Mean World Syndrome
NO. 1
Mean World Syndrome is a theory by the sociologist George Gerbner, creator of the Cultural Indicator’s Project, where three-quarters of Americans believe in high levels of crime, even though statistics show it is low. In the media, there is too much sex and violence, more so than the average person will ever see a day in their lives, and it has become repetitive, and too routine, as the storytelling of violence seems ‘normal’. Since 1995, the demand for guns to ‘protect themselves’ has been at an all-time high, and so is the fear, fear that everyone in the world is a suspect. But most important, is the image of the bad guys coming to get them. 2/3 of Americans get their information from the media, mostly the news, which creates negative stereotypes of minorities, who are seen as violent and aggressive.
NO. 2
For instance, Latinos, who make up 15% of the population in America, are portrayed by the media as aggressors, seen as ‘rapists and gangbangers’ or ‘murderers. They are also the subject of illegal immigration, which creates dehumanizing effects. Then, there’s the vilification of Arabs and Muslims as bloodthirsty terrorists linked to violence and terror, and the subject of torture/ing of these people is ‘okay as long as it’s a good guy doing it’’. 39% of Americans believe that American-born Muslims are not loyal to the country’s ideals and are not loyal to them. And finally, African Americans are twice as likely to be seen as perpetrators. In the media, it is harmful to show black people as great middle-class, successful people, then as violent and aggressive in the next slide, as if to say some people choose that lifestyle, that they are simply a product of their environment.
NO. 3
White people are five times more likely to be criminalized by whites than black people, yet they are not shown almost every day on the news for breaking crimes. The result of all this is the active fear in everyday Americans that makes us less likely to be compassionate and more hardened to anyone and everyone. It also increases a high demand for national security and believes that we must ‘lock these criminals in cages where they belong.’
NO. 4
Cultivation Theory is the examination of the long-term effects of television. Media cultivates a set of values, meanings, expectations, understanding, etc. which is the culture now in the modern century. Mass media replacement of community-based storytellers advances corporate interests (increasing profits and sales) since Americans spend a lot of time with the media. The effects are becoming more systemic and all-encompassing. We need to start asking questions, like who is being represented in the media, who is the victim, who is in the cast, and what their fates are. Who is generally cast as the good guy, and who is cast as the bad guy? We can look at the Media Database (IMDb) to see who is making the cultural object and what is the main subject.
NO. 4
Mean World Syndrome relates to this theory through intersections of race, gender, ethnicity, criminal justice, and the international border. We need to understand who is creating these TV shows/films. Since America has such a global reach, it attracts the largest audience. Sociologists are not condemning media, but the constant repetition of ‘happy violence’—where in the film, show, or media, the good guy faces a challenge, fights and action and explosions reoccur, he stops the evil doer, saves the damsel, and the day is saved! It’s boring, cliché, and the same story repeatedly— and the various franchises and storylines springing from these corporations because it slows down progress and keeps negative stereotypes alive, some extremely damaging.
