I don't think it is particularly heated...

I guess it is an empirical matter... Whether people can acquire phobias later in life due to experiences... Whether people can acquire sexual preferences later in life due to experiences... Whether people can acquire fetishes later in life due to experiences etc etc etc.

Similarly for violent video games, of course. One can indeed make a case for violent video games desensitising people to violence. It is a strategy that the military often employ to help desensitise people to violence, for example. How come? Cause it works, I guess.

Anyhoo...