I’m one of those who would disagree strongly, both with the connection of violent media causing violence IRL and with the connection of violence in dreams and an increase in violent acts in waking life. I feel this is an argument from those who find such things distasteful and don’t engage it the same way, so don’t understand.
Life by its very nature involves the destruction of other living things so that we can survive, violence is a fundamental part of what we are and there is no escaping that. Whether that violence is towards plants, (Yes plants are living things worthy of respect too, I don’t dull that for convenience as many do.) animals or other human beings, for thousands of years and even today our ability to survive has been dependant on our ability to be more violent to things; which threaten us, compete with us or we benefit from killing, than they are to us. A few hundred hours worth of video games or dreams aren’t going to magically remove those instincts or strengthen them, they’re already fundamental.
I believe strongly that a persons behaviour when it comes to violence is dictated much more by how they view; society, themselves and the world around them, than how many violent games they play. In fact when that outlook is healthy, violent games and dreams can serve an invaluable purpose as an outlet for those visceral feelings that we all have no matter how we try to suppress them or convince ourselves we have evolved above them. They have to be recognized, and understood, suppression is likely what will lead to mental health problems. As a crude example, there was an experiment done where mice were denied the chance to play-fight when young. When later in life they were exposed to the scent of a predator, they hid… The ones which were not allowed to play-fight, remained hidden until they died from malnutrition. Those who were allowed the opportunity, eventually emerged and continued living. I suspect that is why you get such impassioned responses from those who at some level recognize that. However we engage those feelings, they do have to be engaged somehow. Violence has to be part of a healthy psyche and can be explored extensively through fantasy with no ill effect. That’s not to say everyone should force themselves to, we all have our own ways to explore it, all I’m saying is we shouldn’t interfere with or judge and condemn how others engage it.
I’m somebody who listens to some types of music which most people call aggressive or violent (Thrash/death metal) and I also have quite often graphic and violent dreams. Yet in spite of all this I have no intent of going and being violent for the sake of being violent, in fact I find that abhorrent and would be unable to forgive myself. I can tell the difference between reality and fantasy. In reality it saddens me to see kids mindlessly tear leaves off plants, but in fantasy I don’t bind the visceral violence because I think it’s wrong… if it harms none, do as you will and no I don’t believe it harms you to explore and come to understand these already fundamental drives through fantasy.