It is often claimed that video game violence desensitises the viewer to real violence.
Whilst it would be ignorant to dismiss this entirely, the arguments often feel drastically exaggerated.
Viewing any sort of shock topic results in a small amount of 'numbness' towards the given situation.
For example, continually watching horror movies will result in less stimuli experienced from an eerie atmosphere or well timed jump scare.
This is human nature and is experienced across all areas of our life, from emotional to physical.
As such the same would apply to the violence in games, however whats important to note is the ability of our minds to distinguish between reality and fiction.
Whilst we are comfortable to dismember our enemies we are comfortable doing so only because we know its a virtual reality.
When experiencing a real act of violence or death, our brain still gives the same reaction it would had we not experienced any violent games.
A good example of this is a Youtube video by Jimquisition which shows a real suicide. If you have an doubt that video games have altered your mind, watch through the clip. I personally was unable to as I strongly dislike seeing real acts of violence or death, and a quick scroll through the comments and its easy to see a clear level of shock.
In closing I do not disagree that violent games can desensitise us, however I do believe the results are often skewed to perpetrate gaming as 'bad' or 'evil'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wh9QrPDnv0
https://backwardmessages.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/researchers-find-violent-video-games-dont-desensitize-players/
Whilst it would be ignorant to dismiss this entirely, the arguments often feel drastically exaggerated.
Viewing any sort of shock topic results in a small amount of 'numbness' towards the given situation.
For example, continually watching horror movies will result in less stimuli experienced from an eerie atmosphere or well timed jump scare.
This is human nature and is experienced across all areas of our life, from emotional to physical.
As such the same would apply to the violence in games, however whats important to note is the ability of our minds to distinguish between reality and fiction.
Whilst we are comfortable to dismember our enemies we are comfortable doing so only because we know its a virtual reality.
When experiencing a real act of violence or death, our brain still gives the same reaction it would had we not experienced any violent games.
A good example of this is a Youtube video by Jimquisition which shows a real suicide. If you have an doubt that video games have altered your mind, watch through the clip. I personally was unable to as I strongly dislike seeing real acts of violence or death, and a quick scroll through the comments and its easy to see a clear level of shock.
In closing I do not disagree that violent games can desensitise us, however I do believe the results are often skewed to perpetrate gaming as 'bad' or 'evil'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wh9QrPDnv0
https://backwardmessages.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/researchers-find-violent-video-games-dont-desensitize-players/