- 1). Develop a definition of media violence. Set parameters for the definition. Does it have to include physical harm? At what intensity is an action considered violent? For example, is shoving someone violence? Does intimidation count?
- 2). Determine various categories of violence. They can be based on the intensity of the action, or the motivation of the violence. For example, categories of violence can include revenge violence, financially rewarding violence, hate violence or righteous violence.
- 3). View the media. Count the acts of violence that fall into your definition and place them in the appropriate category. Record your results. View the media again, if necessary.
- 4). Compare the number of acts of violence and the kinds of violence in the media you viewed with other examples of media in the same genre, as well as between genres. For example, does a popular movie thriller have more violence than a book thriller? How does a movie drama compare to a romantic comedy film? Also re-evaluate your original definition of violence. Were there any acts that fell just outside of the parameters or were hard to quantify? After completing the viewing of the media, would you alter your definition of violence?
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