There is no debating the fact that kids and teens play violent video games, but the real question is whether or not the senseless killing in Call of Duty or the civilian slaughtering in Grand Theft Auto has led to an increase in real life violence.

According to National Purchase Diary, five of the seven top selling video games of 2013 were rated mature and contained significant amounts of violence. We live in a generation where titles like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto have become the most highly sought after games each year. These games are designed to induce surreal and realistic effects. They allow us to create our own characters and customize our own guns. Are these games just pure fun, or should they be looked upon as material that desensitizes minds to violence and horror?

The word “desensitize” is constantly thrown around when discussing violent video games. Those who believe that violent games cause kids to be more violent think that kids learn to accept killing through the games. First-person shooters, which makes up a large chunk of video game sales, are solely based on killing. The argument is that if murder is so easily committed in so many of these successful games,there is no question of its influence on young minds.

On the other hand, some argue that these games do the opposite of desensitization, and could actually be good outlets for anger. Video games are like alternate universes with no consequences, which allows them the potential to be a great learning environment for teens. If you kill people you get chased by cops, and if you punch someone, you can go to jail. These are simple cause and effects that should be enough to stray teens away from real violence.

Less than a few decades ago, things like rock n’ roll and boxing were looked upon as bad influences on kids. These sources of entertainment were banned in many households, but are now, for the most part, universally accepted. The fact of the matter is that whether they lead to real life violence or not, violent video games are embedded in youth entertainment and are here to stay.