Have We Become Too Desensitized to Violence?

Written by: Olivia Fang Edited by: Githika Jagadeesan

On October 8th, 2026, the Pentagon announced that it would be publicly broadcasting the execution of Nidal Hasan, a former United States Army major convicted of shooting and killing thirteen unarmed U.S. soldiers at the Fort Hood military base. This event would mark the first of its kind held in the United States in nearly a century, with the latest generally accepted public execution occurring in 1936 (Beynon and Alaimo). As a result, this announcement has sparked immense controversy and backlash. 

While U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth claims the livestream will force people to “understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things,” not everyone agrees with these statements (Habeshian). According to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), a publicly broadcast execution would “result in a violation of the right to life” and is “abhorrent.” For now, no additional details have been given, and the execution is still scheduled for December 3rd, 2026.***

This announcement raises many questions about the normalization of violence within our society. A public broadcast indicates that almost anyone will have access and be able to view this footage, including young children. Exposing developing minds to graphic videos or images has various proven negative effects. Specifically, it has been associated with a declining intensity in the negative emotions felt when viewing violent or otherwise gruesome content (Huesmann). This process is known as “desensitization,” and may result in children planning “aggressive acts without experiencing negative affect” (Huesmann and Kirwill). 

The idea that children are able to learn from observing the behaviors of others originates from Albert Bandura’s social learning theory developed in the 1970s (Su et al.). Later studies following Bandura’s theory have affirmed this concept, such as a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has discovered that exposing children to graphic content leads to lower levels of empathy and a greater likelihood of turning to violent actions as a solution to their problems.

While it is important to note that images and videos of violent acts can be incredibly important sources of news and information, there is a conversation to be had about how and how often we are choosing to consume this information. The desensitization to violence is not limited to just one broadcast. The internet is saturated with easily accessible gory images and videos. One moment you could be watching an innocent video of cats knocking over water bottles and the next you witness the bombing of a hospital. Every news story seems to be more depressing than the last. It almost seems hopeless. Almost. 

Even though the normalization of violence and widespread distribution of such graphic content may not be entirely beneficial to us, there are a few actions you can take to ensure that you are not overexposed to this material. Perhaps the most significant step you could take is to simply disconnect from the constant stream of negativity flowing from the internet. Taking a walk, going to a park, and interacting with your surroundings will allow you to take a moment for yourself. Talking to your younger siblings about the importance of empathy and warning them about the type of content they are consuming may help to prevent the effects of desensitization. All in all, we need to remind ourselves of the beauty that can be found in community and face-to-face connection in order to improve our world and preserve empathy. 

***As of October 15th, 2026, President Donald Trump has announced that the execution of Nidal Hasan will no longer be livestreamed, although his sentence will still be carried out on December 3rd, 2026.

Works Cited

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2009). Media violence. Pediatrics, 124(5), 1495–1503. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-2146.

Beynon, Steven, and Catherine Alaimo. “Hasan execution will be live-streamed, Pentagon official says.” ABC News, 2026, https://abcnews.com/Politics/hegseth-hasan-execution-public/story?cid=social_twitter_wnt&id=137110734. Accessed 9 October 2026.

Habeshian, Sareen. “Firing squad execution to be livestreamed, Pentagon says.” BBC, 9 October 2026, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmy0r96xygx6o. Accessed 9 October 2026.

Huesmann LR. The impact of electronic media violence: scientific theory and research. J Adolesc Health. 2007 Dec;41(6 Suppl 1):S6-13. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.09.005. PMID: 18047947; PMCID: PMC2704015.

Huesmann LR, Kirwil L. Why Observing Violence Increases the Risk of Violent Behavior By the Observer. In: Flannery DJ, Vazsonyi AT, Waldman ID, eds. The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression. Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology. Cambridge University Press; 2007:545-570.

Murray, Isabella. “Trump announces Nidal Hasan execution 'will not be streamed.'” ABC News, https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-announces-nidal-hasan-execution-streamed/story?id=137288098. Accessed 30 October 2026.

Su, W., Mrug, S., & Windle, M. (2010). Social cognitive and emotional mediators link violence exposure and parental nurturance to adolescent aggression. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 39(6). https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2010.517163.

United Nations. “Livestreaming US execution would breach prohibition of torture, UN rights office warns.” UN News, 2026, https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168565. Accessed 9 October 2026.