Media Violence Increases Agression - By: Natus Lumen

A new review by L. Rowell Huesmann, a psychologist from the University of Michigan, examines the role of media violence in causing aggressive behavior. According to Huesmann, media violence seems to be an influential factor in determining aggression, but he emphasizes that it is only one of many factors involved. In addition, he clearly states that “No reputable researcher is suggesting that media violence is the sole cause of violent behavior” (S7).

Theoretically, the effects of media violence on the brain can be divided into two categories: short-term and long-term. Short-term effects are the results of brain processes known as priming, arousal, and mimicry. Long-term effects can be considered as either observational learning or activation/desensitization. These theoretical bases for the study of aggression are well established, and so the rest of this article will focus on the empirical studies Huesmann discusses.

Most experiments researching the effects of video games on aggression primarily focus on young children. There are some exceptions, as Huesmann mentions one study centered on college students, but this focus is hardly surprising when one considers that children are obviously much more likely to have their development strongly influenced by violent media. He also says that there is very little theoretical reason to expect detrimental long-term effects in adults. Laboratory results show a very strong connection between violent media and aggressive behavior. In real world studies (as opposed to controlled lab experiments), the relationship is much weaker, but still considered to be statistically significant. This correlation can also be easily replicated. Longer-term studies also support the conclusion that media violence, when viewed in mid-childhood, increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior as a young adult.

There are, however, many factors involved in the media violence that influence how strongly it affects behavior. Plot, for one, has a strong influence. Shows that justify violence or withhold punishment understandably have an increased effect on behavior. Therefore, media which portrays the law in a positive light and violence in a negative one, such as Law & Order (despite the fact that many of the show's great moments involve strong violence by the heroes), would be less likely to contribute to aggressive behavior than a something like the film Boondock Saints , in which the murderers are the heroes of the story. In addition, violent acts committed by characters regarded as charismatic or cool are more likely to contribute to aggression than violent acts committed by characters that are perceived as uncool or unliked.

Interestingly, long-term effects appear to be much more severe in young children, while short-term effects are stronger in older children. Huesmann postulates that this may be because “one needs to have already learned aggressive scripts to have them primed by violent displays” (S11). Experimental evidence overwhelmingly supports the idea that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior in children and young adults. He concludes that this effect is massive enough to be justly considered a threat to public health, claiming that the only recognized public health threat with a larger effect size than violent media is smoking and the resultant lung cancer. However, like many others, he provides absolutely no indication of what should be done, instead contenting himself with the statement “As with many other public health threats, not every child who is exposed to this threat will acquire the affliction of violent behavior, and many will acquire the affliction who are not exposed to the threat. However that does not diminish the need to address the threat” (S12).

This review is likely to cause blood-boiling in the vast majority of gamers and others who have not committed violent actions because of the media's influence. One thing to keep in mind is that throughout the review, the psychological sense of the term ‘aggression' is used instead of the vernacular understanding. The psychological understanding includes behaviors that do not qualify as ‘violence.' According to Huesmann, these include insults and the spreading of rumors (and other non-verbal actions), as well as the most minor forms of physical aggression. As in any scientific discussion, it is important to make sure that the scientific definition and vernacular definition are not confused. In addition, even though the likelihood of aggression is significantly increased, it still does not affect a majority of those exposed to it, and in a percentage sense (which Huesmann argues is not a good indicator, but which does require mentioning) is that media violence only explains between 4% and 9% of the variation. This review will likely only fuel the fire of controversy in the mainstream surrounding violent media, and in particular video games.

The review appears in the December 2007 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health , and the full text is available at: http://www.jahonline.org/article/PIIS10541...003916/fulltext

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Polish Man Tasered to Death - By: Definition

Oct 14, 2007 - A man in his 40s came from Poland, and landed in Vancouver International Airport. There he was to live with his mother; however, he spent nine hours at the Airport with no sign of his mother. Officials and bystanders started to observe grave aggression in the greeting center. Airport security was called to the area, and could not cooperate with the man. They later called the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police). They arrived, and tasered the man to death.

The man was seen throwing stools around. He may have thrown a laptop on the ground because of his anger. It was at that point in which the passengers got involved in calming the man, it did not work. Four Mounties came with bullet proof vests and tasered him. He fell screaming in pain, fainted, and then was tackled. Shortly after, the polish man was carried out of the airport in a stretcher. He turned out to have no pulse after the second stun, and died nineteen minutes into the incident. An autopsy failed to establish a cause of death, but showed no signs of drugs or alcohol. Toxicology reports are being conducted by the police.

This brings attention to the abuse of stun-guns. According to the CTV; there have been 19 deaths due to tasers since 2003. A second complaint has been filed for the RCMP officers by the B.C. Civil Liberties Association because they claim that the RCMP has misinterpreted the facts over the investigation, which led to an unfortunate death.

An amateur video was released to the public, which documents the Polish man's last moments. His mother wanted to see it, while accepting the fact that he had passed. Moments before the video was released, she had second thoughts, said her lawyer. A funeral in his memory is going to be hosted in Kamloops, B.C, but was delayed.

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Bibliofacticiphobia - By: Emanick

Hey kids! Have you ever read a book? In that case, you may have experienced the common illness of bibliofacticiphobia, or the fear of your life taking place, unknown to you, entirely in a book. When you think about it, there's no real reason why it couldn't happen. In our books, plenty of these people are completely oblivious to the fact they are artificial. What's to say we aren't the same?

Of course, the possibility that one is really a person in a book usually isn't relevant to daily life. Our world is too normal and boring to be expected to entertain any sort of being. Once in a while, however, something happens that's simply too bizarre and interesting to belong to our humdrum, ordinary world. That, presumably, is what takes place in a book.

Since almost all of our world's intelligent beings are humans, we can assume that whoever writes books about us follows the same basic literary laws as our human writers. At the risk of this article being directed by an otherworldly author who's going to kill me off for alerting Earth, I'll try and give you some tips on how to survive being in a story. You can never be too safe when you're at the mercy of an author.

The first step is to identify the problem. As I've said, you will most likely never find yourself involved in a story at all. However, many characters in books have gotten killed by making exactly that presumption. Why? Because they weren't on their guard against authors who planned to kill them off. Here are a number of danger signs to look for which may indicate you're in a book.

1. Your grandparents are going to have to sell the farm.
2. Something supernatural has just happened, and you don't know what to do. For example, you had a dream that came true.
3. You have a white Christmas. Don't ask me why, but that never seems to happen in real life.
4. Your little brother is very funny, or a great musician, or has some other professional skill that little brothers outside of books never have.
5. Your best friend's name is Joe. This is a good sign, because you're probably in a sports book (especially if you're 13 or younger). Kids never die in sports books, unless they're three feet tall and twelve years old. In that case, they are doomed. Best not to get attached to them, because they are circling the drain.
6. Someone you know knows a lot about history. This is especially frightening if they're college professors.
7. You are a college professor. This is much worse if you spend ¾ of the time off the job, both because most books about college professors are like this and because if this was real life you'd probably be fired by now.
8. Halloween is coming.
9. You never, ever use the bathroom. Never.
10. Nothing ever happens to you.
11. Everything always happens to you.

If you suspect by now that you're in a book, don't panic. You'll probably be fine if you follow these tips. (If the author is in second grade, however, don't count on it.)

1. Never accept any dares, no matter what. You'll almost certainly either get killed or get a main character killed.
2. Read up on as much fiction and science/history as you can. It's a bit late to be worrying about Danger Sign #6. And you'll need the knowledge of clichés and facts to save you in an emergency.
3. Be as comic and quirky as possible. If this leads to you developing suppression psychological problems, so much the better. The readers will love you in the way that'll help you live through the book or the series. (Avoid playing practical jokes on people, though — look what happened to [insert Harry Potter character that I whose fate I probably shouldn't reveal despite fans having had five months to read the book here].)
4. Convince your parents to move to Montana, USA. Nothing ever happens in Montana. If you succeed, don't bother to read any further.
5. Get deeply involved in practically everything around you. One of the very worst things you can do is to be caught as a side character in a story, because nobody really cares what happens to you. It's too much to hope that you're on the Third Grade Summer Reading list.
6. PRESS THE RED BUTTON. (Reverse psychology always helps.)
7. If any family members of yours “have to” sell the farm, house, dog/cat, teaspoons, antique Moroccan rug, space shuttle, etc., sit back and relax. It never happens.
8. Avoid volcanoes, mines, jungles, The Arctic, ghettos, golf courses, sunken tombs, risen tombs, average tombs, and airplanes. That is, unless you're going alone. (The opposite applies with golf courses — you'll only get killed if you're alone.) If you're really in a story, you'll arrive back at home half-dead, but end up much better off. (Unless you have a girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, or husband. Then they could easily betray you and kill you while you're asleep. In this case, don't go regardless.)
9. If you encounter an old lady on an empty street, do everything she says, especially if her advice makes no sense. You'll be much better off for it when you reach the end of the book and/or the series. The opposite applies if she's young and attractive, unless she asks you for help. In that case, treat her as if she was an old lady.
10. If somebody takes you on a trip through time, instantly believe it's real, and act accordingly. You've no idea how many people have been killed off by the fatal mistake of disbelief.
11. You can always judge a person by their eyes.
12. Stay inside on sunny, peaceful Saturdays when nothing is going on. Block up all the windows and turn off all the lights. Put on a knapsack and stuff it with emergency rations, dozens of batteries, a few flashlights, and a towel.
13. If you're an adult, bring a pistol to work on Mondays. But think about it as little as possible. No need to let the author capitalize on that fact.
14. Get a sidekick. It doesn't matter who, just get one. And at all costs avoid being a sidekick yourself!
15. Anything people say when they're dying is true, especially if it has to do with you.
16. This should be obvious, but avoid saying things like “I'm alive!” unless you want that to change. Also avoid “I bet Bob's doing a lot better than I am,” unless you hate Bob, in which case it's a capital thing to say. Dramatic irony is overused on Earth, so any books written about Earth will likely exploit and turn upside down any verbal assumptions you make.
17. The police are useless. Don't even bother talking to them, unless you've captured a whole gang, in which case police cars and prisons could come in mighty useful.
18. Do what your heart tells you.
19. If someone tries to murder you, and you overcome them, spare their life. However illogical this may be, they'll inevitably save yours later on through some foolish coincidence.
20. Quote Monty Python. This will prove once and for all you're not in a book, because it's so unprofessional that no sane author would ever allow it.

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