The age-old debate of violence on TV has reared its ugly head again after a woman was cleared of trying to kill her mother in a plot inspired by the drama Breaking Bad.
Kuntal Patel was accused of trying to poison her mother by putting a ricin like poison in her mother’s drink as inspired by the acts of the character Walter White in the American TV drama.
She was eventually cleared of all charges.
With dramas like Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead pulling in big audiences however, British TV is more full of violence than ever and raises the question whether such exposure is affecting how violent we are.
Here at MM, we took to the streets of Manchester to ask:
Do you think violence on TV has an influence on violence in society?
|
Option |
Results |
|
Yes |
56% |
|
No |
44% |
From our poll Manchester was evenly split on the decision.
Michael Crowde, 48, from Bury who works for an online retail company said: “Eventually if you see these things often enough you could think these things are normal and acceptable.
“It’s just the fact you see these things so often now they can have an effect.”
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT FACTS: Michael Crowde does think that watching violent TV will eventually have an affect
However, Michael Eccles, 35, a council worker from Oldham thinks it is all about home life and education: “I’d hope people are educated by their family and school, not TV.
“Violence on TV and in mainstream music is always the thing people use to justify their behaviour. People’s main influences are usually at home though.”
Vicky Hobson, 37, a barmaid from Huddersfield feels it can give people ideas though.
“I think it makes things worse and gives people ideas,” she said.
“I also think it can encourage people to do things they just wouldn’t think of doing otherwise.”
I REST MY CASE: Barrister Barry Naylor believes it might give people an idea but that would be as far as it goes
Barry Naylor, 38, a solicitor from Rossendale, thinks it doesn’t have that much of an influence: “It has been prevalent for that long that everyone would be going around killing everyone else if it did have an effect.
“It can maybe give people ideas but that is as far as it can go for me.”
Carol Wood, 65, a part-time driver for a pharmacy from Worcestershire said: “Too many youngsters just start copying it.
“It’s like with so much swearing on TV that just becomes common language so with violence that sort of behaviour just becomes the norm.”
Her husband Ron, 65, who is retired, agreed: “There is enough violence on the news let alone on the rest of the TV. It’s just so in your face nowadays.”
DYNAMIC DUO: Husband and wife Ron and Carol Wood think people swear because of what they see on TV
Amanda Tetlow, 32, a caterer from Newton Heath thinks most young people are good but they can be given ideas.
“If something is on TV it means it was written by a person so someone has thought of that and that leads people to think it can be done and try and replicate it,” she said.
“A lot of the teenagers I know though aren’t bad kids at all. I just think if someone is put in a violent situation they could use something they’d seen on TV.”
James Greenwood, 21, a project manager from Halifax thinks that people usually aren’t influenced by TV.
“If somebody is going to do something violent I don’t think a television show is going to be the thing that possesses them to do it. I don’t think television effects normal people in that way.”
ALL SMILES: ‘I don’t think television effects normal people in that way’ says James Greenwood
Elliot Fawcett, 22, an aerospace engineering student from Manchester said: “I watch all sorts of stuff on TV and play all sorts of games and I don’t go around shooting people.
“Surely people are going to do it anyway and just by watching TV they don’t become violent.”
Bradley Greenhood, 20, a psychology student from Stockport thinks violence is part of human nature and nothing to do with TV.
“There has been violence since mankind began but there’s only been TV for about a hundred years,” he said.
“I think TV can give people ideas of what they are going to do it anyway and are probably quite unsteady to begin with.”
Image courtesy of High Bridge Entertainment, via YouTube, with thanks
