In my PCM320 class we are studying some of the theories behind media effects and my topic to review is the cultivation effect. The main study behind the cultivation effect is people who spend a good deal of time watching television believe the US to be extremely violent. The book cites that less then one percent of the population is an actual victim of violent crime.
Being the skeptic, I decided to do a little impromptu lunchroom survey at work. There were seven people in the room, five of which considered themselves heavy television viewers. All seven people thought the US to be an extremely violent and unsafe place. I then shared the information from my text (the less than one percent part) and most of my colleagues responded the same: the US is still an extremely violent place. I thought this to be interesting which spurred another thought. Did the word violent hold an entirely different meaning to those I work with?
Perhaps it did, which is probably another reason there is some room for debate regarding this theory.
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