Chp. 27 Cultivation Theory

Chapter 27, Cultivation Theory, is an objective theory from the socio-psychological perspective in which television is "society's storyteller." This theory explains that the more tv people watch (heavy viewers), the more likely they are to view the world like they do the television. This means that, say a heavy viewer watches a lot of violent tv shows, where people are murdered or beaten, then that viewer might have a higher chance at believing in the "mean world syndrome," and feel that the world is a cruel and vicious place, filled with nothing but terrible things. Someone who is a "light viewer", however, is more likely to view the world as it is, ever changing and inconsistent, and know that not everything on television is how it is in the real world. This theory reminds me of my father. A few weeks ago my father had his wallet stolen, and after it happened he said, "You know, I should have known, I was just watching a report on NBC about identity theft and how much it's happening." I'm relating this to my father because as hard of a worker as he is, once he's home, he's watching the tv, and he tends to make hasty judgements because of everything he hears. His golden phrase in our family is, "Ashley, you better be careful, I was watching...". We tend to make fun of him a little too much about it, but it is only fair.