No. The most violent societies in the world have the least access to electronic media.

I think to some degree they have, but no more then watching the news would.

If the person was stupid enough to think it was real probably, but I doubt it. Why is it that people always blame game's and movies but not bloody nuresury ryhmes that have been around for decades? [there were much more vicious people before game's and such were invented.] Video game's allow a person to vent anger without hurting someone else.

The research on this was done something like forty years ago, with non-interactive television. Even where kids didn't interact with the violence on the screen, they still copied it. This is part of every psyche 101 class. I think it is time to put this argument to rest. Yes, seeing someone else act in a violent fashion tends to make kids behave violently. Being able to participate in the form of an avatar is only going to intensify that tendency.

All media is to blame not just computer games which are more engaging with role play. Grand Theft Auto is one of the most violent but it's popular as a frustration outlet of sorts

Nah. I believe most folks can readily differentiate between fantasy and reality. ;-)

Video games are irrelevant. People are desensitized to the violence because society is. They see it at home and in their neighborhood and it becomes normal.

I think most are desensitized at school more than anywhere else. Once you see 10 teenagers gang up on somebody in the hallway, video games and other media have nearly zero impact.

In the U.S., desensitization to violence is largely an urban ghetto and suburban phenomenon. The former comes from environmental factors, with violence being common place thanks to the war on drugs policy of encouraging drug gangs. Suburbs, on the other hand, with their combination of heavy middle class entitlement programs and relative lack of anything to do (especially for testosterone-fueled young males) are a great breeding ground for frustration. Since suburbs are themselves in a sense a ghetto for the always-precarious American middle class, they simultaneously discourage empathy the same way urban ghettos do while encouraging a sanctimonious superiority. Violent video games therefore become an appealing alternative to actual violence. Actual violence is committed with impunity when there's a chance that the perpetrator can get away with it --- and [s/?]he often does. However, no, video games simply aren't the problem. Western Europeans and Japanese arguably play more games than Americans, and don't have higher rates of violent crime. (Notably, though, when you set gun violence aside, American crime rates aren't that impressive either.)

My answer to that has to be no. Video games are cartoons..granted, they are interactive, but they are still in essence cartoons. if a person can't tell the difference between a cartoon and real life then we're in a lot of trouble. We too had violent cartoons when we were young....think bugs bunny dropping an anvil on daffy ducks head. How many kids went out, found an anvil and dropped it on someone's head? I think the media has played a big part in desensitizing the young people of this world. Turn on any channel and you can watch live footage of the war or specific violent images as they tell you how many people have died that week. Go to youtube.com and you can type in "news coverage of the war" and find videos of graphically violent scenes showing soldiers shooting people. Not to mention the sensationalism of violence in our own country. The media will grab onto anything that might be even slightly violent and broadcast it around the country. (At least in the U.S. they do) Open a newspaper...do you see any GOOD news on the front page? No...it's all about the murder, or the fatal shooting, or the kidnapping, terrorism, etc. In addition to that, you have to consider where these young people are...are they living in violent neighborhoods? Hanging out with violent people? Are their parents abusive or violent? Are they allowed to watch violent movies? Be a part of gangs and gang wars? Commit or watch violent crimes? Do they do drugs and commit violent crimes while on those drugs? A combination of all those things...and probably more...is what has desensitized our young people...and even to some extent everyone else.

Violence is every where - TV, newspaper, schools/colleges , video games, public transportation, music, traffic, grocery stores, bars/night clubs, homes, online (etc.) - every life has been touched by violence - but we don't see it as violence --> desensitized

Yes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_conditioning