Video games should stop being blamed for violence. 

Ever since their creation, video games have been said to cause violence. This idea is a widespread one, even though there is barely any evidence to attest to this. The media and people in general are so quick to relate video games with real-world aggression, such as shootings and killings. Despite this, studies have found and shown that there is not a lot of strong evidence supporting this claim, and very few links to video games causing violence. 

Over 60% of people in the United States play video games, and many sources have said that violence in the U.S. is tied to video games. If video games are played worldwide, and they really are causing violence, then why would other countries not show as much violence as the U.S? 

Chart: Who Are America's Video Gamers? | Statista

This is because video games do not cause violence, and they should stop being wrongfully blamed for doing so.

While there are thousands of games with gory, dark, and bloody themes, a credible article on the Dana foundation states that, “Fortunately, there is no hard evidence yet that such games lead to mass murders or grisly killings. Indeed, most correlation studies show at most a small effect.” 

Furthermore, many knowledgeable and experienced researchers have disagreed with the absurd claim. Take for example a quote from a researcher on PBS News Hour, who’s been studying this psychological topic for 15 years. “My own research has examined the degree to which violent video games can’t predict youth aggression and violence. In a 2015 meta-analysis, I examined 101 studies on the subject and found that violent video games had little impact on kids’ aggression, mood, helping behavior or grades.” 

While video games don’t seem to cause violence in children and adults, what about teenagers, who are known to be more aggressive? Video games are a major part of teens’ lives, and over 90% of teens play video games, violent ones being the most popular, which worries parents and adults. But it shouldn’t.

Girls and video games: New study says they aren't just for boys anymore

An article on ScienceNewsForStudents states two psychologists gathered 1000 teens, and asked questions about their aggression and what video games they played. Most of the games were violent. Researchers then compared video-game violence with the teen’s aggression, and in the end, there were no clear links between their aggression and the games they played. 

From the professional opinions and the blatant facts, it is definitely clear that video games do not cause violence, and that this claim should be let go already. If people do have genuine concern for this topic, they should stop accusing video games.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

1 thought on “Video games should stop being blamed for violence. 

  1. Dear, Kris
    I believe, that video games do in fact cause violence, and here is a essay I wrote so small essay, to support this claim. Violent Video Games Cause Violence

    Everyday kids play video games that cause violence across the globe. These games reward violence with items or leveling up which makes children want to be more aggressive. These games make it more difficult for children to distinguish fantasy and reality because of realistic themes, And these games are linked to less empathy and kindness in kids. This is why I think that violent video games cause violence.
    First of all these games reward violence. Besides the military, and a few other cases, hurting others should never, ever be rewarded. In games like Call of duty and Fortnite Violence is rewarded. “73 games reward injuring other characters”(10). Also these games are linked to violent activity. “People who play games that reward violence showed higher levels of aggressive behavior” (10) This proves that these games cause violence.
    Second, these games may make it more difficult for children to differentiate fantasy and reality. Realistic themes of violence in these games can make young people think that these violent actions happen daily in real life, and it’s only natural to participate. “Young children are more likely to confuse fantasy violence with the real world.”(6) But in truth, these things should never happen in real life or virtual. Some new game controllers are actually so advanced that they simulate the actions displayed in the game. “Game controllers are so sophisticated and the violent acts enhance the learning of those violent behaviors” (3). Would you want things going on in GTA happening in reality?
    Finally these games are linked to lower empathy and kindness “A study by the American Psychological Association’s Psychological bulletin found that exposure to violent video games led to lack of empathy prosocial behavior” (7). Every violent video game published just decreases the kindness of America! “Exposure to violent games is negatively correlated with helping in the real world”(7).
    In general these games are just not necessary. They poison the minds of young people and cause more violence everyday across the globe. And while they can be fun, What does that matter if people are more aggressive and less kind? And if we don’t do something about it, then soon the US will have a massive problem on its hands. This is why violent video games cause violence.

Leave a Reply to trevorshkms Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *