Films and television series are not nearly as harmless as they seem. Yes, they help to pass the evening, but at the same time quite strongly affect us. And not always this influence can be called positive.
From the very childhood, when we are most impressed, cinema and television form our expectations. The children watch films and serials, and they form statements about how relations between people look like what should be a success, what demands are made on us by society.
Even if the film was created as purely entertaining, we easily, without being aware of it, “absorb” what we see on the screen, gradually beginning to assume that “it must be so.” I do not mean even concrete plots, but those implicit conclusions that can be made from what is happening. About how people communicate, behave, express emotions, resolve conflicts, what should be sex and how to be a good parent.
Films and serials make many feel insecure. When a person realizes that he is unable to meet the standards set by cinema and television, he begins to consider himself inferior, he seems to be living wrong. If he can not charm others, be charismatic – such as heroes on the screen – then he seems to himself shy, unable to communicate normally.
Cinema and television can also form phobias. For example, if we see an airplane on the screen, there is almost always the impression that it is about to break. Viewers can “absorb” such messages, and as a result, their anxiety is aggravated. This applies to other fears – before elevators, spiders, snakes. Films reinforce our phobias, because of them we begin to feel that safe enough situations are actually associated with greater risk.
Thanks to cinematic techniques, what is happening on the screen seems almost real. The creators of the films try to show the events, even absolutely fantastic, as realistic as possible, and the viewer seems to think that this can happen with him.
Films and series can involuntarily inspire us with unhealthy ideas, thereby harming mental health. Take at least the scenes in which it shows how the character shows anger or irritation. Often it is expressed explicitly – the heroes shout at those who have angered them, fight with them, or start revenge on them, right up to the killing. And necessarily someone must win, and someone – to lose.
Those images of the ideal life that we see on the screen can damage self-esteem and self-confidence. We have a feeling that we must always be able to find the right words, to act correctly and in general be able to do everything right the first time – as it happens in the cinema. But think, how many takes is required for actors and directors to shoot an ideal scene. It can not be expected that in life, where there is only one “double”, everything will go just as smoothly! And yet many people think that this should be sought.
Such an unconscious attitude can do a lot of harm, increasing anxiety, provoking stress, leading to depression and a sense of failure from inconsistency with unattainable standards.
Usually the viewer is shown what he yearns to see. An angry person often wants to see how the character on the screen pours out anger, beating up the offender, and it resonates with his emotions. Yes, fights in the movies – especially those shot beautifully and effectively – can sometimes be a good entertainment. But is it really worth living in anger in life, rushing into a fight? Of course, no – it is much more important to manage emotions and manifest them in a healthy and constructive (rather than destructive) form.
The action on the screen often reflects our experiences. Therefore, films can make such a deep impression on us. But as a result, the line between reality and fantasy begins to blur. In the cinema, you rarely see real examples to follow or realistic portrayal of psychological problems. The more we observe the antics of screen characters, the more they influence us.
I’m not suggesting that you stop watching films and serials, but try to keep track of those implicit messages that you get thanks to them. Do not they make you feel like a failure? Do not distort the view of the real world? How do they influence the demands that you make on yourself? Ask these questions every time you watch TV.
Picture Credit: geralt