Talk:Mean World Syndrome

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Normally I don't do edits, but something about this didn't seem right. There were no sources cited and nothing beyond what could be mere opinion presented. Upload 42 14:32, 17 September 2005 (UTC)

And it is said objectively, with a point of view in mind, as the name suggest, which makes it look worst.. there is enough of good reason in the world to have the "mean world syndrome" not to point out good things about it

"Mean world Syndrome has very few references, thus indicating it is a figment of this writer's imagination, in psychological literature (a contradiction )and exists as a so-called 'new' disorder."

This sentence not only makes no sense in the context of the article, it makes no sense at all. I *think* it's trying to indicate that the person who created this article made it up, but it's hard to understand (what's the contradiction? is the person who wrote this trying to suggest that "psychological literature" is oxymoronic?). But if it's made up, it doesn't "exist" at all, and "so-called 'new' disorder," with "so-called" and scare quotes, seems like overkill. "MWS has very few references in psychological literature, and since it has not been thoroughly studied, people should not draw conclusions about it" is the only way I can read it so that it makes sense, doesn't make the article sound like it was written by someone with MPD, and is neutral and grammatical. Does this sentence even belong in the article?

"Is this for real? Media-induced PTSD where one of the symptoms is an insatiable desire to seek out violent images? Sounds a little Onion-y to me. At the very least, it needs to be reframed in terms of 'this is a proposed theory, this is who advances it, this is what they say it is' instead of just reeling off causes and symptoms in Wikipedia's voice." --Ross Hight

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[edit] Seems to me to be the healthy reaction to discovering the true nature of society

Honestly, the world is a very mean and dangerous place. There are certainly a lot of nice people, but the society we live in is not a nice one at all. It's really a pathocracy, because to get to the top in this society, one must be a psychopath. An ordinary person can't do it, because they're not ruthless enough. The world is run by psychopaths, because these are the people who desire power over others and are willing to do whatever it takes to get it. From police officer to President and beyond, the power jobs attract psychopaths. If all of the people in these positions of power were tested for psychopathic traits, at least 90% of them would test positive. How can a system run by these people be anything but mean?

Honestly, this "mean world syndrome" is garbage, just like most of these new psychological conditions. It's just an attempt to characterize people with a different worldview as being mentally ill or unstable. Either you're just like everyone else, just like the media tells you you should be, or you're delusional, paranoid, confused, and in need of help. 208.114.161.24 00:02, 4 September 2007 (UTC) Nalencer


  • This is exactly what I thought when I heard of the Mean World Syndrome. I was like, "my god, this is the most retarded thing I have ever heard of". The world is a shitty, fucked up place. You are absolutely right, it's just another way for the media to tell us that something is wrong with us and that we "need" their help. 70.122.23.62 (talk) 19:01, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Disputed?

I have added a couple of links to relevant sites. I think the "factual accuracy disputed" warning should be removed. I tried to find some citations in opposition but didn't have much luck. If someone has a link maybe it could be added. Tom harrison 17:35, 16 October 2005 (UTC)


I think the external links prove that it is no longer dispusted. I'm removing the sign. 24.147.141.127 02:04, 16 November 2005 (UTC)

The sense I indicated has been understood. Ergo, my edits are in fact a sensible statement. The correct conclusion, either way, was to delete the sentence as it was irrelevant. The separate comment about psycholgical literature whether contradictory or oxymoronic renders, again, the same sense and conclusion.

The wider issue on whether "psycholgical literature" is contradictory or oxymoronic (the same thing) is also met, whether understood by the editor or not - serendipitous for that person I suppose, or good intuition at least.

how do u make something a stub????

New user comment: This is not a disorder recognised by any national or international psychiatric organisation. The text of the article does not make clear that this syndrome is hypothetical. As such, it may be factually correct, but it still needs a warning attached. 163.1.143.122 23:36, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

This isn't a disorder. It's a phenomena described in media effects research under cultivation theory. It was in my textbook, I'll reference it when I get a chance. --Kraftlos (talk) 10:26, 7 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Yeah!

Is it though —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.194.148.2 (talk) 10:23, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 100% Pure Junk Science

This article has no relative worth in diagnosing a "real world" psychological problem, the person(s) described in this article are really only chronically pessimistic or suffer from other more traditional classifications. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 151.197.224.150 (talk) 03:27, 15 October 2007 (UTC)

We're talking about media and communications research, not psychology. --Kraftlos (talk) 10:27, 7 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Sources

The first paragraph is wrong. Mean World Syndrome is an phenomena where people perceive the world to be more dangerous than it really is because of the exposure to violent content or news reports. In fact crime is way in the United States but people perceive crime to be out of control.

For example one study found that people who read a magazine article about carjackings before taking a survey where they rated various problems in terms of importance, rated Carjackings as a more serious problem than those who didn't read the article.

Gibson, R., & Zillmann, D. (Oct 1994). Exaggerated versus representative exemplification in news reports: perception of issues and personal consequences. Communication Research, 21, n5. p.603(22). Retrieved March 07, 2008, from Expanded Academic ASAP


As far as notability.

A topic is presumed to be notable if it has received significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject.

Gerbner coined the phrase. There have been studies about Mean World Syndrome published in reliable academic journals that are independant of the Gerbner.

"From a cultivation standpoint, themes of romance or dating in reality programs might be associated with the development (or reinforcement) of more unrealistic beliefs about dating relationships (Segrin & Nabi, 2002) whereas themes of competition might feed into the "mean world syndrome" (see Gerbner et al., 2002)." -Determining dimensions of reality: a concept mapping of the reality TV landscape. By Robin L. Nabi. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 51.2 (June 2007): p371(20). (8273 words)
"According to the tenets of the cultivation hypothesis, greater television exposure results, first, in misperceptions regarding "real" world conditions and, second, in a "mean world syndrome," generally defined as an increased and exaggerated fear of crime." -The impact of television viewing on perceptions of juvenile crime. By Robert K. Goidel, Craig M. Freeman and Steven T. Procopio. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 50.1 (March 2006): p119(21). (9385 words)
"In addition to modeling violent behavior, entertainment media inflate the prevalence of violence in the world, cultivating in viewers the "mean world" syndrome, a perception of the world as a dangerous place. (55,56) Fear of being the victim of violence is a strong motivation for some young people to carry a weapon, to be more aggressive, to "get them before they get me." -Media violence. (American Academy Of Pediatrics: Committee on Public Education). Pediatrics 108.5 (Nov 2001): p1222(5). (4537 words)
"This tension between televised "reality" and the actual lives of ordinary Americans prompts self-pity. On the one hand, the impression people take away from regular viewing is that the world is unpredictable, menacing, full of violence, deviance, excitement, and compelling chaos. Decades of research at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School of Communication suggest that the principal legacy of TV's emphasis on violence is a "mean world syndrome" in which people become more fearful about the present and future. This helps to answer the question posed in a celebrated Forbes cover story: 'Why Do We Feel So Bad When We Have It So Good?' Real-life trends have recently been improving in numerous areas, including unemployment, the deficit, crime, air quality, and even teen pregnancy and AIDS affliction. Have you noticed a comparable brightening in the public?" -TV vice? Sex and violence aren't the problem. By Michael Medved. The American Enterprise 8.n5 (Sept-Oct 1997): pp54(3). (2600 words)

Anyway, I'm taking down the notability tag now.... All of these are reliable sources --Kraftlos (talk) 11:07, 7 March 2008 (UTC)