Moral desensitization in the digital age: A synthesis of theory, empirical evidence, and implications (a narrative review)

Open Access

Issue		SHS Web Conf. Volume 224, 2025 4^th International Conference of Applied Psychology on Humanity (ICAP-H 2025)


Article Number		08006
Number of page(s)		11
Section		Clinical Psychology and Mental Health
DOI		https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202522408006
Published online		05 November 2025

B. J. Bushman and C. A. Anderson, Comfortably numb: desensitizing effects of violent media on helping others, Psychol. Sci. 20, 273 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02287.x [Google Scholar]
N. L. Carnagey, C. A. Anderson, and B. J. Bushman, The effect of video game violence on physiological desensitization to real-life violence, J. Exp. Soc. Psychol. 43, 489 (2007) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2006.05.003 [Google Scholar]
A. Miles-Novelo and C. A. Anderson, Desensitization, in The International Encyclopedia of Media Psychology (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2020), pp. 1–11 https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119011071.iemp0056 [Google Scholar]
E. Miedzobrodzka, J. C. van Hooff, L. Krabbendam, and E. A. Konijn, Desensitized gamers? Violent video game exposure and empathy for pain in adolescents – an ERP study, Soc. Neurosci. 18, 365 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1080/17470919.2023.2284999 [Google Scholar]
S. Mrug, A. Madan, and M. Windle, Emotional Desensitization to Violence Contributes to Adolescents’ Violent Behavior, J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 44, 75 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-015-9986-x [Google Scholar]
J. B. Funk, H. B. Baldacci, T. Pasold, and J. Baumgardner, Violence exposure in real-life, video games, television, movies, and the internet: is there desensitization?, J. Adolesc. 27, 23 (2004) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2003.10.005 [Google Scholar]
R. Di Tella, L. Freira, R. H. Gálvez, E. Schargrodsky, D. Shalom, and M. Sigman, Crime and violence: Desensitization in victims to watching criminal events, J. Econ. Behav. Organ. 159, 613 (2019) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2017.10.005 [Google Scholar]
R. M. Pillai, L. K. Fazio, and D. A. Effron, Repeatedly Encountered Descriptions of Wrongdoing Seem More True but Less Unethical: Evidence in a Naturalistic Setting, Psychol. Sci. 34, 863 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976231180578 [Google Scholar]
K. A. Fanti, E. Vanman, C. C. Henrich, and M. N. Avraamides, Desensitization to media violence over a short period of time, Aggress. Behav. 35, 179 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.20295 [Google Scholar]
D. A. Effron, The moral repetition effect: Bad deeds seem less unethical when repeatedly encountered, J. Exp. Psychol. Gen. 151, 2562 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001214 [Google Scholar]
J. B. Funk, D. D. Buchman, J. Jenks, and H. Bechtoldt, Playing violent video games, desensitization, and moral evaluation in children, J. Appl. Dev. Psychol. 24, 413 (2003) https://doi.org/10.1016/S0193-3973(03)00073-X [Google Scholar]
J. F. Brockmyer, Desensitization and Violent Video Games: Mechanisms and Evidence, Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. Clin. N. Am. 31, 121 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2021.06.005 [Google Scholar]
S. Goodson, K. J. Turner, S. L. Pearson, and P. Carter, Violent Video Games and the P300: No Evidence to Support the Neural Desensitization Hypothesis, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw. 24, 48 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2020.0029 [Google Scholar]
S. Mrug, A. Madan, E. W. Cook, and R. A. Wright, Emotional and Physiological Desensitization to Real-Life and Movie Violence, J. Youth Adolesc. 44, 1092 (2015) https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-014-0202-z [Google Scholar]
S. J. Kirsh and J. R. W. Mounts, Violent Video Game Play and (De)Sensitization to Threat, Aggress. Behav. 50, e70003 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.70003 [Google Scholar]

Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.

Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.

Initial download of the metrics may take a while.