This constant, on demand access to violent TV has sparked a great debate regarding young people: does TV really increase violence in our youth? Multiple studies have begun initiatives in an attempt to understand the real effect of TV on younger generations, but the results often come back undetermined.
in the UK, these shows can be shown between 9pm and 5:30am
Perhaps we can argue that the very use of a watershed on television programmes shows that regulatory companies such as Ofcom are aware that violence can have negative effects on children. The watershed refers to the time when TV programmes that are classed as unsuitable for children can be shown. In the UK these programmes can be shown between 9pm and 5:30am, and violence is one of the categories that contribute to this. Ofcom review their regulations twice a year every year, and recently found that 93% of people understand the watershed, with 74% thinking 9pm is the right time.
Whilst regulation companies can incite these restrictions to assist concerned parents, the world of streaming has opened up a whole new can of worms for society to tackle. With services such as Netflix providing brutal TV programmes and documentaries such as the recent Jeffrey Dahmer series, young people and children have access to a vast range of shows.
This is a useful guide to understanding that viewing violence as a young person can have detrimental effects. The effects that many parents concern themselves with include anxiety, lack of sleep, and – largely – an increase in aggression.
An increase in viewing violence comes hand in hand with an increase in desensitisation amongst young people. This means that the more exposed they become to acts of violence and terror, the less of a shock it will be. Whilst murder is a horrendous and unspeakable crime, on the fifteenth time witnessing one it may seem less of a big deal.
When I started looking into news stories about the link between TV violence and real-world violence, there are several case studies of when TV has been given the blame for harm. Back in 2006, The Guardian wrote an article about a 13-year-old boy who was accused of murdering his grandmother and two other relatives after learning how to kill by watching TV. This is an example of children replicating what they see on the screen without truly being aware of the consequences.
the world of streaming has opened up a whole new can of worms for society to tackle
Saying this, cases such as this one are truly stand-alone horror shows. Millions of children around the world watch violent TV shows without allowing it to alter their perception of what is right and wrong. Perhaps the answer isn’t to ban children from watching shows such as this, but instead igniting a conversation that allows them to understand why it is wrong. Parents can use their platform as a role model to emphasise the fictional aspect (or wrongness if it is a documentary) of the violence in television.
