The mean world syndrome

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Date
2010
Main contributors
Earp, Jeremy; Morris, Scott
Summary
For years, debates have raged among scholars, politicians, and concerned parents about the effects of media violence on viewers. Too often these debates have descended into simplistic battles between those who claim that media messages directly cause violence and those who argue that activists exaggerate the impact of media exposure altogether. The Mean World Syndrome, based on the groundbreaking work of media scholar George Gerbner, urges us to think about media effects in more nuanced ways. Ranging from Hollywood movies and prime-time dramas to reality programming and the local news, the film examines how media violence forms a pervasive cultural environment that cultivates in heavy viewers, especially, a heightened state of insecurity, exaggerated perceptions of risk and danger, and a fear-driven propensity for hard-line political solutions to social problems. A provocative and accessible introduction to cultivation analysis, media effects research, and the subject of media influence and media violence more generally.
Contributors
Gerbner, George; Morgan, Michael, 1953 Apr. 15-; Jhally, Sut
Publisher
Media Education Foundation
Genre
Documentary films
Subjects
Broadcasting, Communications; TV, Film; Violence in mass media; Terrorism in mass media
Locations
North America; United States; Massachusetts; Northampton
Collection
Films@UM
Unit
Distinctive Media Collections
Language
English
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Terms of Use
Access is restricted to patrons at the University of Maryland.
Physical Description
52 minutes; color
Notes
Films @ UM

Access

Access condition: campus-only.
Other Identifiers
Filename: lms-090496; Fedora 2 PID: umd:76515; Handle Identifier: hdl:1903.1/10697; Catalog Key: alephsys003884868; OCLC: ocn656877682

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