Bad effects of violence “not a surprise” says author of a report into the effects of violent media on children, according to New Scientist , 3 Apr 2004, p7. The American Psychological Society has collected a wide variety of studies into the effects of exposure to violence in movies, video, TV programs, games and music, and concluded that frequent exposure to media violence in childhood is linked to aggression, assaults and domestic abuse in later life, and no-one is wholly immune. “The conclusions are not a surprise to any researcher,” commented psychologist Rowell Huesmann from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, who contributed to the report.
Editorial Comment: We are not surprised either! Sinful behaviour has only bad effects on anyone it touches. It is not possible to indulge in violence in the fantasy world of the entertainment media and keep it out of your “real world” life, because you are using the same mind to do both. Human beings were originally made in the image of God, and will only function well by seeking to follow the Manufacturer’s instructions. God condemns the gratuitous violence and destructive behaviour portrayed in modern entertainment media, and we should as well. (Ref. violence, behaviour, psychology)