Mind Abuse: Media Violence and Its Threat to Democracy
Posted: 11th January 2026
In February, 2026, World BEYOND War will be holding a weekly discussion each of four weeks of the book Mind Abuse: Media Violence and Its Threat to Democracy with the author Rose A. Dyson.
When you register for the club, we will send you a PDF of the book.
We’ll let you know which parts of the book will be discussed each week along with the Zoom details to access the discussions.
When:
For one hour on Wednesday February 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2026, beginning at UTC 23:00, which is 1 p.m. in Honolulu, 3 p.m. in Los Angeles, 5 p.m. in Mexico City, and 6 p.m. in New York, and . . .
. . . the next day, Thursday, at 7 a.m. in Beijing, 8 a.m. in Tokyo, 10 a.m. in Sydney, and 12 p.m. noon in Auckland.
Where: Zoom (details to be shared upon registration).
This is a small group series with limited space of up to approximately 18 people. Sign up to reserve your spot. We look forward to reading and discussing this important book with you!
About the Book:
Most people are still in denial about the harmful effects of media violence as entertainment. This new edition of Mind Abuse covers developments in the last 20 years, showing how the problem has grown with each new technological innovation and how relentless marketing victimizes countless young people around the world while the entertainment industry rakes in billions. Rose A. Dyson offers a wake-up call to parents, teachers, health professionals, and policy makers who deal with the aftermath of first-person-shooter video gaming and social media abuses, such as cyberbullying, that encourage errant behavior from an early age. Dyson shows that recent trends toward increased violence in popular culture are symptomatic of deeper social, economic, and ecological problems that require an urgent shift away from the status quo toward a more sustainable model for peaceful co-existence.
For over 30 years, Dyson has contributed to the debate over media violence. Here, she urges us to resist the corporate giants of the entertainment industries and reclaim the right to shape our own value systems and dreams. Blind consumption of media violence as entertainment, she argues, is inconsistent with vital policies for a greener, healthier future.
Praise for the Book:
“With this book, Dr. Rose Dyson has provided us with a brilliant, uniquely original, and essential resource, exposing and examining aspects of media violence with a clear, clarion call for action. . . I deeply respect her perspective.” ― Dave Grossman, retired U.S. Army Colonel and author of Assassination Generation
“Most discussions of our violent popular culture are cut off, before they properly begin, by a mindless, discussion-ending cry of ‘Censorship! Censorship!’. . . Dyson hopes to draw audiences past the usual argumentative impasse and into a more in-depth discussion of how to confront a toxic culture.” ― The Toronto Star
About the Author:
As we get closer to these book clubs, they tend to sell out, but it’s never too early to go ahead and sign up for future book clubs and give yourself plenty of time to read the books. They’re all at
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