RE: Violent video games found not to affect empathy
Again even in the article they say there is an affect. It is short lived, but there still is a change. The mind is built to change, the entire human nature is built this way. Evolution, survival, reaction and adaptation is key to human existence.
When it comes to choice, no not every time I imagined something I did it. One thing to note though is your overall investment in that choice. When you make a choice you aren't always 100% in backing it. Of course you use your consciousness to act, but your sub-conscious still takes a roll. It is a part of the mind that can't be fully ignored as a human being. Both can be affected by the world and entertainment, and both are used frequently at the same time during full consciousness.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-media-psychology-effect/201203/brain-behavior-and-media
I like this article because it highlights the positives and negatives of entertainment on the human mind.
http://www.iep.utm.edu/evol-psy/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_adaptation
So yes one is a wiki article, but it contains a good bulk of other articles out there that could be listed. These are just a few of the numerous articles/notes about the minds evolutionary traits and how it reacts to every external force including entertainment and culture in general. Again I do not agree or disagree with banning anything in media or entertainment, but I do recognize the effects it has on the mind.
My point is there are no actual studies showing the dangers. If there is no science behind a ban then there is no basis to justify a ban except subconscious feelings.
I would agree with this, media or entertainment does not make someone a homicidal maniac, sex crazed rapist, etc. That level of instability would come from more extreme tangible/physical/psychological environmental factors. Media and imagery couldn't have that drastic of an impact on the mind even subconsciously without other external actions at work. I couldn't justify the ban on any media either nor can I justify not banning it. Luckily I would never have to make such a decision in my life.
@o-soul you bring up some amazing points in your argument. Considering the reletive age of violent, specifically lifelike violent video games, it's premature to say there is no effect on empathy or the human psyche. We only could have been studying something like this for 20 years, and definitely haven't spent enough time on it to be sure of anything definitive especially considering the time frame and amount of exposure that varies on a variety of different minds.
Moreover, regardless what the science of this particular study says, I still find the claim that the violence we see has no effect on us to be pretty dubious considering that we know unequivocally that even advertising can affect what we buy and how we behave. We don't have the ability to "un-know" things after all.
While it may not add to the argument, I have had me some fun with violent video games , films, and lyrics, but I've noticed that as I've aged, learned more about the wider world, the oppressive and insidious nature of racism, toxic masculinity, and capitalism and the images used to reinforce unhealthy beliefs; I have found it more and more difficult to enjoy content that seems not to take these things into consideration.
I'm bothered that too many games create worlds where violence is the ONLY interaction with in. I'm unable to play games that don't say anything about the hyper violence we're committing beyond how cool it's supposed to be, and I question what I put in my brain more and more. For me, this proves that there is a difference in who I was as a person between Gears of War 1 and 3. Chainsawing aliens (or whatever) isn't as fun as it used to be and actively challenges who I'd like to be as a person.
So, I don't feel anyone should step in and dissolve or block violent video games, but I also think it's irresponsible to say there is no effect on the images and meanings we put into our mind, ESPECIALLY through a locus of control that gaming allows us to have. It's powerful even if we dont' fully understand it, and worth respecting what the death and murder means when we commit it. Our attraction to it alone makes that apparent in my book.
Extremely well put! You're right though, that the video game medium hasn't had a long enough run yet to really study the long term. Eventually if there is a proper way to do so. In the end it may just fall under the memetics and culture transfer studies. Again thanks for this comment! It was a great read!