“Playing video games is not harmful. In fact it seems to be very adaptive” (Collins). There has been research that claims that video games and violent media are harmful, but this is usually contradicted in the same study (Rhodes). There is enough evidence to prove that video games can have a positive influence on today's youth. Although there are links between violence in adolescence and ownership of violent video games and access to violent media, this does not make the average person more violent because there is little research showing that violent media and video games make the average person more violent and the average person is able to distinguish between fake and real violence. There are some links between violence in adolescence and ownership of violent video games and access to violent media. Violence in the media desensitizes you to violence in general (Caruso). There are even those who begin to associate violence with pleasure: "Aggressive behavior is not only seen as appropriate, but one is even rewarded for doing it" (Caruso). A former Army officer, Dave Grossman, also states that similar techniques were used to increase the rate of fire in the Vietnam War, “from 15 to 20 percent in World War II to 95 percent in Vietnam” (Caruso). But with violence in video games and media it doesn't teach you the respect that the military would have: “We are reaching that stage of desensitization where the infliction of pain and suffering has become a source of entertainment; vicarious pleasure rather than repulsion. “We are learning to kill and we are learning to like ourselves” (Caruso). Links have been found between violent crimes and violent video games: “Hundreds of studies over the past few decades have revealed a direct correlation between… middle of paper… there is little research showing that violent video games and media affect the average person. But the most important thing is that the average person is able to distinguish between fake and real violence. With video games the player can choose how to play and how violent he wants it to be if you want to see or play violent material. Say that violence in video games and media makes people more violent would not be justifiable until more research is conducted, but for now the research conducted indicates the opposite, that it has little effect on the average person Addressing the real problem is what is important now: “Violence is declining in America, but if we want to reduce it even further, protecting children from violence in their real lives – and not from the pale shadow of fake violence – is the starting point” (Rhodes).