"Also, he says, kids can become desensitized to violence. 'When you're exposed to violence day in and day out, it loses its emotional impact on you,' Huesmann said. 'Once you're emotionally numb to violence, it's much easier to engage in violence.'"
This quote from the linked article above (click on the quote) refers to yet another study that empirically links violent video games to aggressive behavior. I have indirectly commented on this before (click).
In my humble opinion, people need to start practicing how to be calm rather than continually conditioning themselves to destroy, torture, hate, and act impulsively. I am all for our bill of rights but when we start creating an alternative universe in the minds of our youth that encourages a "culture of disrespect" and of violence, I begin to think, why should we have to then deal with the consequences? Police, doctors, firefighters, politicians, lawyers, victims, soldiers....we are constantly dealing with the effects of this violent culture. At what point do we draw the line and say, these games, these activities, this way of life is making our society ill and we have got to stop it?
People may laugh at males that do yoga, but I will tell you one thing: ever since I started practicing and working on breath, relaxation, and meditation, I have been able to better cope with things that piss me off. It is essentially practicing a state of acceptance, peace, and tolerance (both of yourself and the smelly neighbor on the mat next to you). And the effects are long lasting. I cannot go to class for 2 weeks and I still feel the presence of calmness and respect what I have learned. I am not saying we all need to be yogis but I merely offer that we need to practice these states of tranquility somehow and that the overall sympathetic tone of our lives needs to be turned down a notch! By practicing one can prepare for the time that he/she wants to throw that chair, flip that driver off, or rant about waiting in line. People need to practice peace. Parents need to take the video games and TV away. We have got to spend less on war and military. We are sick.
So what's in it for you? How about a simpler, happier life? How about better health? (click)How about not becoming the next victim of violence?
7
go ahead and call me a dirty hippy. I dare you. I still got the mohawk!
1 comment:
I'm right there with you if anyone calls you a DH. For now I'll just refer to you as someone with respect & empathy for his fellow human. Good stuff, however you get there.
I do think most people could benefit from yoga, a mindfulness-based stress reduction course (like the one pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn at Mass Gen & offered at a few hundred hospitals nationwide), or something else that would produce a similar end result.
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