Vol. 6: This Issue

• A Culture of Disrespect
• What's Your MQ®?
• National Institute Wins Video and Web Awards
• Institute is featured at National Media Education Conference
• Today Show spends a day at the Institute
• “Safe from the Start”: National Summit addresses children and violence

When the extreme becomes the norm

A Culture of Disrespect

by David Walsh, Ph.D.

In the weeks and months since the tragedy at Columbine High School I have done hundreds of interviews with journalists from all over the world. The conversations always return to the fundamental question: "Is the media involved as one of the causes of this and other similar tragedies?"

I do not believe that media directly caused the murderous rampage in Littleton, CO. I doubt that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold listened to Marilyn Manson, played Doom for a while and then loaded up their guns. Rather, the role that media play is in shaping the norms--and the norms, in turn, determine the extremes.

No one will argue against the statement that what happened at Columbine High School was extreme. Unfortunately there have always been and there always will be kids drawn to extreme behavior. But what qualifies as extreme is related to the definition of normal. If normal behavior is kids treating each other with some respect, then the extreme might be a verbal outburst, a kick or a punch. But if putdowns and "in your face" behavior is already the norm, then the extreme behavior is going to go farther over the edge. As our culture becomes more and more violent, extreme expressions of violence will inevitably be more grotesque.

That’s where the media come in. Whoever tells the stories defines the culture. That isn’t new. It’s been true for thousands of years. What is new is that during the 20th century we have delegated more and more of the story telling function to mass media. Some of the media take the art to new heights. Too many, however, don’t. Too many specialize in dishing out heaping servings of violence, mayhem, and degradation.

Today the average American child will see over 200,000 violent acts on TV alone by the time high school graduation rolls around. Who knows how many simulated murders they will have participated in if they’re "playing" video games like Eric Harris’ favorites? Besides TV, movies and electronic games, many kids spend hours and hours listening to music or visiting web sites that wreak of vulgarity, misogyny, and hatred.

The research linking violent media with attitudes and behavior is so overwhelming that few researchers even bother to dispute that screen bloodshed has an effect on the kids watching it. But what’s the real effect of a steady diet of Jerry Springers and video games with slogans like "Easier than killing babies with axes?" In my judgement the most pervasive effect is not so much the violent behavior but rather the culture of disrespect it creates and nourishes.

The media have redefined how we are supposed to treat one another. We’ve gone from "Have a nice day" to "Make my day." And too many of our kids have learned the lesson. When the norm becomes threat and intimidation, then the extremes shift as well. They take the form of kids torturing and killing their peers.

What's Your MQ?

We have charts to measure how our children are growing, nutrition guidelines for feeding our children and standardized testing to check school progress -- but until now we haven't had anything to help parents evaluate their children's media health. Well that's all changed with the introduction of MediaQuotient® (MQ®). MQ helps parents evaluate what's entering their children's brains just like nutrition labels help parents monitor what goes into growing bodies. MQ gives parents tools to control media's powerful influence on their families.

MediaQuotient includes:

The Family Media Inventory. This inventory measures your family's media habits in six categories.

The Individualized Media Profile. This seven-page profile cites important research findings related to your responses, offers you valuable recommendations and describes how the answers you gave on the inventory compare to national averages.

For further information and how to order: MediaQuotient®.

Awards

National Institute Wins Video and Web Awards

*  The Jolts and Tricks video produced by the National Institute on Media and the Family was awarded third place in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis's sixth annual Religion Video Festival held in June (1999).

Jolts and Tricks gives viewers an inside look at how our brains grow and develop and how being exposed to violence can have harmful effects on children's brain development. It is one of three videos included in the MediaWise Resource Kit.

* The National Institute's web site, www.mediafamily.org, was selected by users of HotSheet.com as a premier "HotSheet 'Best of the Web' Site."

Institute is featured at National Media Education Conference

Educators, health professionals and media experts from all over the country converged at the 1999 National Media Education Conference held in St. Paul (Minnesota) in June. Several Institute staff gave presentations. Marilyn VanOverbeke showcased the Institute's new MediaWise Resource Kit for educators and trainers. Douglas Gentile, Ph.D., presented "Testing Your MediaQuotient -- A Tool for Parents" and Dr. Walsh participated in the expert-panel discussion "New Directions in the Violence Debate."

In the News

Today Show Spends a day at the Institute

NBC reporters visited the National Institute in June to film segments for the popular Today morning show. The news crew spent a long day conducting many personal interviews. They were especially interested in the Institute's award-winning KidScore^TM rating system and the process used to rate computer and video games. The crew was fascinated by Andy Barnes, electronic gaming specialist, as he demonstrated playing games and the process he uses to prepare games for media raters. Media Rater Patsy Green and her husband spent time with the reporters at their home and their children were filmed playing computer games. Later, the crew dropped in on an evening media rating session where they filmed how games are rated for age appropriateness and content.

Look for this story to be broadcast in late summer (1999).

On-the-Road

“Safe from the Start”: National Summit addresses children and violence

A select group of national experts from mental health, criminal justice, government and academia, including Dr. Walsh, were invited to attend the National Summit on Children Exposed to Violence in June (1999) in Washington, D.C.

The summit was convened by Attorney General Janet Reno and Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala. "Findings and input from the summit will help develop a national action plan to address the important issue of children exposed to violence," says Dr. Walsh.