Mean world syndrome
Definition
George Gerbner's term for the phenomenon in which heavy television viewing produces inflated estimates of personal victimisation risk. Long-term viewers perceive the world as more dangerous than light viewers because TV news overrepresents violent and stranger crime relative to its actual frequency.
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Explained in
- Media, Crime, and Emerging ChallengesGeorge Gerbner's term for the phenomenon in which heavy television viewing produces inflated estimates of personal victimisation risk. Long-term viewers percei...