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Desensitization and Violent Video Games: Mechanisms and Evidence
1Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, MS 948, 2800 West Bancroft, Toledo, OH 43606-3390, USA.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America
|November 21, 2021
Summary
Violent video game exposure can lead to desensitization to violence, reducing empathy and prosocial behavior in children and adolescents. This desensitization may increase aggression and decrease helpful actions.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Media Studies
- Child Development
Background:
- Desensitization is an automatic reduction in responses to stimuli.
- Exposure to violent media, particularly video games, may cause desensitization to real-world violence.
- This desensitization can impair empathy, hindering moral reasoning and prosocial behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review research on the link between violent video game exposure and desensitization to violence.
- To examine the effects of this desensitization on children and adolescents.
Main Methods:
- Review of representative research studies.
- Analysis of the relationship between violent video game consumption and desensitization.
Main Results:
- Exposure to violent video games increases the risk of developing desensitization to violence.
- Desensitization to violence is associated with increased aggression.
- Desensitization to violence is linked to decreased prosocial behavior.
Conclusions:
- Violent video game use poses a risk for desensitization to violence in young individuals.
- Parents should educate children on the differences between real and screen violence.
- Encouraging nonviolent conflict resolution and empathy-building activities is recommended for parents.
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