{"id":849810,"date":"2026-03-25T17:52:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T17:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/849810\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T17:52:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T17:52:13","slug":"are-violent-films-like-dhurandhar-animal-and-o-romeo-desensitising-teens-psychiatrists-raise-red-flags-health-and-wellness-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/849810\/","title":{"rendered":"Are violent films like Dhurandhar, Animal and O Romeo desensitising teens? Psychiatrists raise red flags | Health and Wellness News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is the visceral display of violence on screen in films like Dhurandhar<\/strong><\/a>, O Romeo and Animal numbing minds and behavioural guardrails among Indian teens? Recently, a man in Lucknow allegedly assaulted theatre staff after his minor son was denied entry to a screening of the A-rated Dhurandhar, saying though under-18, he was mature enough to watch the film. With OTT platforms uploading these films and viewing discretion hardly a concern at homes, exposure to violent content, even among 18-year-olds, may lead to mental health conditions, say psychiatrists.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe legal designation of adulthood at the age of 18 years may be legally necessary but biologically it is a simplistic fiction. Legally, it grants the rights and responsibilities of independence as an adult. However, developmentally, the 18-year-old brain is a work in progress \u2014 a fact with profound implications with reference to their consumption of violent media,\u201d says Dr Shaunak Ajinkya, psychiatrist at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Dr Amit Sen, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Children First, Delhi<\/a>, is no stranger to dealing with cases of teen aggression. \u201cThere has been a massive increase in juvenile crimes because of a normalisation of aggression in content, be it in films, OTT or gaming, all of which celebrate kills. None of these formats goes beyond the instant justice, hyper-violent storyline, or discusses the accountability of the conflict or the result of the protagonist\u2019s behaviour,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

What happens in the adolescent brain when it is exposed to violent images on screen?<\/p>\n

Studies have shown that the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is responsible for impulse control, risk assessment and long-term planning, is not fully mature until the mid-20s. \u201cEven at 18 years of age, this region is still fine-tuning its functioning. In contrast, the amygdala, the brain\u2019s emotional and threat-processing centre, is firing at full capacity much earlier. While an 18-year-old may possess the intellectual capacity of an adult, their emotional regulation and executive functions are often operating on a provisional licence. Cognitive capacity (logical reasoning) matures by age 16, but psychosocial maturity (self-control) lags behind, leaving a maturity gap,\u201d says Dr Ajinkya.<\/p>\n

This neurodevelopmental gap is why adolescents and young adults are notoriously susceptible to peer influence, sensation-seeking and impulsivity.<\/p>\n

Dr Sen says how 13 onwards, the pruning of the brain begins, a process which follows the \u201cuse it or lose it\u201d principle, where commonly used neural pathways are strengthened, and rarely used ones are removed. \u201cSo, these years are very important for self-regulation to get established. It\u2019s normal for teens to feel frustrated as they deal with rejections, failure, peer comparisons and academic pressures. If they turn it inwards, it results in mental health problems like depression of anxiety, self-loathing even. If they turn that anger outwards, it is violence, rock music, jostling in the football field and graffiti,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

But if the way to manage and override these is also explained simultaneously and the teen can mimic the right adult behaviour, then there is a balance. \u201cBy consistently demonstrating positive behaviour \u2014 such as empathy, resilience, responsibility and effective communication \u2014 adults can help shape social skills and values of young people,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

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What about the troubling impact of violent films on adolescent minds?<\/p>\n

The primary danger is not that a violent film<\/strong><\/a> will turn a normal 18-year-old into a killer overnight. \u201cThat is a reductionist view. The risk is more insidious. The real concern is emotional desensitization and a \u2018mean world syndrome.\u2019 It is the normalisation of aggression and an indifferent to suffering. Repeated viewing of violent films can shape what a developing brain perceives as acceptable, normal, or even glamorous. When the cinematic world routinely resolves conflict with brutal force, it may erode a youngster\u2019s normal reaction of aversion to aggression and violence,\u201d says Dr Ajinkya.<\/p>\n

The 2023 editorial of the journal Lancet Regional Health-Americas mentioned how research had consistently shown exposure to violent media was associated with increased anger, aggressive thoughts and violent behaviour. Besides, it is crucial to distinguish between the typical 18-year-old and a vulnerable one. \u201cFor an 18-year-old, whose identity and social scripts are still being formed, these narratives can become woven into their understanding of power, conflict and masculinity. For a young person with a stable home environment, strong social support, and well-developed critical thinking skills, a violent film is mentally processed as fiction\u2014a temporary thrill with little to no lasting impact. However, for those struggling with mental health issues, a history of childhood trauma or social isolation; the very same content can serve as a reinforcement for maladaptive coping mechanisms and aggressive fantasies. The violent content may act as an accelerant,\u201d explains Dr Ajinkya.<\/p>\n

A 2008 study found that even movies rated \u2018A\u2019 for their violent content were also seen by millions of 10- to 14-year-olds, with popular titles reaching nearly half of this age group. \u201cBy the time these little guys turn 18, their cumulative exposure to screen violence is immense, having been desensitized through years of consumption. This baseline normalization makes it harder for them to recognize the potential impact of increasingly graphic content as they age,\u201d says Dr Ajinkya.<\/p>\n

So, how can we guide teens better?<\/p>\n

Rather than advocating for censorship, feels Dr Ajinkya, which is both impractical and contrary to the autonomy granted to legal adults, the focus should be on media literacy and mindful consumption. \u201cWe need to equip adolescents and young adults with the tools to deconstruct what they watch \u2014 to understand the director\u2019s intent, the difference between realistic and sensationalized violence, and the commercial motivations behind hyper-violent content. Parents and educators should continue these conversations well into early adulthood, recognising that the need for guidance doesn\u2019t abruptly end at 18 years of age,\u201d he advises.<\/p>\n

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Dr Sen says it is important to talk about violence and what it does before and after. \u201cYou have to give the counter-argument. So many under-18 boys get trapped in crime, and consensual teenage relationships get panned under POCSO (The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. To prevent teens from being criminalised, we must develop their critical awareness and help reshape their responses to visual media and teach them how to navigate it rather than fully restricting it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Is the visceral display of violence on screen in films like Dhurandhar, O Romeo and Animal numbing minds…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":849811,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4317],"tags":[242624,242622,242626,242625,242628,105,242623,8152,242627,218,242629,242630,16,15,242621],"class_list":["post-849810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-adolescent-brain-development-and-violent-media","tag-dhurandhar-movie-controversy-lucknow","tag-dr-amit-sen-child-psychiatrist-delhi","tag-dr-shaunak-ajinkya-psychiatrist","tag-emotional-desensitization-violent-films","tag-health","tag-impact-of-animal-movie-on-teens","tag-indian-express","tag-mean-world-syndrome-in-teenagers","tag-mental-health","tag-nari-shakti-vandan-adhiniyam","tag-prefrontal-cortex-maturity-age","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-violence-in-indian-films-2026"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/849810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=849810"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/849810\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/849811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=849810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=849810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=849810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}