Most certainly, but not in the way you've described. The media influences us towards lifestyle options and decisions that are favorable to their bottomline. An example of this would be covering a political candidate more that his rival, or consistently praising an inferior product to bolster sales. To address your examples - crazies are crazies. Yes, watching a tragedy on television can "inspire" someone who is already mentally unhinged to act, but it was a strong likelihood beforehand. I believe this "Mayan 2012" fiasco is exasperating matters further, giving these fringe fanatics of society more urgency to act. Hope this helped!

Yes, I'm not sure if it is influencing them or not but it is influencing politicians to attempt to ban weapons. What I think about the shootings is that it is organized crime and the news is telling the next person to start shooting.

If it happened near me, the only thing it would influence, if possible to move away, to a more calmer, rural areas. Being more alert if it again happened more occasionally here. But since i intentionally don't follow news, because it is always just shocking or negative information, i usually don't care about it.

I believe it does have an affect on the mentally ill people. I just posted a question about something that Morgan Freeman has been credited with saying. I have to say though it appears that it was not said by Freeman. Just someone imitating him.

If you want I like your thought on what he, supposedly said.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

yeah somewhat

if theres a riot going on in the street, people will go riot just to stir up somethin

No? It's making us depressed.

On Friday, most of you have heard about the tragic elementary school shooting. And today, a man fired into the air at a mall in California and was arrested. Also a man in Indiana threatened to shoot at an elementary school.