Is there a link between violence in the media and in real life?

Is there a link between violence in the media and in real life?
To the Editor:
The National Rifle Association’s cynical exploitation of concerns about media violence to obfuscate the need for gun control trivializes a very real public health issue. Recent articles in The Times (“ The Real World Forces Its Way Into the Gamers’ Universe,” Dec. 26; “Real and Virtual Firearms Nurture a Marketing Link,” Dec. 25) and elsewhere dismiss links between violent media and real-life violence, but the truth is far more complex.
Research repeatedly demonstrates that, for children, exposure to violent video games, movies and television programs is a risk factor for becoming desensitized to violence, lack of sympathy for victims and aggressive behavior. Proponents for allowing purveyors of violent media unfettered access to children dismiss the research because it is correlational and not causal.
Originally published by New York Times
You change the world. We do the rest. Explore fiscal sponsorship at PHI.
Together, we can accelerate our response to public health’s most critical issues.
Begin your career at the Public Health Institute.
When we are all public health, a healthier, more equitable world is within our reach. In our 2022 annual report, we share some of the unique roles we each play in making public health stronger, reach farther and connect better.