On August 30, etcetera will be focusing on the subject of media and entertainment.  We are delighted to have award-winning filmmaker Rich Brauer, pop culture critic Joe Coffman, director and producer Peter Trucco, and sociology professor Sonja Olshove  for a discussion on the ways media, art and pop culture influence us – and how we influence those mediums in return.

In preparation for this event, here are a few links to get you thinking!

Mass Media and Society:

“A number of long‐term studies were conducted to determine what, if any results, all that media violence was having on us. Four major results came from these studies. A fifth one has evolved over time.”  This article explains Catharsis Theory, Aggressive Cues Theory, Observational Learning Theory, Reinforcement Theory, and Cultivation Theory.

The Impact of Media Violence on Children and Adolescents: Opportunities for Clinical Interventions:

“While the causes of youth violence are multifactorial and include such variables as poverty, family psychopathology, child abuse, exposure to domestic and community violence, substance abuse and other psychiatric disorders, the research literature is quite compelling that children’s exposure to media violence plays an important role in the etiology of violent behavior. While it is difficult to determine which children who have experienced televised violence are at greatest risk, there appears to be a strong correlation between media violence and aggressive behavior within vulnerable “at risk” segments of youth.”

The Effects of Media on American Society:

“The media will always be an influence, but it can’t control us unless we hand it over control. In essence, there’s a vast difference between influence and control. The media can be a good thing – it’s your choice in how you use it.”

Studies Examine Impact of Media Use Among Youth, Recommend Preventative Measures:

“Two new studies led by Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH and Dr. Michelle M. Garrison, PhD of Seattle Children’s Research Institute, focus on different uses of media and assess how media usage can lead to depression in college students and disrupt sleep patterns in preschool aged children.”