Virtual Reality and Violence Research Paper

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Super-violence is a new term that defines violence in a grand and exaggerating way. (Klare 16) Seen as an era of constant warfare and violence, it has made its way into entertainment and media. Whether it is chopping the heads of people and seeing the blood from their bodies gush like champagne fountains or seeing throats slit by children, today's media has taken on a new level of violence that thanks to visual effects and special effects makeup, shows just how intense the public has become in their quest for savagery. But why does the public desire more and more violence in their stories? What turn will this take in the future?

The recent invention and use of virtual reality just may be the way people will participate in the increasingly violent nature of media. Through virtual reality people can feel as though they are right in the middle of a scene and fight and see up close the mayhem that unfolds. How does VR work to get the wearer in the middle of a scene or a game? Many companies have begun introducing virtual reality headsets into their product line. Companies like Google, HTC, Oculus, Samsung, and Sony have all released products that provide consumers with a chance at experiencing virtual reality. The three main things required to do so are a console, a smartphone, or a PC to run the game/app, some type of input like controllers, hand or head tracking, trackpads, voice, or on-device buttons, and a headset that secures a display for visuals. While users of VR headsets feel immersion in the game or scene, total immersion is the end goal. This means making virtual reality seem so real that people using the technology forget they are wearing accessories and head gear.

Playstation VR and Oculus Rift are VR headsets that are head mounted displays or HMDs. They aim to provide the consumer a 3D virtual, life size environment that has no boundaries like screens on a TV. Anywhere a consumer looks, the visuals follow. VR headsets utilize one of two feeds sent to two LCD displays or one display. Lenses within the headsets allow for options to reshape and focus the picture, generating a stereoscopic 3D image. (Linowes) VR headsets often come with a few various internal parts that can be used for a head-tracking system like a magnetometer, gyroscope, and accelerometer. Motion-tracking is the next future objective of motional reality and may come soon.

This is just one of many ways people have chosen to engage in media to express their innermost feelings and desires. And that is largely why people crave violence in media, because they are scared or angry of the world they live and interact in. This essay will show how the human mind works by exploring theories and concepts that provide clues into the innerworkings of the human mind and most importantly the subconscious, where many of the darker emotions reside.

In Zillman's article, he asks the question of why violence is appealing? People engage in sports like boxing, roller derby and the crowds scream with glee. A bad guy is killed or beaten by a hero and the viewers delight seeing it all on the big screen.

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Possible reasons why violence is so entertaining could lie in disposition theory which examines just outcomes, PENS model that covers choice/autonomy, competence, and relations, or novelty (sensation seeking). In disposition theory, when viewers observe characters, they have the tendency of making moral judgments over the actions of those characters (Zillman and Goldstein 179-211). Add to that the idea that someone may become emotionally aroused by suspenseful drama and it creates a means of entertainment from depictions of violence. When Batman for example, is attacked by some thugs, it generates emotional arousal for the viewer, possibly amplifying mood.

In a typical justice sequence a bad person performs a bad action. Thus, someone good suffers and a hero undergoes trials. Through those trials, the bad guy receives suitable punishment or justice and justice is restored, reassuring the viewer everything will be okay.

Delving into PENS model, competence refers to the idea that violence generates clear objectives that under pressure provide immediate, clear feedback. This can be seen in violent video games where the protagonist must shoot down bad guys to complete a mission. This represents autonomy. In relationships, players in video games must cooperate in teams to kill a boss or reach another objective. Although violence in games can spark aggression from those with trait aggression, violent video games provide relationships and autonomy for players, explaining why they make like playing them.

Violence seems to arouse emotions in people and in general is very arousing. Seeing it in shows, movies, and video games allows people to challenge themselves, reinforce their beliefs, and feel something for the story or the characters. It can be seen a cathartic experience, a means of desensitization, or for some, sensation seeking. Sensation seeking can explain why some people seek violence in media more than others.

High sensation seekers are attracted to horror and violence more than low sensation seekers and find these experiences generally more arousing. Aside from reinforcement of justice and attachment to story, violence in media also provides a desensitization that can aid in lessening anxiety associated with violence and may even help people deal with phobias. However, from desensitizing also comes a reduced emotional response to said violence leaving a desire for more and more extreme levels of violence, creating an environment that produces Super-violence. Now with the recent introduction of virtual reality headsets, people can expose themselves to even more intense violence in games and movies. They can witness an in immersive way how to kill bad guys and other violent aims.

In fact, virtual reality may become a new way to desensitize people further and create even more violent scenarios soon. This is because at the heart of all media and entertainment are stories. Stories allow people to make judgment calls and decide whether they like or hate someone, seeking to make them suffer or reward them. As Zillmann points out, when people watch a movie or read a book, there is an ongoing moral monitor….....

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