For many kids today, the first thing they reach for after school isn’t a snack; it’s a screen. However, it hasn’t always been this way. “After school, I would come home, have a snack then play with friends. If the weather was nice we would go outside. We rode our bikes and played a lot of hopscotch, jacks, 7-UP, and hide and seek. Sometimes we’d also play baseball or football and played on our swingset or sandbox. When it was winter, we played dress up, lots of house, and played with Barbies,” said Cathy Watson while reflecting 60 years later. Today, many children turn on a gaming console or open an app within seconds of getting home and stay online for hours. This leads to unfinished homework and less face-to-face interaction with others. Concerns arise when time on screens extends for hours, displacing important activities like homework, sleep, or in-person interaction. This shift can impact overall well-being and social development.

   A big part of this increased screentime is spent on video games, and it’s no wonder why children spend so much time playing them. Much of the appeal lies in their design. The reward system is addictive. Many games structure themselves around achievement systems that encourage continued play. Players advance by earning points, completing objectives, or outperforming others in competitive matches—many of which are often done in a violent way. The biggest concern is whether prolonged exposure to simulated violence influences aggression, particularly in younger audiences, as their social development is still ongoing. 

   “While playing Grand Theft Auto, some random kid invited me to a voice chat party. The kid said something about being in 5th grade and he said his parents don’t monitor the fact that he plays GTA. I think that when I was in 5th grade, I would have gotten in trouble for playing a game this violent,” said Sr. Cooper Rabbi. This highlights the expanding issue of free-range screen time, where children are able to control when and what they consume. 

   Such unrestricted media consumption has become an increasingly pressing matter due to the amplification of media availability. AP Psychology instructor Larry DeLeon explained that the access to media has increased within the recent generation. “Initially media consisted of radio and TV and there was limited access to these devices. With the advent of smartphones and tablets more people have access to unfiltered media at all times of day and night. Also the violence that is portrayed in the media today is more realistic and graphic than previous generations.”

   Unlike prior years, where entertainment was limited to scheduled television broadcasts or radio programs, today’s children carry their entertainment in their pockets. Smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and streaming platforms allow access to content at any hour, often without adult supervision. 

   Since their invention, video games remain one of the most immersive forms of media children consume. Unlike movies or television, games require participation. In franchises such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, players advance by eliminating opponents, completing criminal missions, or surviving combat scenarios. The more successful the player is in these environments, the more rewards they receive—whether through points, level progression, or in-game status. Since the violence is interactive rather than passive, the experience can feel more personal and engaging. 

  The problem doesn’t just lie in the actual violence, but its accessibility and frequency as well. Children are not encountering violent content only occasionally; they are immersed in it across multiple platforms throughout the day. As entertainment becomes more intense and more constant, understanding what children are consuming becomes increasingly important. 

   The question then becomes about what this exposure does. While media alone does not determine behavior, psychology suggests that repeated exposure to violent content can influence how children think, react, and process the world around them. “According to the social learning theory, children are more likely to exhibit aggressive behaviors they observe. Since the aggressive acts are being controlled by the individual playing the game, I feel the influence is stronger. Also, I believe children become desensitized to violence due to increased exposure, which can lead to an increase in aggressive acts,” said DeLeon. 

   The violence-viewing effect also plays a major role. This theory suggests that exposure to violent media can increase aggressive thoughts and behaviors through imitation and desensitization. Imitation involves copying behaviors that are repeatedly seen. Desensitization, however, is more gradual. “The more we are exposed to something, the less of an impact it has on our attitudes, emotions, and behaviors. When it comes to violence and aggression—things that should be repulsive to us, are not anymore. We accept them as casual events that don’t carry significance. It’s ‘just another school shooting,’ or ‘just another domestic abuse situation,’” said DeLeon.

   In everyday settings, this impact often appears subtly. Jenison Public School social worker Aimee Jackson said, “Where I see the impact of the games kids play or the content they watch show up the most is in their language. More kids, including those who do not necessarily exhibit problematic behavior, are using language like ‘I’m going to kill you’ or other aggressive language more freely. I also notice it in the pictures some of my students draw or simply what they talk about with me: blood, gore, etc. It feels like kids who play a lot of violent games are desensitized to the language and visuals of killing, and desensitization can be dangerous.” The concern is not that every child who watches a horror movie or plays a combat game will become violent, but that repeated exposure may slowly reshape emotional responses to aggression. 

   If violent media has the potential to influence children, the solution is not as simple as banning video games or turning off every screen. Media is now woven into daily life, in our academics, society, and culture. Eliminating it entirely is unrealistic. Open conversation is instrumental in this issue. Discussing the difference between entertainment and real-world consequences helps reinforce boundaries. Violence in a fictional setting may be scripted, reversible, or rewarded, but in reality, it carries lasting consequences. Making that distinction clear helps counteract desensitization.

   As screens continue to dominate childhood experience, it’s not a matter of whether children will encounter violent media; they will. What matters more is how intentionally adults respond to that reality. “I think the impact of role-models (usually family) matters most. Children need to see pro-social behaviors they can emulate that can counteract the impact of media violence,” said DeLeon.

   Understanding how the brain processes violence, how imitation works, and how desensitization develops may just be as important as monitoring what appears on the screen. In a world where violence is increasingly packaged as entertainment, the real challenge is ensuring that constant exposure does not quietly redefine what children see as normal.