Definitely. The brain evolved long before the invention of media. The subconscious brain simply absorbs all stimulus from the environment and assumes it’s real. So yes, horror films scare us, porn turns us on, despite the fact that we’re only staring at a box of electric wires.

Some believe that horrific news stories like 9/11 or mass shootings cause long lasting trauma in people.

Those who study media have been trying to figure out just to what extent media affects us. The question is elusive and mysterious. Some say that violent media makes people violent, yet most of us watch violence on screens all the time and we’re not running around the streets getting into fights.

My guess would be this: the amount that media affects you is directly proportional to the amount of time spent consuming it. And I believe that the effects can be counter-acted by things like having a social life and a supportive family/partner.

Also, VR will soon become mainstream, and the media effects of this will likely be more extreme and more unpredictable.