Mean World

Teresa Wadysz

Sociology 101

Mean World Syndrome

STEP #2: Describe the Mean World Syndrome and its two primary effects on people and society. Use three concepts in analyzing how media and technology play a role as socializing agents of people in childhood and adult life. These concepts can come from both Chapters 2 and 4.

“Mean World Syndrome” is the direct correlation with television/ media and fear of victimization. The primary two effects on people and society from Mean World Syndrome are desensitization and addiction. Desensitization occurs when there is an “emotional shutdown” when violence is repeatedly viewed and there becomes a “normalization of violence”. Essentially because of this television viewers are brutalized and lose their aspect of helpfulness as stated in the video. The addiction associated with this syndrome comes from the stimulation that occurs when viewers see violence in movies and such. I thought it was very interesting the connection that was made between the Rambo movies and their body counts to addiction and increased dosage. From 1982 to 2008 the body count during the Rambo movies went from 1-305. This example does make it easier to see that violence has to become more and more brutal to stimulate the already desensitized addicted viewer.

Internalization comes to mind when I think of how the media and technology play a role as socializing agents. Internalization occurs when behaviors and assumptions are learned so thoroughly that people no longer question them, but simply accept them as correct (like all the things we learn from media). Through socialization, one internalizes the expectations of society. The lessons that are internalized can have a powerful influence on attitudes and behavior (such as...