Mean World

While having the twins on their leashes as we walked by the alligators, a woman next to me commented on what a good idea the leashes were. I took it with a big smile because most of the time I just hear criticism for it. I replied, thanks! It helps. She then said, you just can never be too careful, someone could just take one of them at any moment!

I HATE this view of our world. One of the blogs I read is attempting to undo the frivolous fear that the media (ie Nancy Grace) has put into our hearts about child abductions. I do not fear that someone will take one of my children, never have. What I fear is them jumping into the cougar's cage...which they would (to pet the kitty).

Mean World Syndrome

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Mean World Syndrome is a phenomenon where the violence-related content of mass media convinces viewers that the world is more dangerous than it actually is, and prompts a desire for more protection than is warranted by any actual threat.^[1] Mean World Syndrome is one of the main conclusions of cultivation theory. The term was coined by George Gerbner, a pioneer researcher on the effects of television on society, when he noted that people who watched a large amount of television tended to think of the world as an intimidating and unforgiving place. ^[2]

Individuals who watch television infrequently and adolescents who talk to their parents about reality are said to have a more accurate view of the real world than those who do not, and they are able to more accurately assess their vulnerability to violence. They also tend to have a wider variety of beliefs and attitudes.^[3]