By: Aurora Dziadul | Staff Writer
Media is what keeps us connected to the world. Every time something major happens, whether good or bad, ten miles away or ten thousand miles away, media tells us the who, what, where, when, and why of all the major occurrences around the world. The mass media is what makes countless amounts of information available to the public, and without it we probably couldn’t function in this new world that we live in. Yet our reliance on the media gives them a certain power- the power to both control the information that we receive and how that information is perceived.
Media is also a business, and a very prosperous and influential one at that. A few individuals have a lot invested in making sure that we continue to be reliant on their product. In order to do that, the media must produce the most sensational and eye-catching news, often twisting or adding unnecessary information simply to create more of an uproar. But this practice of sensationalizing everything isn’t without its own negative effects.
There have been over 300 mass shootings in the United States within the past year. That adds up to almost one per day, a statistic that worries people as they head to their local restaurants, movie theaters, schools, and even places of worship. And as Congress continues to be notably hesitant to pass any legislation to prevent these attacks, Americans are beginning to feel hopeless about the current state of affairs. Is there anything that can be done to prevent these tragedies?
To put the issue of gun control aside (although certainly not to undermine its importance), the role of the mass media in these shootings is a concerning but often overlooked issue. The media continues to put out headlines—“Here’s What We Know About ________ Mass Shooter”—giving the person who is at fault for the terrible tragedy a moment of stardom. This poses a problem for two reasons: the first and most obvious being that this is often what the person intends to get out of resorting to gun violence. The second, however, is the one that poses the most threat to society, for it can actually encourage other people to use gun violence as a way to solve their problems.
It seems ridiculous, right? Who would ever see the absolute pain and suffering brought on by these mass shootings and want to perpetrate one themselves? The answer comes from social proof, a phenomenon that psychologists recognized after seeing suicide rates skyrocket after a highly-publicized suicide occurs. Other individuals in the same situation who are feeling desperate see the person in the news as a model for how they should handle the situation. Not only does it give them the idea, it also encourages them to do it. If someone else handled it this way, it must be the right way.
This principle carries over to the hundreds of mass shootings that continue to ruin lives. It is self-perpetuating in a way. Troubled individuals who are having difficulty dealing with a loss or persecution in their social circle (which, it should be noted, is often perceived and not an actual reality) see other people who were in the same situation resorting to gun violence as a way out. They start to believe that this is a viable option and even begin to worship those who have committed these terrible acts. Many of them collect media reports, of all things, as encouragement and to help plan their own act of violence. They begin to look forward to their own media debut.
The media also tries to put these individuals in a box, meaning they are constantly looking for ways to explain why these people would do the terrible things that they do. Yet psychologists, through many years of searching, have yet to find common characteristics between the shooters. There is no “profile” of a mass shooter, and trying to create one would cause more problems than it would solve. The media constantly stresses the “mental-health issues” that these individuals supposedly suffered from, and while it is certain that their logic (and emotions) were faulty in this instance, that does not necessarily mean they would have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Some of the individuals appeared to be perfectly “normal” and rational until shortly before the attack took place. Although it is easy to want to believe that these shooters had something making them do it, whether it be voices in their heads or extreme psychopathology, that is quite often not the case. In fact, the media’s focus on the correlation between mental illness and violence (which is actually quite slim), only serves to further stigmatize the issue and make it more difficult for those who need help to receive it.
This article is not meant to merely be a criticism of the media, however, and it is understandable that they would report on these tragedies, for people deserve to know about them. Their job is important to the proper functioning of the world and I do not undermine that in any way. It should be noted, though, that with this influential role comes the responsibility to ascertain that their portrayal of certain news is not having a negative (and in this case deadly) effect on society. The media is not responsible for mass shootings—only the individuals actually perpetrating the acts are—but they do contribute, in no small way, to the continued increase in numbers. If the media stopped sensationalizing the people who are committing these terrible acts of violence, it would stand to reason that the amount of mass shootings occurring would decrease. However, the American government and society as a whole would need to take action to most effectively prevent these attacks, as media is only one small part of the whole picture.
The article above is simply my evaluation of the current situation and how media influences it, and should not be taken as fact. I have listed a couple of references below on social proof and how it contributes to human behavior as well as research done on mass shootings that I have based my educated opinion off of. You may certainly come to a different conclusion than I did. If anyone would like to discuss/debate what I have written, please feel free to contact me at aurora.dziadul@salve.edu. Thank you.
Cialdini, R.B. (2009). Influence. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
Vossekuil, B., Fein, R. A., Reddy, M., Borum, R., & Modzeleski, W. (2002). The final report and findings of the safe school initiative: Implications for the prevention of school attacks in the united states. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Secret Service.
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