Have Video Games Been Proven to Desensitize Children?

Throughout recent years many arguments have appeared suggesting -- from those who are not in favor of video games -- over concerns about the amount of time kids spend playing them, or even the nature of the graphics witnessed when playing them. One of the most recurring arguments put forward is that video games, in their nature of violence and gore, are able to desensitize kids to violence and blood in the real world. The argument is that by seeing graphic and repeated images of violence on the TV screen that aggression and violent behavior from young kids who play the games will come to see this as acceptable and normal behavior in everyday life. And that the way of interacting with people in the real world, replete with aggressive and violent responses to normal situations, is taught through exposure to violent video games.

This argument, however often it may be repeated, is superficial and faulty, with no truth at all. Many studies have demonstrated that there was never any quantifiable relationship between the amount of time spent playing video games and any violent traits developed and demonstrated in the real world.

One reason for why this could possibly be the case is because it is found not in normal people, but in a variety of other animals -- especially primates like monkeys. Monkeys often take part in a type of fighting not for violence but rather for play. To the viewer with untrained eyes it may appear and even sound scary or aggressive, and we anticipate blood and injury were fighting to the death. But the watcher will see is that when the fight has ended, both participants are completely unscathed and are in no worse shape than when they started. They often continue their relationships that they had with their group or family unit. This is much different than self-defense fighting, such as that against the predator, or a fight for a leadership roles, when all those involved may suffer injuries. The primates understand the difference between real fighting and play fighting so no matter how aggressive it may appear to humans, the primates see it and follow under different roles within their primary environment.

So although kids actually may exhibit similar behavior to primates, they also have understanding in deciphering the difference between fighting in video games in a fake environment and fighting in the real world. Particularly, primates and humans can naturally understand the difference in behaviors so no matter how aggressive a child is when playing a video game, they are able to understand that it is in fact a game.