Violence has long been a staple of pop culture. Many of us grew up with scenes of people killing, or the thought of violence permeating even the most innocent stories.

However, if we look at the history of western society, it's clear that this violence has never been natural.

Humans have always engaged in violence against other humans, whether as a war or as a punishment for wrongdoing.

And the act of killing people, which is inherently violent, has always been a part of human life.

This is why it's important to look at the research behind whether or not violence in video games is a causal link to real-world violence.

The effectiveness of violent video games to desensitize players to violent content has been studied for several years, with one of the more recent studies published in 2016.

The study authors found that video games, which had violent content, didn't have an increase in real-world violence. They also reported finding no evidence of a causal relationship.

There is a growing amount of research that indicates that violent video games have no causal link to real-world violence

Several researchers reject the findings of the studies and the findings of the studies themselves, which indicates that the debate is not about the absence of violence or that there is a causal link between violent video games and real-world violence.

Rather, it's about whether there is an association at all, or if there is no effect.

As I noted, violence has been a staple of pop culture since the dawn of civilization. It's always been a part of our society, and it's just part of being human.

But what we're seeing is a growing segment of the population who are saying that it's acceptable to be violent, regardless of consequences.

Violence is increasing in video games, movies, and the real world. To them, it's just another form of entertainment.

This is quite concerning. Not only because it's normalizing violent behavior, but also because it's expanding the definition of violence.

People are starting to see violence in video games as just another form of entertainment, not one that they should consider harmful.

And it's not just the lack of consequences and exposure to the violent content that is dangerous.

The lack of creative context also plays a part

When you watch a Hollywood movie, for example, you are fully immersed in a story. You see characters go through a sequence of events.

You see relationships develop, and you're emotionally invested.

Because of this, your brain doesn't simply react to the visuals or sound effects of the video game.

Rather, you are taking in a story and experiencing a world. It doesn't mean that video games don't have violence, but the player is much more likely to have a strong emotional attachment to the characters and storyline.

The lack of this emotional attachment in video games is what leads to a different type of impact on the brain.

Your brain isn't just reacting to the violence and negativity in video games; it's actually seeing emotion in the characters and a story, and it's reacting to it.

Evidence shows that high-stress video games can reduce fear

Researchers have found that playing violent video games may reduce fear.

But the effects of playing games with a higher degree of realism seem to increase the arousal levels.

Some studies show that players feel even more scared after playing a violent game. This may result in an experience of traumatic stress.

The high levels of cortisol that are released in players who play high-stress games seem to reduce the fear.

From psychology today:

The theory here is that the game stimulates the fight or flight response but reduces cortisol, which is the same hormone released when you are in a dangerous situation, and that elicits a positive feeling of relief when you are safe.

Players are more active and motivated during games that have a higher level of realism.

In a survey of 1,111 players of "action" video games, playing games with a "more-realistic" structure did not affect the amount of emotional distress in players.

This doesn't mean violent games are harmless, but they seem to contribute to a positive mental state, which may encourage players to strive to be better, which may result in a better gaming experience.

Research does show that violent video games may have adverse effects.

Most recent studies are focused on the effect of violent games on young players. One study found a correlation between playing violent games and aggressive behaviors.

People who play violent video games are more likely to consider suicide.

A study of 105,000 French children found that children who played violent games were more likely to consider suicide.

One study found that the number of people who use online forums for suicide is linked to the number of violent video games they played.

When controlling for variables such as age and family income, having higher playtime in the 12 years between the age of 15 and 19 was associated with 1.4 times the odds of considering suicide in the five years before this.

However, the authors noted that suicide ideation in early adolescence could be a consequence of suicidal behavior, rather than a cause.