You hear it all the time, from alarmist news reports and self-titled "concerned mothers". It's one of the chief arguments that media outlets make about video games and certain movies or TV shows. I'm referring, of course, to the notion that "It'll desensitize you to ______!"
It's right up there with the argument that "It has scenes of _____, therefore it'll turn you into a _____." Sometimes, the two arguments are used together to reinforce one-another.
Us gamers almost universally consider the latter, "it'll turn you into..." argument to be total bullshit. (And rightfully so. Grand Theft Auto can't load a gun up for you and cock it too. That's ultimately your decision.) Even those of us who give it any merit typically still choose to blame the parents, not the game. What about that "desensitization" argument though? Let's take a closer look at that.
The idea is, through repetition of committing or seeing an act, it will have less of an impact on you over time. You'll get "used to" it. A lot of us have experiences that can both help and hurt this idea's credibility. Thus, sometimes it seems the "desensitization" notion is true, and other times it isn't.
Really, whether or not you can be desensitized to something probably has more to do with who you are as a person. But beyond debating the legitimacy of "desensitization" as a theory, I want to go back further and call into question whether it's really even a bad thing. As kids, our parents desensitize us, don't they? There are times when they try to teach us how to do things that we're not comfortable doing, and expect us to "tough it out". So why then, is desensitization good in some cases and bad in others?
I once lost a friend over profanity. He literally ended the friendship when he heard me do it. No "promise not to do it again", no chance to explain myself. Just ended. Now, if he stays a pansy-ass ***** about swearing all his life, he won't keep very many of his friends. So wouldn't it be beneficial for a guy like him to be desensitized to swearing? Couldn't desensitization to violence and sex have its uses too?
So what do you guys think? Is desensitization a real thing, and if so, is it even really a bad thing, or could it actually be good for you?
It's right up there with the argument that "It has scenes of _____, therefore it'll turn you into a _____." Sometimes, the two arguments are used together to reinforce one-another.
Us gamers almost universally consider the latter, "it'll turn you into..." argument to be total bullshit. (And rightfully so. Grand Theft Auto can't load a gun up for you and cock it too. That's ultimately your decision.) Even those of us who give it any merit typically still choose to blame the parents, not the game. What about that "desensitization" argument though? Let's take a closer look at that.
The idea is, through repetition of committing or seeing an act, it will have less of an impact on you over time. You'll get "used to" it. A lot of us have experiences that can both help and hurt this idea's credibility. Thus, sometimes it seems the "desensitization" notion is true, and other times it isn't.
Being a certified Sir Swears-a-Lot [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SirSwearsalot], the f-bomb feels insignificant coming out of my mouth these days. But on the other end, in spite of having shot, blown up, impaled, beheaded, dismembered, and vaporized tens of thousands of virtual people, and even saving a few up-close on the operating table [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trauma_Center:_Under_the_Knife_2], I still have great difficulty watching shows like "Untold Stories of the E.R. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untold_Stories_of_the_E.R.]", or talking about certain kinds of injuries in any detail. I can't stand words like "fractured", "ruptured", "congealed", "coagulated", "clot", etc.
Really, whether or not you can be desensitized to something probably has more to do with who you are as a person. But beyond debating the legitimacy of "desensitization" as a theory, I want to go back further and call into question whether it's really even a bad thing. As kids, our parents desensitize us, don't they? There are times when they try to teach us how to do things that we're not comfortable doing, and expect us to "tough it out". So why then, is desensitization good in some cases and bad in others?
I once lost a friend over profanity. He literally ended the friendship when he heard me do it. No "promise not to do it again", no chance to explain myself. Just ended. Now, if he stays a pansy-ass ***** about swearing all his life, he won't keep very many of his friends. So wouldn't it be beneficial for a guy like him to be desensitized to swearing? Couldn't desensitization to violence and sex have its uses too?
So what do you guys think? Is desensitization a real thing, and if so, is it even really a bad thing, or could it actually be good for you?
