Have you ever thought about how video games could negatively impact our society? Many people have and demand a definitive answer.
Video games have provided players with countless hours of entertainment and fun, as well as keeping teens from committing crimes, or otherwise getting themselves into trouble. They has also helped people make social connections, finding common interests in games. However, in the wake of the recent shootings across America, some have come to question popular games which seem to feature a common theme of guns and violence. Could it be possible that these disgusting acts that are happening all too often in America are caused by something not more than an entertainment system?
The article Video Games Aren’t Why Shootings Happen. Politicians Still Blame Them, by NYTimes columnist Kevin Draper, states that “there is virtually no evidence that video games matter” in an interview with CBS. Ivory also mentions that poverty, substance abuse, and child abuse are more likely the culprits.
Alternatively, some concerned parents do believe that video games are making their youths more aggressive. One article titled, Yes, Violent Video Games Do Cause Aggression, on Psychology Today, states that “Two meta-analyses, including data on more than 134,000 people, have concluded that violent media causes more aggressive behavior in real life.”
Another supporter of this claim is Alexandra Sifferlin of Time, who states that “In a report published Aug. 13, an APA task force reviewed more than 100 studies on violent video game use published between 2005 and 2013. They concluded that playing video games can increase aggressive behavior and thoughts, while lessening empathy and sensitivity toward aggression.”
Moreover, most experts agree with these influencers’ claims. Kevin Draper, a columnist for the New York Times, noted that “scant evidence has emerged that makes any causal or correlational connection between playing violent video games and actually committing violent activities.” In the same article, Draper also cites Chris Ferguson, a psychology professor for Stetson University, who claims that “the data on bananas causing suicide is about as conclusive.” This statement highlights the lack of evidence to support the idea that video games cause violence.
When it comes to the connection between videogames and violence, or lack thereof, the public has yet to establish a clear view, although most agree that video games do not lead to violence or aggressive behavior.
Article by Brady Cohen of Herbert Hoover Middle School
Graphic by Charles Wang of Walter Johnson High School