Super-Violence, Virtual Reality, and Why We Crave Violent Media

Introduction: The Rise of Super-Violence

Super-violence is a term that defines violence in a grand and exaggerated way (Klare 16). Seen as an era of constant warfare and brutality, it has made its way into entertainment and media. Whether it is depicting decapitations with blood erupting from bodies or showing throats being slit by child characters, today's media has reached a new level of intensity. Thanks to visual effects and special effects makeup, the public's appetite for on-screen savagery has never been more vividly served. But why does the public desire more and more violence in its stories, and what direction will this trend take in the future?

The recent introduction and growing use of virtual reality may be the way people will participate in the increasingly violent nature of media going forward. Through virtual reality, people can feel as though they are right in the middle of a scene, witnessing mayhem up close. Many companies have begun introducing VR headsets into their product lines — Google, HTC, Oculus, Samsung, and Sony have all released consumer products offering virtual reality experiences. The three main requirements are a console, smartphone, or PC to run the game or application; some type of input such as controllers, hand or head tracking, trackpads, voice commands, or on-device buttons; and a headset that secures a display for visuals.

While users of VR headsets experience a degree of immersion, total immersion remains the ultimate goal — making virtual reality seem so real that users forget they are wearing any device at all.

This essay explores how the human mind works by drawing on theories and concepts that illuminate the inner workings of the psyche, and most importantly the subconscious, where many of the darker emotions reside.

How Virtual Reality Intensifies Media Violence

PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift are head-mounted displays (HMDs) that aim to provide consumers with a three-dimensional, life-size virtual environment with no boundaries like those imposed by a television screen. Wherever a consumer looks, the visuals follow. VR headsets utilize one of two feeds sent to two LCD displays, or a single display. Lenses within the headsets allow for options to reshape and focus the picture, generating a stereoscopic 3D image (Linowes). VR headsets often include internal components used for a head-tracking system, such as a magnetometer, gyroscope, and accelerometer. Motion-tracking represents the next major objective for virtual reality development and may arrive soon.

Virtual reality is just one of many ways people have chosen to engage with media to express their innermost feelings and desires. At the heart of all media and entertainment are stories. Stories allow people to make moral judgment calls — deciding whether they like or dislike a character, and wanting to see that character suffer or be rewarded. As Zillmann points out, when people watch a film or read a book, there is an ongoing moral monitoring of the actions taken by characters, and a continuous weighing of that behavior against the overall assessment of the character (Cornell University 2–20).

Virtual reality may soon become a powerful new vehicle for deepening this kind of engagement, placing viewers not just in front of violent scenarios but inside them. If current trends in desensitization and sensation seeking continue, VR could accelerate the cycle in which audiences require ever more intense experiences to feel the same level of arousal.

Psychological Theories Behind the Appeal of Violence

Zillmann asks a foundational question: why is violence appealing? People engage enthusiastically with sports like boxing and roller derby, and crowds cheer when a villain is defeated by a hero on the big screen. Several theories offer explanations. Disposition theory examines the role of moral judgment and just outcomes; the PENS model addresses choice, autonomy, competence, and relationships; and novelty, or sensation seeking, explains why some individuals are drawn to violent content more than others.

In disposition theory, when viewers observe characters, they tend to make moral judgments about those characters' actions (Zillmann and Goldstein 179–211). Combined with emotional arousal generated by suspenseful drama, this creates a powerful basis for entertainment derived from depictions of violence. When a hero like Batman is attacked by thugs, for example, it generates emotional arousal in the viewer that can amplify mood. In a typical justice narrative, a villain commits a bad act, causes suffering to someone good, and a hero undergoes trials before the villain ultimately receives appropriate punishment — reassuring the viewer that justice will be restored.

Within the PENS model, competence refers to the idea that violence generates clear objectives that, under pressure, provide immediate and unambiguous feedback. This is evident in violent video games, where the protagonist must defeat enemies to complete a mission. This also represents autonomy. In terms of relationships, players in video games must cooperate in teams to defeat a powerful enemy or reach an objective. Although violent games can provoke aggression in individuals with high trait aggression, they simultaneously offer relationships and autonomy, which helps explain their broad appeal.

Violence also appears to be inherently arousing. Encountering it in shows, films, and video games allows people to challenge themselves, reinforce their beliefs, and feel emotional investment in stories and characters. It can serve as a cathartic experience, a means of desensitization, or — for some — a form of sensation seeking. High sensation seekers are attracted to horror and violence more than low sensation seekers and generally find these experiences more arousing. Desensitization can help lessen anxiety associated with violence and may even assist people in confronting phobias. However, reduced emotional response brought about by desensitization also produces a desire for ever more extreme content, creating the environment that gives rise to super-violence.

Conclusion: Violence, VR, and the Subconscious

In conclusion, super-violence has established a firm presence in media and entertainment. Through virtual reality, it will increasingly satisfy the needs of those who wish to escape reality, find relaxation, or seek stimulation. More importantly, it will offer those who feel distress about the state of their lives and the world an outlet for expressing their deepest and darkest emotions. Violence in media is not simply for justice seekers or sensation seekers — it serves as an expression of the subconscious and the shadow self.

Works Cited

Cornell University. Are Moral Actors Moral, Or Does Moral Action Make an Actor Moral? 1st ed. Cornell University, 2016. Print.

Klare, Michael T. "The Era of Super-Violence." MERIP Reports 111 (1983): 16. Web.

Lee, Tae Kyoung, and Michael A. Shapiro. "The Interaction of Affective Dispositions, Moral Judgments, and Intentionality in Assessing Narrative Characters: Rationalist and Intuitionist Sequences." Communication Theory 24.2 (2014): 146–164. Web.

Linowes, J. Unity Virtual Reality Projects: Explore the World of Virtual Reality by Building Immersive and Fun VR Projects Using Unity 3D. 2015.

Sherry, J. L. "Flow and Media Enjoyment." Communication Theory 14.4 (2004): 328–347. Web.

Zillmann, Dolf. "Why We Watch: The Attractions of Violent Entertainment." Aggressive Behavior 26.2 (1998): 179–184. Print.

Zillmann, Dolf, and Jeffrey Goldstein. "The Psychology of the Appeal of Portrayals of Violence." Oxford University Press (1998): 179–211. Print.