ABSTRACT
As Dick Cavett, long-time humorist and talk show host, once commented, “There’s so much comedy on television. Does that cause comedy in the streets?”
Although television and other media have positive effects, it seems as though most of the attention is focused on the negative effects. There is much debate concerning the degree to which the media influence behaviors, values, and attitudes. Some critics claim that mediated content is very harmful and has a strong influence, especially on children. Others claim that while television may have a mild influence, existing values and attitudes filter out the negative images and words. For example, if a young woman sees an unethical act on television but has a strong sense of right and wrong, she will not mimic what she sees.
