Poll: Do you believe in the desensitizing effect?

[Deathkingo]

Games have, for the most part, been labelled as "incredibly violent" and (especially in regards to Mass Effect) "sexboxes" that desensitize our brains to violence and sex. I have been playing games since the genesis came out when i was about 5 or 6, and I have yet to feel the urge to kill people. In my eyes, saying games inspire killing is like saying Cabbage Patch Kids inspire teen pregnancy.

So, I wanted to see what you guys thought about it. I'm doing this for a report for college, and I need my own data. So ,don't shovel "I believe in the search bar" my way.

 

[Yumi_and_Erea]

It doesn't cause people to grow prone to violence, it just causes them to give less of a shit.

 

[SnipErlite]

Somewhat real, some things that are REALLY bad can have a bit of an effect but definitely not videogames, they're far too tame currently

=]

 

[Jarc42]

Of course there is a desensitising effect. That's what I blame for when halfway through Bioshock I saw some more severed corpses and I thought "Boooooring". I mean, damn. I've put more virtual men in my sights than half the combined men in the army. Same affect (or effect?) from movies and other etertainment.

 

[Kuchinawa212]

I suppose so, I mean in a games you can blow up entire plantes with the click of a button, your killing millions of lives just like that. Does that mean you go out and build a death ray? No.
Games don't make all people violent. Only some.

 

[Skeleon]

Real but overhyped.
It doesn't make you want to kill people but seeing them die makes you feel less bad than when you're not used to it.
This thing is obviously not only true for games, though, but for anything you experience, be it media or real.

 

[plastic_window]

So, I wanted to see what you guys thought about it. I'm doing this for a report for college, and I need my own data. So ,don't shovel "I believe in the search bar" my way.

Sorry, what are you doing with my life? I just finished my presentation, and this was the last subject I looked at, half an hour ago.

Here's a handy report - though it was conducted in Britain by American physchologists, I'm sure it'll still count:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-401113/Violent-video-games-desensitise-players.html

Apologies if you already know about this, but it's all I could find.

 

[Wayte]

Of course, if you're exposed to something over and over it grows less shocking. The same thing applies to other things too, like a touching song or a funny joke. After a while it loses its zing.

 

[WrongSprite]

There's a difference between having the urge to kill people, and being desensitised. I'd say the latter does apply, to a certain extent.

 

[Zaksav91]

In my opinion, it really depends on the person. Some people are more easily influenced than others. Some people are intelligent enough to see the difference but there are others that can't and thus they base everything in reality to what they see in the Virtual reality.

 

[Fbuh]

Well, video games don't make me want to kill people anymore than I already do

Just kidding.

I think the real question here is if desensitization is a good or bad thing.

 

[Deathkingo]

The news is quick to point out how violent Manhunt 2 is, and how it has been banned in multiple countries. Yet, Saw came out around the same time, but gets much less criticism. I guess it is because many people still view games as a "kids market", therefore, ALL games are marketed towards kids. Just something else to think about.

 

[AkJay]

I believe in desensitization, but not from video-games. Hell, you see sicker shit on FOX News than you do in Condemned.

 

[Sisyphus0]

Sorry for the wall of text, but I think that these points are worth bringing up.

I based my vote on the desensitizing effect, not on what you were talking about in regard to making people more prone to violence. I'd say that I have become desensitized to violent images, and some forms of real world violence. But that doesn't mean that those who have become desensitized are more prone to violence. The logic doesn't flow, desensitization does not lead to one committing violence acts themselves, merely they aren't emotionally affected when they see others commit violent acts on others.

I will say though, that my opinion, as well as the others who have and will post, are really irrelevant. If I had taken the time to review the research in the area, for and against it, I'd feel much more confident in my response. Right now I just have a general sort of idea of what I think about it, which is useless. If you want to write a paper on this you should review the peer reviewed research, a unqualified persons opinion is useless.

This is why I have a problem with how you worded the question. One 'believing' or not 'believing' in a scientifically confirmed phenomena doesn't change whether it is true or not. I would suggest you reword it to, "Do you agree with the hypothesis that there exists a desensitizing effect, and moreover, do you think that this makes those who are affected more prone to committing violent acts themselves." I really have a problem with the term belief in a scientific context. That word has far to much baggage and really takes away from the scientific aspect of it, it subtlety implies that something has a 50/50 chance of being true, which is almost never the case in science. I would highly suggest that you use another word when you hand in the report.

 

[teisjm]

People who gets inspired to do violent stuff they've seen in games are fucked up in the firts palce, and would've done otehr violent things anywyas.

People who has sex with aliens because they've played mass effect are either on drugs or dating a very convincing cos-player.

People who have normal sex (the not-with-aliens-kind-of sex) after having played mass effect or otehr games that feature sex are pretty normal. Just like peopel who haven't played any games like that who has sex.

 

[niglett]

its a good thing! how much more depressing would a school shooting be if we haven't seen heads explode countless times before in a video game. the whole desensitizing thing reduces the amount of suicides based on a terrible event.

 

[black lincon]

of course, the majority of the reaction to the MW2 airport scene was either driven by desensitization or an overwhelming need for gamers to claim that it didn't mean anything for whatever stupid reason they've come up with.

 

[SantoUno]

Sorry but the options were kinda confusing to me. Basically I don't believe in the effect you described that turns our mkinds into nothing but violence and sex, but I do believe in the fact that some video games make our minds get used to extreme violence and sexual figure.

 

[Johnn Johnston]

I feel somewhat desensitised, but not to any dangerous or malevolent extent.

 

[Deathkingo]

Sorry for the wall of text, but I think that these points are worth bringing up.

I based my vote on the desensitizing effect, not on what you were talking about in regard to making people more prone to violence. I'd say that I have become desensitized to violent images, and some forms of real world violence. But that doesn't mean that those who have become desensitized are more prone to violence. The logic doesn't flow, desensitization does not lead to one committing violence acts themselves, merely they aren't emotionally affected when they see others commit violent acts on others.

I will say though, that my opinion, as well as the others who have and will post, are really irrelevant. If I had taken the time to review the research in the area, for and against it, I'd feel much more confident in my response. Right now I just have a general sort of idea of what I think about it, which is useless. If you want to write a paper on this you should review the peer reviewed research, a unqualified persons opinion is useless.

This is why I have a problem with how you worded the question. One 'believing' or not 'believing' in a scientifically confirmed phenomena doesn't change whether it is true or not. I would suggest you reword it to, "Do you agree with the hypothesis that there exists a desensitizing effect, and moreover, do you think that this makes those who are affected more prone to committing violent acts themselves." I really have a problem with the term belief in a scientific context. That word has far to much baggage and really takes away from the scientific aspect of it, it subtlety implies that something has a 50/50 chance of being true, which is almost never the case in science. I would highly suggest that you use another word when you hand in the report.

to my knowledge, there has only been one test done, where 257 people were tested to see the effect of violent games on people. I doubt 257 people can show for the billions of people worldwide. I guess the term "hypothesis" WOULD be the best term to use, but I still believe it is up to the individual to decide the effects of games on their own.