A Look at Movies And Behavior
Do you know when the first movie was made? The first movie was made in 1888. That is over 100 years old! Though we may not notice, the movies that we watch can begin to shape the way to think and behave. These influences that they have on us can be acceptable or hateful. Not only do they shape adults minds, but the effect that movies have on children's minds can shape their futures and change their way of thinking. Studies show that behavior in children is greatly affected by the movies and TV shows that they watch. The question is, how much of an effect do movies have on people, and is it harmful?
Movie Violence
On July 20th, 2012, a man dressed in full body armor and had weapons and bombs entered a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, which was premiering the then-new movie, The Dark Knight Rises. He then used his arms to kill 12 people and injured 70 others. Many witnesses to this event exclaim that this man, James Holmes, bared a resemblance to the Joker, the main character of the previous movie. As a child, Holmes’ favorite movies were “Star Wars and superhero movies” according to a dating profile that he made while he was in prison. He told an officer that he wanted to appear as “the Joker” for his mass murder attempt. This shows that the movies that he was exposed to magnified his apparent inner issues that he had.
Many people used this as a way to impose more gun control, but are the weapons that he used at fault? What about the movie that he heavily based his mass murder spree on? I have seen all of the Batman movies, and I thought that they were great movies. However, I can see that those movies are a little demented, and a person with thoughts of murder could easily take this and bend it into their own imagination.
Movie Psychology
Psychology Today states that when we watch a movie, our brains get “time locked” onto the events on the screen, blocking everything else out. At that point, there is no other reality happening in our minds other than the events that are happening on TV. When an image is in our brains for a long period of time, it starts to become a part of the brain, like a part of a fence that has grown into a tree. It depends on what types of movies that we watch that determine what kinds of impressions that they are going to have on our brains. A person that watches dark movies such as movies about depression, drugs, alcohol, and suicide, will begin to reflect this with their actions and behaviors. An example of this is the book and recent Netflix show 13 Reasons Why. The show is about finding out the reasons why the main character, Hannah, takes her own life. While this is a highly rated and critically acclaimed show, the theme of it seems to be supporting the choices of young teens, even if those decisions lead to suicide. As a result of this, there was a “28.9% increase in suicide rates among U.S. youth” according to The New Yorker. Notwithstanding this evidence, studies show that people who watch humor, light or happy shows and movies seem to have a positive influence on their behavior, causing them to be more social and interactive.
On the other hand, movies can also have a positive influence on lives. Movies about inspiration and hope can give people experience with positive energies that they may not experience anywhere else. They can also give children the right role model to live up to, to help mold their ever-growing minds into something positive. Teenagers who choose to watch a more positive form of entertainment tend to have a more positive outlook on life. It can also be healthier for the body. Studies show that those that laugh more than others exercise their abdominal muscles while they are laughing. If a person watches a humorous show, it is possible that they are healthier than others.
Career Decisions and Movies
I know that the movies that I watch have an impact on the way that I think. I have never been able to figure out what I want my career to be when I am out of high school, but I have found that ideas that I might have been heavily based on the movie or TV show that I watched that day. When I watch The Flash, I want to be a forensic scientist. When I watch Hawaii 5-0 or any other cop show, I think that being a police officer or a detective would be up my alley. However, as I move on with those movies, I move on with those possible careers.
Movies are a great source of entertainment that can either make us or break us. It is up to the watcher to decide which way it is going to be. If all a person watches is sad, depressing movies, they are more likely to emulate the emotions onscreen. If a person has homicidal thoughts, and they watch the Hallmark channel, I am willing to bet that they will be less likely to act on it. It is hard for me to put aside the fact that maybe some of this depression and anxiety in our younger generations can be prevented by monitoring what comes across our screens.