Sajida A Zubair
FOR the last few years, the over-saturation of crime stories on television, newspapers, and other media platforms has taken a toll leading to troublesome trends of desensitisation among readers and viewers. With crime stories continually hogging front-page news and headline space as well as the feeds on social media, this psychological impact of such consumption calls for immediate attention and action.
There has been a transformative shift in the Indian media landscape, most notably in the way that violent incidents are reported. A report by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) revealed that crime-related content forms more than 30% of the total viewership on news channels and that there was a 25% spike in the viewership of crime shows on general entertainment channels from 2021 to 2023. This trend reflects an increased appetite for sensational stories leading to the normalisation of violence in everyday discourse.
A comprehensive analysis of a significant portion of current research has demonstrated that prolonged exposure to violent media can cause people to become emotionally less responsive to real violence and desensitise them to it. Customers who watch violent media are much less likely to believe that people who are actually the victims of violence are victims, according to another meta-analysis that was published in the Journal of Communication. This is quite concerning in India because violent crime, gender-based violence, and communal rioting are all very common here.
In a research, conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, 62% of respondents stated that they were no longer concerned about violent news articles, compared to 28% who said the same thing five years prior. According to the same NIMHANS study, individuals who watch a lot of crime media have a 40% increased risk of developing anxiety disorders, and 20% of them report experiencing an increase in aggressive thoughts and actions.
Normalisation of violence in media leaves its imaginative impact on the perception of crime prevailing within society and the psychology of a person.
Indices of Desensitisation: Through the survey conducted by C-Voter, it was stated that 58% respondents said that they have become numb and have lost their sensitivities against violent crime, whereas rape, murder, and riot news stories leave no shock and trouble, or concern within them.
Save the Children India has brought out a report stating that 70% of children in the age group of 6-14 years have been exposed to some form of violent media. Out of them, 35% manifested their aggression in real life which is a disconcerting trend in the change of attitude towards conflict and violence.
Social Media Dynamics: As many as 75% of Indian teens watch violent content frequently on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, according to a CyberMedia Research survey. Moreover, as many as 68% of respondents claim they either like this or do not care. Times Group has conducted a survey saying that 65 percent of metropolitan residents live in fear of their city due to the daily crime-related news displayed on television. That spreads the fear, which would have a dreadful effect, turning worried people even more apprehensive and potentially causing mental illnesses.
Media consumption no longer stops at individual psychology; it extends to society. In a 2023 survey, India Today found that 60% of respondents felt that increased exposure to violent media has made society tolerate aggressive behaviour more. This view creates a grave threat to social coordination and interpersonal relationships.
The Indian Academy of Paediatrics states that children who watch media violence are more likely to develop behavioural problems. About 50% of paediatricians noticed an increase in aggression and defiance among children they cared for, who were regular consumers of violent media. Knowing our roles as parents, using some co-viewing habits with your child, and discussing the impact of violent media content on them. This helps a child increase his emotional intelligence. Counseling services and mental health helplines should be available to those who experience anxiety, aggression, or detachment that’s linked to media consumption.
Advanced AI tools should be used to track, filter, and block violent content through social media, which will also advocate for safer digital spaces. Positive endorsement through empathetic, kind, and community-building stories will cause more attention to be directed at the media level from violence to hope. Grassroots civil society organisations for mental well-being, and also promoting responsible consumption of content, will be a step toward a culture of empathy and emotional sensibility. Together, these contributions may begin to reverse the normalisation of violence and reinstate compassion at the very heart of Indian society. Social responses to these matters deserve a commitment from media houses, educators, and policymakers to continue urging the centrality of empathy and compassion right at the very heart of public discourse.
Desensitisation due to repeated exposure to violence through Indian media is a collaborative responsibility task undertaken by the people, media houses, policymakers, and teachers. Educating students, more particularly children, through media literacy programmes in schools, colleges, and communities will better prepare them to analyse whatever content they receive and become more sensitive consumers.
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The author is an educator, mental well-being counsellor, faculty member at IPERC, and scriptwriter. She brings her passion for nurturing minds and fostering emotional resilience through her diverse roles.
