A brain imaging study published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media provides evidence that violent video games can lead to a desensitization to painful images, suggesting a reduced empathy for pain. Habitual players of violent video games showed a decreased neural response to painful images compared to non-habitual players. Non-habitual players showed a similar effect after playing a violent video game for 40 minutes. The psychological impact of violent video games has been widely debated, with some scholars suggesting that exposure to violent games can desensitize players to violence a…
