Thank you for your opinions. One phrase that really grabbed my attention was " Entertainment changes our mood, and can be a form of escaping the real world even if is just for a couple of minutes or hours," (thipolito88). I think it is very true. Personally I have a favorite show that I like to watch when I am tired and want to "escape from the real world."
However, do you think it is mentally healthy for us to escape the real world via media? Does it make things worse for some people. I often find myself wandering if there is another way to deal with stress in life.
Do some people take it too far and start imitating their favorite characters? An example would be a vampire movie, the Twilight. According to the news this movie provoked teenagers to try to imitate vampires and actually start biting each other to show affection; some bite to actually draw blood here is a good link to the news article http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/twilight-movie-effect-teens-biting-vampire-fascination/story?id=11122324
Do you think some people, especially teenagers, take it too far when loosing themselves in the world of their favorite movies and characters?
I believe that prolonged exposure to certain types of entertainment may lead to aggressive behaviors, Reality shows such as "The Bad Girls Club" and "Basketball Wives" could have a negative influence on how young audiences handle conflict in the real world. The use of creative editing and marketing techniques tend to highlight the negative traits within these characters.In many instances, the contestants become celebrities based on how much negativity they're willing to display on camera. I've noticed that the concept of bullying and intimidation tactics are used heavily to get one's point across. This is not how the real world works.
ReplyDeleteAll very good discussion here. One thing i think could be fruitful to this discussion is an attempt to define what an "escape from reality" means. The term gets thrown around, I think, far too often, without any discussion of what is actually meant in using it. It's one of those unquestioned definitions in American vernacular, like "terrorism." We use it without ever really thinking about what we mean by it, which always presents problems in our dialogues.
ReplyDeleteWhoa!!!!! Great blog. I to feel that I need that "escape from reality" at times. but i feel that some people do take it tooooo far at times. The link that you posted was a perfect example. This blog really made me think.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is perfectly healthy to escape the real world via media because it gives us something to think about rather than our own problems. I do agree with medical fanatics that some form of media can be bad influence to others and lead to unacceptable behaviors. But why do you think that some of these shows such as "The Bad girls Club" or "Jersey Shore" have such high ratings because people are fascinated by all the drama, it takes there mind off of their own problems and into the problems of others which is sometimes useful because in some situations you can relate to it.
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ReplyDeleteI think that it is fine to escape in this type of way as long as it is not a constant thing. When I was growing up, a friend of mine had a brother who was not so popular. Kids would make fun of him, so he would stay in and play video games. This actually became unhealthy and the parents did nothing! Once and a while is fine. I know that I have a soap opera that I am really into (Days of our Lives) and when I watch that when the day is over and I go to nbc.com, I try to for that 40 mins or so, try to escape reality.
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