Acts of violence Quote by Carl Sagan
““A statement: children who watch violent TV programmes tend to be more violent when they grow up. But did the TV cause the violence, or do violent children preferentially enjoy watching violent programmes? Very likely both are true. Commercial defenders of TV violence argue that anyone can distinguish between television and reality. But Saturday morning children’s programmes now average 25 acts of violence per hour. At the very least this desensitizes young children to aggression and random cruelty. And if impressionable adults can have false memories implanted in their brains, what are we implanting in our children when we expose them to some 100,000 acts of violence before they graduate from elementary school?””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Cosmos Series, 1995
Violent media may both reflect and shape aggressive behavior, making children desensitized and possibly influencing adult memories.
In simple terms: Violent TV can both cause and result from aggression, desensitizing kids.
Key Takeaway
Consider media impact on youth behavior.
Themes
media influence
violence
development
psychology
education
Mood
concerned
analytical
Type
informative
critical
When to use this quote
- parenting
- school curricula
- policy making
- public health campaigns
Key Concepts
social learning theory
desensitization
media effects
Questions to Reflect On
- How does exposure to fictional violence affect real-life empathy?
- Can media literacy reduce desensitization?
A Different Perspective
Not all violence on TV leads to real aggression; context matters.
![“[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion, why do you not believe in materialistic science, which has an unparalleled record of fulfilled prophecy? Consider, for example, eclipses.” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/875/carl-sagan-160_belief_when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-a_25095.jpg)
