There are countless reasons to protect our children and their impressionable developing minds from violence in the media. In a previous article I talked about media violence and the effects on our psyche, and this article will focus on the long-term psychological effects of continued exposure to media violence on our children.
Following are some potential long-term effects: Decreased Empathy: Exposure to violent media may reduce a child's empathy and compassion for others, making them less sensitive to the suffering of others, causing potential long-term implications for their interpersonal relationships and moral development.
Normalizing Aggressiveness: Violent media can introduce aggressive scripts and norms that children may internalize, affecting their perceptions of acceptable behavior and conflict resolution strategies. There are many publications regarding video game addiction and it is important to understand what makes violent media stimuli so popular and also addictive. This site offers some excellent information.