vue - 178: 'Mean World Syndrome' - Television's Role in Shaping Our World View

Today's podcast deals with the phenomena known as 'Mean World Syndrome' - the belief that the world is more dangerous than it really is. The term was coined by the late cultural theorist Dr. George Gerbner as part of his work on cultivation theory, a social theory that examines the long-term effects of television. Specifically, Dr. Gerbner's research found that heavy TV viewers are more likely to overestimate their risk of being victimized by crime, believe that their neighborhoods are unsafe, and assume that the crime rate is increasing, even when it isn't. MP3 DOWNLOAD: http://traffic.libsyn.com/smellslikepodcast/MeanWorldSyndromeSLHS178.mp3 Smells Like Human Spirit is a top ranked society and culture Podcast with listeners in over 100 countries. 7-days a week, Guy Evans interviews the world's most interesting authors, musicians, and activists, and produces special feature episodes on topical issues. Past guests include Dan Carlin, Noam Chomsky, Lee Camp, Danielle Bolelli, Sibel Edmonds, Dave Zirin and over 100 others! For more of the Smells Like Human Spirit Podcast, go to http://www.smellslikehumanspirit.com Join our Facebook community! http://www.facebook.com/smellslikehumanspirit Subscribe to these Youtube videos! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=SmellsLikePodcast Subscribe on iTunes! http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/smells-like-human-spirit-podcast/id530984313 Follow us on Twitter! http://twitter.com/smellslikepod