Desensitization

753 Words2 Pages

In the book A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, Ishmael becomes a child soldier. To compensate for these traumatic situations he is unknowingly desensitized. This is a numbing of emotions toward grotesque displays of violence. Today desensitization can come from video games, this can cause violent behavior in people who participate in these games. Although, there is a therapy called systematic desensitization, this type of therapy was used to rehabilitate Ishmael in the book A Long Way Gone.
More and more desensitization today is coming from video games. According to Dr. Bruce Perry, “ We have become more efficient and practiced at killing behaviors.” (Perry). This statement refers to video games, and other activities such as paintball, an act of shooting. This could desensitize someone and make them immune to basic human morals and ethics. Thus, making acts of murder and such much easier to commit, because games such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto make it seem as though we’ve been through the situation. There is really no way to predict how the person who has been removed of their sensitivity will react to the situation, after the act has been committed whether it be lethal or not, it may seem surreal. "It was pretty strange. I just raised up the rifle and shot. Just like I had a million times when I was a kid. It was just a little pop. And he just looked at me. And then slumped down. I was just trying to warn him. I didn't think it would kill him." (Perry). This is a direct quote from a thirteen-year-old boy who killed another youth. The most important line in that quote is the last sentence, “ I didn’t think it would kill him.” (Perry). This shows how someone who has been immune to the consequences of violence can think.
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...d vigorous task. Today desensitization can come from video games, this can cause violent behavior in people who participate in these games. Although, there is a therapy called systematic desensitization, this type of therapy was used to rehabilitate Ishmael in the book A Long Way Gone.

Works Cited

Perry, Bruce. “Columbine, Killing, and You.” Columbine, Killing and You. Web. 15 May 2014.

Grossman, Dave. “Desensitizing the Mind to Violence.” Desensitizing the Mind to Violence. Academic Press, 1999. Web. 15 May 2014.

Richmond, Raymond. “Systematic Desensitization.” A Guide to Psychology and its Practice. Web. 15 May 2014.

Beah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone. New York: Sarah Crichton Books, 2007.

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