desensitizing yourself- good or bad?

[caketastydelish]

A common criticism for violence in video games, movies, books, etc is that they "desensitize" us to these things.

Now personally I am questioning whether that is actually a bad thing.

I've grown up with (socially) conservative parents that throughout my childhood have "protected" me from all sorts of stuff, I couldn't even see any rated R movies until I was in high school and even then only the mildest ones.

If someone is more used to seeing these horrible things- beatings, gunfire, rape, vulgar language, name it- then if these things happen to them/around them they may be less devastated and can cope better.

Personally I think- at least here in America this is one of the softest generations of people ever, quite possibly the very softest. We have no idea how incredibly easy we have it (particularly compared to what people in so many other countries go through) and at least we can get a "virtual" replication of it through experiencing horrible things in movies or video games or stories.

Besides, if the games and movies we made were similar to the people that played them, how awful would that be? Who wants to play a game about middle class white people from the suburbs whose worst problem in life is their "drug addiction" and they have a high end laptop and HDTV?

No, third world misery- or at the very least, cruelty even within the first world reminds us that such things exist even if they aren't a part of our personal lives.

 

[Kyriakos]

Even so, with youtube any teen now can watch as much bleakness as they feel like, so in the 90s i suppose that teens in most countries were a lot more isolated from nastiness not in their immediate circle.

 

[caketastydelish]

But see, you're missing the point. I'm not talking about the quantity of violent/explicit stuff available. I'm talking about whether it's actually a good or bad thing, (I obviously think it's good).

Why? Because were it not for it so many Americans would be in even more isolation to these horrible things than they already are. And I don't just mean this in a political sense of justice for certain causes, but just the day-to-day practical sense of it could happen to you one day to!

 

[Kyriakos]

^In that sense, i agree it is 'better'. Although it still serves no purpose to other people if it does not lead to change.
Otherwise i suppose it is far better for some people to just enjoy life in an isolated place where they are safe. I am pretty sure i would choose that as well. If we could diminish the degree of horrors around that would be excellent, but i am pessimistic that such a prospect will appear with the vermin controlling most of the material wealth/'power' of society.

 

[NovaKart]

A lot of third world countries aren't especially violent and a lot of people living in third world countries also watch violent movies and play violent video games.

 

[caketastydelish]

A lot of third world countries aren't especially violent and a lot of people living in third world countries also watch violent movies and play violent video games.

 

[gay_Aleks]

He said "alot", not "all of them".

 

[caketastydelish]

Which third world countries are just as comfortable to their populace as to the average American?

 

[Kyriakos]

That last pic isn't that different from Hyde Park.

(unless they are dead, which is likely, i suppose :\ ).

 

[gay_Aleks]

Which third world countries are just as comfortable to their populace as to the average American?

Except he didn't say anything about being just as comfortable to the average American. All he said that in a lot of third-world countries, there's not that much violence, and that they watch/play violent movies/video games.

 

[caketastydelish]

 

[NovaKart]

I'm sure you know those are extreme examples. Most third world countries aren't full of starving people and fields of dead bodies.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

What's the point of these images? Should I start posting pictures of Ferguson and Katrina?

Anyway,

If someone is more used to seeing these horrible things- beatings, gunfire, rape, vulgar language, name it- then if these things happen to them/around them they may be less devastated and can cope better.

How do you figure that? One need only to peruse those kinds of Cracked articles to see how much media and common perceptions miss a lot of significant details in real-life events. Take watch_dog's portrayal of human trafficking for example. It's not that glitzy and...I don't even know where to begin, that's just not how it works in real life.

 

[El_Machinae]

Anything that motivates you to not spend a portion of your time helping is unwise. Most people wrap themselves in apathy, but I think dissonance is a part of it.

You don't even need to be super-empathic. There're lots of ways to help that are actually win/win in the long run.

 

[nc-1701]

The time I've spent lurking on <Site not allowed by censor> has definitely exposed me to a lot of things. But I've noticed violence still makes me cringe, I don't think I'll ever see enough videos of someone getting hit and dragged by a subway train to not be bothered by it. Some things are just messed up rather you've seen them or not
On the other hand I'm definitely not bothered by seeing penises or general nudity anymore, and that I ink is a very good thing.

 

[Kyriakos]

Surely it is sensed as something fundamentally different to see violence 'irl', and violence in some game/film etc.

That said, some common basis for emotional reaction to both very likely is there. They remain separate categories, but many separate categories have underlying links. Just not that prominent on the surface so as to negate the actual sanity of viewing them as importantly different.

 

[Borachio]

I really don't know whether video games can desensitize the gamer, or not.

But on reading the thread title I first thought of desensitizing oneself to pain. And then I thought of the loss of innocence, and whether that's a good idea or not.

I really don't know about these questions either.

For both pain and loss of innocence, I think much depends on the timing: it makes no sense to desensitize oneself to pain or lose one's innocence prematurely.

Maybe the same applies to images of violence and death.

 

[bhavv]

Desensitising yourself to all the worst things and growing a thick enough skin to tolerate any kind of insults etc is the best thing you can do.

Nothing insults me more than people who take offence over every little thing.

Regarding all those pictures regarding starving / poor kids etc, my solution and answer to that has always been - Dont breed.

But ofc thats not going to help and poor people are going to keep on having poor kids, that has nothing to do with me and its not my fault / responsibility to care in the slightest bit about other peoples over breeding.

'But 10 kids need to be born for 1 survive' .... 7-8 BILLION FRIGGING PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, WE HAVE ENOUGH. STOP. BREEDING.

 

[Borachio]

Imagine that! A little thing like people taking offence over every little thing offends you!

Spoiler :

Don't worry. I'm joking really. I know what you mean. I think.

 

[Zack]

What's the point of these images? Should I start posting pictures of Ferguson and Katrina?

I'm still trying to figure out what exactly the memes prove.