chpt 14: pg 124: "we were always either at the front lines, watching a war movie, or doing drugs." Why? Does this line have anything to teach us about American teens and their vulnerabilities?

Another coping mechanism used by the soldiers was desensitization. By believing that armed conflict was as much a part of daily life as mealtime or movies, the men are able to shut off their feelings about the death and suffering they see (and create). The movies serve to desensitize them further; they watch violent films such as Rambo and Commando which glorify and stylize violence to the point that the viewers can create a disconnect between their actions and the real world. It is difficult to extend the experience of Beah to the average American teenager. One could make a case for desensitization of violence but Beah's experience can't be directly connected.