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Austin Kelley
Rogers
Writing 1010
7 December 2014
Movies and Desensitization
Overtime and especially recently, movies have progressed in both positive and negative
ways. Currently movies are becoming more and more violent and are more regularly presenting
explicit themes such as nudity and drug use. Also its likely that in order to keep their audiences
interest, movies are constantly pushing the envelope which again causes a loss of sensitiveness.
This process of desensitization negatively affects the mind, especially when repeated and can be
damaging to people and especially to children. Finally movies containing explicit and violent
content cause desensitization and when repeatedly watched can change how a person reacts to
related real life situations because of this some movies should be avoided and the way in which
movies are rated should be redefined.
When looking back it is easy to see how far movies have come. It used to be that a
married couple sleeping in the same bed was considered outrageous and the most R-rated a
movie ever got was some swearing and minor violence. Compared to movies released today
gun violence in PG-13 films has tripled since 1985, the year the PG-13 rating was first
introduced. And overall, violence in movies has nearly quadrupled since the 1950s (Dahl). This
raising of the bar most likely occurs because of the audiences loss of sensitivity to things like
violence and language. One way to see how movies have changed is to compare the movies
Gone with The Wind (released in 1939) and Wolf of Wall Street (released in 2013). The movie
Gone with The Wind was the first official movies in cinema history to have someone swear,

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while the movie Wolf of Wolf Street had a total of 700 plus swear words not to mention the scenes
full of explicit violence and nudity (VidAngel). This progression of movie violence along with
other themes is most likely due to the loss of sensitivity to these themes, causing new movies
coming out to push the envelope, provide something new and never before done in order to keep
the attention of the audience.
As movies continue to progress and continue to push the boundaries of what is acceptable
in a movie, the community of people who watch them can be damaged through a loss of
sensitivity. This desensitization caused from watching explicit movies affects both grown men
and women but especially young developing children. For children the repetition of watching
movies of a violent nature can be damaging because of them being so vulnerable. Also exposure
to pornographic material at an early age can significantly disturb a child and interact with their
sleeping and other behaviors. It can also affect the way they interact socially with peers, as well
as foster anxiety and fear in other situations.(christiananswers). So this loss of sensitivity caused
from repetitively witnessing violent and explicit themes can be damaging and can alter a persons
state of mind and how that person might act in any given situation. One example of how movies
can alter ones mind and its reaction to certain situations is that desensitization caused by violent
movies can increase aggression in real life (NBC). This outcome takes not only from
repeatedly witnessing violent movies but other explicitly themed movies as well.
With desensitization comes long term and short come affects, each different in both
children and adults. The difference here is that children are more vulnerable than adults causing
them to be more impressionable than an adult would be when watching the same movie. Each
demographic therefore feels the effects of desensitization in different ways. In a recent study
both children and adults were exposed violent media, including movies and TV each group

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provided different results. In this study they found that short-term affects of violent media were
greater for adults than for children whereas the long-term affects were greater for children than
for adults (Bushman). From these results it can be confirmed that because children are more
impressionable than adults they are more likely to suffer from long term affects while this
exposure to violent media doesnt affect an adult as much as a child. Also in a recent survey it
was found that 62% of those who participated agreed that sex in movies influence kids to have
sex when they are too young and also witnessing violence at a young age including in movies
causes an increase in aggressive behavior (PTC).
One final example of the negative effects of desensitization can be given by a study done
by Kostas A. Fanti1, Eric Vanman, Christopher C. Henrich and Marios N. Avraamides where
they study the effect of media violence. Within the study participants watched nine violent movie
scenes and nine comedic movie scenes and reported which they enjoyed more and if they were
sympathetic the victims of violence portrayed within each violent scene (Fanti). They later found
that this exposure reduced the physiological impact of media violence in the short term and that
participants enjoyed these violent scenes and were therefore less sympathetic to the victims of
violence portrayed. This study is a great example of how exactly movie violence can affect
someone in the short term. It shows that when participants were exposed to violent media they
were less sympathetic due to desensitization; this process decreased the impact the media
violence had on each participant immediately after being exposed to such media. This outcome
shows how desensitization can be negative because it goes against ones instinct for sympathy.
This result also shows why exposure to media violence should be avoided or at least regulated.

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Now although most would agree that there is no disputing the argument that violence in the
media and especially in movies changes a person and causes a loss of sensitivity to real life
situations there are people who disagree. For example one may argue that a movie from
Hollywood would never invoke that feeling in us by simply showing light smoke coming from
a jet engine cowling on the ground or a ripped up childs travel bag. Doesnt that demonstrate
that we clearly understand the difference between real violence and entertainment violence and
wouldnt that mean we have not become desensitized to real violence?(scoot). Here it makes
sense to say that everyone should be able to tell the difference between real and fake violence.
But to some even though the violence is fake it still makes a large impact to some even as though
it were real. This is the case especially for children whose minds are still developing. Also if we
all understood the difference between a fake and real situation then whats the point of watching
a scary movie? Though we know the scenarios played out within the movies are fake they are
still frightening. Therefore those who witness violent and even explicit movies still under go
desensitization.
Finally movies that have content having to do with violence or language are continually
being produced and are more regularly progressing to present things such as violence. This
progression can negatively affect those who watch such films. This process can cause
desensitization and can change a persons mind and how that person reacts to certain situations
especially when repeatedly exposed t. Although some would think that desensitization is unlikely
because people know that what happens in movies is fake, but though people know movies are
fake they can still cause desensitization especially to young children who are more
impressionable. In the end movies providing content with explicit or violent content should be
avoided especially by young children when they most vulnerable also movies should be

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restricted at least in the way they are rated in order provide a more accurate representation of
what each movie contains.

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Works Cited
Bushman, Brad J., PhD, and Rowell Huesmann, PhD. "Short-term and Long-term Affects of
Violent Media on Aggression in Children and Adults." JAMA Network. N.p., Apr. 2006.
Web. 07 Dec. 2014.
Dahl, Melissa. "PG-13 Movies Are Now More Violent than R-rated '80s Flicks -study." NBC
News. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
Fanti, Kostas A., Eric Vanman, Christohper C. Henrich, and Marios N. Avraamides.
"Desensitization to Media Violence over a Short Period of Time." Wiley Online Library.
N.p., 26 Jan. 2009. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.
PTC. "Sex, Violence, and Profanity in the Media Fact Sheet, TV Statistics - Parents Television
Council." Sex, Violence, and Profanity in the Media Fact Sheet, TV Statistics - Parents
Television Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2014
Scoot. "Have We Become Desensitized to Real Violence?" WWL. N.p., 24 July 2014. Web. 21
Nov. 2014.
VidAngel. "Movies & YouTube minus the Bosoms, Blood and Bad Words." VidAngel. N.p., n.d.
Web. 07 Dec. 2014.
"VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA-How Does It Affect Families?" ChristianAnswers.Net. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2014