Consumers
Freedom to consume vs an ethical responsibility?
As a consumer of media, you have the power to demand and influence what kind of content is successful and what content falls by the wayside. By consuming content that is violent and/or shocking, the point could be made that people are encouraging this type of content and therefore the type of behavior shown in real life.
This brings up the issue of shows including this type of content that people label as their “guilty pleasure” watching materiel, where people watch violent and shocking images not because they encourage that behavior normally, but because it appeals to their more basic desires and lets them exert more primal feelings. The more violent content turns out to be simpler in nature and so its easier to consume in general and it makes it more casual.
Is there a difference between the two? Even as a “guilty pleasure” viewing, can these consumers be contributing to the shows continuing to air and influencing the other people watching, who may not be watching it for the same reasons?
