One of the common problems with violent media among children is that they are impressionable.everything that children see or hear in their lives affects them in some way. Children often like to imitate what they see. According to the American Psychiatric Association, by the 18, an american child will have seen 1600 simulated murders and 200,000 acts of violence. Studies have shown that children who play violent video games can internalize the message that the world is a hostile place, and that acting aggressively is an “OK” way to deal with it. Kids can become desensitized to violence.For those who don’t know, desensitization is the diminished psychological responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated exposure. “When you’re exposed to violence day in and day out, it loses its emotional impact on you.Once you’re emotionally numb to violence, it’s much easier to engage in violence.”
Fun fact: The game “Doom” was once used to train U.S military soldiers to kill.
Most people try to avoid violence. Almost everyone has bad reactions to the sight of blood and gore. Come people, like soldiers and surgeons, have to get past these reactions in order to do their jobs. Their ability to do so shows the process of desensitization. One reason why adolescents become more tolerant of violence and less sympathetic toward victims is because of desensitization. The reduced empathy for victims of violence causes people to become less willing to help a victim of violence in the real world. Immediately after exposure to violent media, children are less willing to intervene when they see two other peers fighting. Empathy requires taking the perspective of the victim, whereas violent video games encourage their players to take the perspective of the perpetrator.
Video Games and Aggression 