“Long-term socialization effects of the mass media are also quite likely increased by the way the mass media and video games affect emotions. Repeated exposure to emotionally activating media or video games can lead to the habituation of certain natural emotional reactions. This process is called ‘desensitization.’ Negative emotions experienced automatically by viewers in response to a particularly violent or gory scene decline in intensity after many exposures. For example, increased heart rates, perspiration, and self-reports of discomfort often accompany exposure to blood and gore. However, with repeated exposure, this negative emotional response habituates, and the child becomes ‘desensitized.’ The child can then think about and plan proactive, aggressive acts without experiencing negative affect.”
The Impact of Electronic Media Violence: Scientific Theory and Research by L. Rowell Huesmann https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC270401
As we look at what is happening in our country, we are forced to admit we live in a violent society, a culture where we are inundated with daily reports and images of hurt, harm and murder, individual attacks, mass shootings, and assaults. It’s as if we are going mad, but when we stop to analyze what’s going on–we see the culture we live in condones and encourages antisocial behavior. The ongoing escalation in violence in the US–in my opinion, coincides with the increase of violence promoted and shown in the mass media, which is now ubiquitous and omnipresent.
The availability of violent programming in film, television, streaming services, and video games has a devastating impact on our psyches and behavior, especially in young children. “Children in the United States spend an average of between three and four hours per day viewing television–and the best studies have shown that over 60% of programs contain some violence, and about 40% of those contain heavy violence. Children are also spending an increasingly large amount of time playing video games, most of which contain violence. Video game units are now present in 83% of homes with children. In 2004, children spent 49 minutes per day playing video games, and on any given day–52% of children ages 8–18 played video games. Video game use peaks during middle childhood with an average of 65 minutes per day for 8–10 year-olds and declines to 33 minutes per day for 15–18 year-olds. And most of these games are violent; 94% of games rated (by the video game industry) as appropriate for teens–are described as containing violence, and ratings by independent researchers suggest that the real percentage may be even higher. No published study has quantified the violence in games rated ‘M’ for mature—presumably, these are even more likely to be violent.”
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