By virtue of its excess and its ever-present nature, violence is no longer exclusively associated with fictional stories, or past history, or faraway places. Instead, it has begun to merge with ordinary life. But it is both unreasonable and incorrect to single out television and movie violence as the sole or primary source of this escalating social violence. Doing so involves selecting a marginally vulnerable scapegoat. It also overlooks the real complexity of violence and the many influences that provoke aggression.
Television viewing statistics are staggering.
Although regularly denounced, discounted, minimized, or simply ignored, both experimental and naturalistic studies have convincingly shown the negative effects of televised violence. This is especially true for heavy watchers, particularly children. They may also believe that being aggressive is an acceptable way to resolve conflict. Short-term effects in children experimentally exposed to violent TV programs range from increased physical activity to playing more roughly. They may also break toys, snatch toys from others, and fight more frequently.