Effects From Violent Media, Short- and Long-Term

Historically speaking, media scholarship has progressed from dated theories, such as the magic bullet theory, which argues the media is very powerful in its effects, to a more modern understanding through which researchers understand the individual differences among consumers and how they engage media. Within these advances, researchers have come to understand that media in general can have small to moderate effects upon individuals’ cognitions, affect, and behaviors. Numerous theories abound that are used to account for violent media effects upon users. Some, such as media priming, work in the short term, while others, such as cultivation or social learning, predict long-term effects and consequences based on learned models of behavior. One area that has drawn criticism and concern is the consumption of violent media. ...