| Popis: |
No longer are village elders and literature the only sources of stories that compel consumers to become emotionally and cognitively involved with fictional characters. Rather, technologies such as television, Netflix, and digital video recording allow media consumers to not only become involved with mediated characters, but even feel empathy with them. Coupled with a media-heavy culture, submersing oneself in emotion-inducing narratives may bode well for consumers’ entertainment. However, constant connections to characters may inhibit viewers’ empathic capabilities toward other human beings by way of desensitization. This study examined television consumption as a predictor of empathy in 491 college students at a midsized Midwestern university. Findings suggested that television use does not directly impact empathy. However, increased consumption of crime dramas, situational comedies, and overall television predicted higher desensitization to violent and emotional portrayals, and increased desensitization predicted lower empathy. In addition, men were more desensitized and less empathic than women. By exploring desensitization to nonviolent content, these findings expand upon prior desensitization research which only focused on violence. Limitations to the study are acknowledged, and implications are discussed in terms of attempting to better understand how the increasing time viewers spend immersed in their mediated worlds may impact their real worlds. |
