Games don't kill people, families do
Fri Mar 21, 2008 11:43AM EDT
See Comments (18)
A new and interesting just-published study adds fuel to the debate over whether violent video games lead to real-world violence. The (surprising) findings? Gamers who played a violent World War II shoot-'em-up displayed no more aggression than those who played the calming, meditative, and violence-free Myst III.
Additional valuable data came out in a second study by the same group (from Texas A&M and the University of Wisconsin) which analyzed patterns of aggression in individuals and compared them against a variety of commonly-believed predictors of violence. Exposure to family violence, being male, and other factors were all strong predictors that a person would commit violent acts, but exposure to violent video games was not. (In fact, it was the only item in the study that was not a good predictor of violence, at least according to the brief abstract posted on the web.)
On the other hand, the study does note that those who already exhibit aggressive personalities may be more likely to seek out violent games, and this combination is more likely to lead to real-world violence. But the same might likely be true of other combinations with a "violent personality": Watching violent movies or having a stressful job, for example.
No easy answers in this debate, but the data point is pretty clear: Real-world violence begets violence, while the effects of seeing simulated violence on your TV or computer is not so clear.
Of course, targeting and censoring violent video games is easy, while targeting actual violence is not. Something to keep in mind...
POLL: What do you think?
Comments on Games don't kill people, families do
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2 Posted by growlnroar on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:13PM EDT Report Abuse
A) Jack Thompson can stick this in his pipe and smoke it. Thanks for finding this, Chris. B) If anyone's actually played games from the Myst series, you'd know it's so frustrating that it's likely to *incite* violence. :)
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3 Posted by david_w_corrigan on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:38PM EDT Report Abuse
Between the television, music and games the parents don't have a chance. The morals and the language the kids have availible to them today is pathetic. Hopefully when this world fails we'll have a chance to get it right.
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4 Posted by royal_tiger_rk on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:53PM EDT Report Abuse
To david_w_corrigan... You made it seems like television, music and video games are teaching the kids bad morals and languages. Also, by saying that parents do not have a chance between those three is completely ignorant. Not everyone is the same. I am sure there are parents out there who "stand a chance" against television, music and video games. When you plan to comment on something, put some thought into it. =]
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5 Posted by agustin2489 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:47PM EDT Report Abuse
I find the conclusion of this study to be something that is more or less, common sense. Of course, violent games can be an indicator towards the tastes that a person has but it is somewhat hard becoming violent in a gameworld where one can simply restart anew.
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6 Posted by aa4mw on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:43PM EDT Report Abuse
It would be interesting to see the effects of "pornography". Assuming thta anyone can figure out just what it is LOL Of course getting the puritan's prying fingers out of the data would be a real challenge.
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7 Posted by romeoluo_2008 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:49PM EDT Report Abuse
violent video games of course have something to do with real-world violence.But what about the non-violent video games?!
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8 Posted by ecarpent@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:51PM EDT Report Abuse
Some people are like sponges and simply absorb the world around them with little thought or reflection. Some people use thought and reason to make choices about their actions in spite of the world around them. There has always been violence and crime... are we of weaker character now than mankind thousands of years ago? Are we weaker in our mental processes now than centuries ago? It's scary to think that so many people really believe their actions and behaviors are driven solely by external factors, rather than choices made within. Where did personal accountability and responsibility go?
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9 Posted by jilforme on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:35PM EDT Report Abuse
Your following comment is important: "On the other hand, the study does note that those who already exhibit aggressive personalities may be more likely to seek out violent games, and this combination is more likely to lead to real-world violence. In the bible it says "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy%
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10 Posted by scienceman9248 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:08PM EDT Report Abuse
Here's another thought: The news media and world events could be contributing to some degree as well. Children and adults alike are bombarded daily with bad news. Go to any media source and you get reports on gun violence, rapes, robberies, rising energy prices, war, new diseases resurfacing old diseases, the environmental mess, you name it--- all bad. A steady diet of this is bound to play on anybody's mind. Who's to say the added stress of hearing all this nagativity doesn't cause feedback. Add this to the stress recipe that Americans consume every day, and some people are bound to snap like an overstretched rubber band.
1 Posted by rogueist on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:49PM EDT Report Abuse
Not the first time this conclusion has been reached - and as a matter of fact there are many subsequent studies done in Europe that show that playing violent video games reduces stress and lowers the likelyhood that the person in question will commit crimes of any kind, violent or not - and suggests a daily regimen of game playing for everyone.