Cultivation Theory

Cultivation Theory is the idea that television is our society's storyteller, and because of that, it has a strong presence in our culture. The theory, developed by Gerbner in 1976, says that people who consume a lot of TV are more likely to adopt a perception of reality that is communicated through the television. The theory also involved the "Cultural Indicators Project" which works to index TV violence. It also outlines different types of TV viewers such as light vs. heavy. What I thought was the most interesting part of the theory was that people who consume large amounts of TV are more prone to develop "mean world syndrome." They see their chances of being involved in some violent act as very likely and generally mistrust people. I think this theory is applicable to today's society in so many ways because our society is such a media consuming culture. The first example that popped into my head is one of my friends who watches a lot of Lifetime Television. Lifetime is a channel primarily geared towards women and airs a lot of movies dealing with abuse or harassment from men. Because she watches so much of this channel, she is convinced she will be part of some violent act, like getting mugged. Personally, I think she is paranoid. However, she's a great example of the theory at work in real life.