We’re taking a more serious note on this episode of the HYVG gaming podcast. In light of the recent news, we wanted to take a dive into the question “Do Video Games Cause Violence?” It’s a debate that seems to flare up every now and then, and we wanted to see if their was any merit to it.
Here’s a general outline of the episode.
- In light of the Florida shooting, certain republicans are blaming violent video games and movies to divert from the gun control conversation. Do they have a point?
- Are we more or less desensitized to violence in the modern world versus other times in history?
- What do the studies say?
- Even if they don’t cause real world violence, is there a moral problem with these games?
- Is it fair to link this issue with school shootings?
We also reference different studies and articles. Here’s a list of many of the studies and articles that helped inform our decision.
- USA Today Article “After Parkland, critics blame ‘culture of death’ video games“
- Great Overview Article on the Subject “It’s time to end the debate about video games and violence“
- University of York “No Evidence to Support Link Between Violent Video Games and Behavior“
- Study “No Priming in Video Games“
- Study “Behavioural realism and the activation of aggressive concepts in violent video games“
- ChildStats.Gov Article on Stats on Youth Violence “AMERICA’S CHILDREN: KEY NATIONAL INDICATORS OF WELL-BEING, 2017“
We tried hard to find support for the argument that video games cause violent behavior, but couldn’t find any. Do you disagree with us? Do you have facts that support the counter-argument? Please share it in the comments below. We’d love to see your findings and dialogue about it.
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