Steven Dismore
Mrs. Cales
Freshman Academy
January 12, 2012
Violent Video Games
Many people in our society believe that teens who play violent video games are more
violent in real-life. There are many studies which claim to have found a link between teens who
play violent games and acts of aggression. A careful review of the facts does not support these
claims. Contrary to popular opinion, there is no scientific evidence to support the belief that
playing violent video games will make teens and young adults more violent in real-life.
There have been hundreds of studies about the effects of violent video games on teens.
Many scientists believe the tests are flawed. The studies have been criticized for using small test
groups, unreliability in their measurements, and bias in their design. The studies have all focused
on short term effects and no long term investigations have been carried out. At best, the studies
can claim some link between teens and violent video games. “Most studies found a correlation,
not a causal relationship, which means the research could simply show that aggressive people
like aggressive entertainment” (Jenkins). Other researchers agree with this view. “In science,
correlation does not imply causation. A relationship between virtual aggression and real-life
aggression isn’t necessarily one of cause and effect” (Layton). However, even if the accuracy of
the test results is in question, they are still published far and wide and have an enormous impact
on public opinion. Headlines about the dangers of violent video games are guaranteed to grab the
attention of worried parents and boost newspaper sales.
Dismore 2
The Virginia Tech massacre clearly showed how some opponents of violent games will
seize any opportunity to promote their viewpoint. A few hours after the tragedy, it was widely
reported in the news that the shooter had committed the massacre because he had been playing
the violent video game Counter-Strike. Very influential figures like Dr. Phil and Mitt Romney
also blamed the massacre on playing video games. It was only later that the Virginia Tech
Review Panel reported that the shooter did not play video games at all (ProCon.org). By then, the
harm had been done and countless parents were undoubtedly convinced about the evils of violent
video games. There is nothing new about this.
Teen music, movies and television have all been blamed in turn for corrupting our youth
and raising concerns about teens becoming more aggressive. There has never been any proof that
any form of entertainment turns normal teens into killers or thugs. In fact, all the statistics in the
US regarding video games point to the opposite being true. Sales of video games have soared in
recent years despite the poor economy, and recent estimates indicate that 97% of teens aged 12
to 17 play video games. Almost one third of teen gamers report that they play games rated
Mature (“Teens, Video Games and Civics”). With these millions of teens playing violent games,
many people would expect a dramatic rise in the number of violent crimes by teens. They would
be wrong. “According to the federal crime statistics, the rate of juvenile violent crime in the
United States is at a 30-year low” (Jenkins). This is further evidence that there is no causal
relationship between violent video games and violence in teenagers. More teens are playing
violent video games but at the same time violent crime by teens is decreasing. This does not
mean that teens who commit violent acts do not play violent video games, it only clarifies that
violent video games are not the cause.
Dismore 3
A study on media violence in 2009 analyzed the data from over 600 teen boys and
came to the conclusion that boys who were depressed and had friends who broke the law were
most likely to act violently. Boys whose parents were verbally abusive or teens who had
antisocial personality traits were also likely to resort to violence. “By contrast video game
violence exposure and television violence exposure were not found to be predictors of youth
violence” (Ferguson). “Violent games do not cause youth to be violent. Instead, youth that are
predisposed to be violent seek out violent entertainment such as video games” (ProCon.org).
There is some evidence that this may not always be such a bad thing.
Playing violent video games enables some boys to let off steam without resorting to
actual physical violence. “Play allows kids to express feelings and impulses that have to be
carefully held in check in their real-world interactions” (Jenkins). In the same way that it is okay
to whack a virtual mole over the head and release some stress or tension in the classic Whack a
Mole game, teens now shoot as many enemies as they can in updated virtual worlds. Many of
them experience the same sense of satisfaction that they once felt when they successfully hit the
mole. Video games have also developed a lot in recent years. There are more and more games
where players have greater control over their characters and can make ethical decisions about
how they want to act. Players can see the consequences of their decisions and the impact on other
characters in their virtual world. There is an increasing emphasis on working together either with
other human players or with computer generated characters to solve problems and defeat
powerful enemies. The games may be violent but that does not mean that teens are only learning
about violence. They are also learning about co-operation, perseverance, and consequences.
Gamers also work very hard to achieve goals and complete quests in complicated and detailed
story lines.
Dismore 4
Video games, violent or otherwise, are here to stay. It is a multibillion dollar industry
with newly released games in popular series selling millions of copies in a few days. In the end
it is up to individual families to decide which games teens can play. Parents need to weigh their
teen’s maturity, behavior, and attitudes and make an informed decision. At least they can now be
free from the fear that exposure to a violent video game will turn their child into a psychotic
murderer.
Dismore 5
Works Cited
Ferguson, Christopher. "New Study Links Youth Violence to Depression & Peers, Not Video
Games." Game Politics.com. Game Politics.com, 14 September 2009. Web. 13 Jan 2012.
<http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/09/14/new-study-links-youth-violence-depressionamp-peers-not-video-games>.
Jenkins, Henry. ""Reality Bytes: Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked"." The Video
Game Revolution. PBS, n.d. Web. 6 Jan 2012.
<http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html>.
Layton, Julia. ""Do violent video games lead to real violence?"." Video Game Development.
HowStuffWorks.com, 24 March 2008. Web. 10 Jan 2012.
<http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/video-game-violence.htm>.
ProCon.org. "Video Games ProCon.org." VideoGames.ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 5 Jan. 2012.
Web. 9 Jan. 2012.
"Teens, Video Games and Civics." Pew Internet & American Life Project. Pew Research Center
Publications, 16 September 2008. Web. 13 Jan 2012.
<http://pewresearch.org/pubs/953/>.