Desensitization/Dehumanization

So...I'm sure we all know about the tragic shooting in CT. While watching the news, a psychologist mentioned that a rise in incidents may be related to desensitization due to things like the internet, texting, and video games. While I'm sure most of us here will disagree, there is some evidence that supports this conclusion (as well as some evidence to the contrary). I think a lot of people with this belief forget about a history of Dehumanization, where thinking about other people as non-humans made it easier to kill them. These actions, although often accepted at the time were no less terrible. They cannot be rationalized either but they also cannot be blamed on video games or internet. The problem of mass murder isn't new. At least in the U.S. it has simply gone from "organized crime" to "disorganized crime." We do often dismiss the impact of socialization on our lives. Whatever you do, see, or hear has a direct impact on how your brain works especially in the long-term. There are many people today who wouldn't harm someone else, in another time they may have lined up to take part in a lynch mob. Thoughts?

dont think it's becausse of mental illness it's pretty much a case of norms and valeu's if you look at human history there will be a great numbeer of cases where there was little to no reason to resort to violance and there was still a lot of blood shed let say if there would be no government and al the luxeries that we all enyjoy today it just didapears for som reason don't you ting chaos in the form of al sorts of violance and crime would be one of the things most Ppl would turn to so basically wath im saying is humans are essentially screwwed up but is able to control itself deu to pressure they feel to be accepted bij soceiety im not saying their arent any Ppl who would stil be peaceful im just saying the mayority wouldn't whit that being said the voalt doesn't lie in the internet or tv but rahter to poor decision making and easy acces to ecuipment that makes them feel powerful im just saying if you decide too let your citizens have acces to such powerful weapons at least create certain procedures as a mentel exam and have them need to poses a permint before being able to buy a gun or else its like your asking for something to happen i mean you wouldn't give a 14 year old a gun because you don't know what wil happen meaning its dangerous too say the least so in the end it's all comes to the individual wheter or not it wil turn in to a bad stiation or ag good one

it is a strange issue, I hate what they do but I love it so much....my solution? put a filter in tv, give the parents the code and if they choose to elt there kids watch it they can (I knw this is already happening but I mean its already locked and u have to use the password) the only thing that really makes me mad is adult stuff in cartoons -_- like smoking or tattoos -_- like come on >.>..... (though the oldys and aventure time and regular show do it they do it suddely like only the ppl who wood already knw wood understand it, that's ok ^^)

the school shooting in CT was a result of two factors mental illness- there is a serious lack in dealing with cases, such as his, in our country, because there is really no mandate or way to force them to "take meds" or "get better". parenting- some people, like his mother, baby their kids and don't admit they have issues. they want to make sure "they fit in" or "they can have a normal life" when sometimes it is not that easy or they have a hard time dealing with reality.

I'm going to disagree with the whole mental illness/parenting issues in regards to the Sandy Hook shooting. The investigation is still pending, no motive has been discovered as of yet. No timeline has been established. The only thing that is fueling the debates about gun control and mental illness is all speculation. None of the actual facts have been released yet. Only people who aren't actively investigating are going on about what they think it might be. Just wanted to clarify! Statistically, there's no real pattern to recent mass murders. Sometimes it's bullying, sometimes it's not. Sometimes it's mental illness (but never mental illness being the primary factor), sometimes it's not. Sometimes the guns are legally obtained, sometimes not. The only real number that means something they can give you is that in all the mass murders for the past couple of years, all the shooters were male except one.