codes of manhood -Cho (Asian) - Virginia Tech, 32 dead -Columbine - 12 classmates 1 teacher -mental illness --> women suffer from mental illness as well; violence can't be reduced to mental illness -individual ads/movies aren't what to do; it is the culture -86% of gun violence victims are men -leading cause of fund deaths are suicide -covert depression -suffer in silence out of fear of not seeming like real men -veterans - PTSD Noted in class: -innocent movies like Shark Tank -- need to question motives -mass shooters - 61/62 men -Smoke Signals - Native Americans, need to be stoic