Video Games and Violence The level of integration of video games into the culture of the youth in the United States could not be clearer. One estimate stated that ninety-seven percent of twelve to seventeen-year-olds played a video game in 2008 (ESA, 2009). These figures suggest that virtually everyone in that specific demographic play video games. The economic result of the demand for video gaming has resulted in over an eleven billion dollar industry (2008) which is continually expanding (ProCon, N.d.). However, many of these games contain graphic violence and sexual content that deemed in appropriate for this demographic.

It is argued that this violence in the digital world can cause a host of negative implications in real life as well. When children are exposed to violence then this can work to desensitize them to the use of violence and violence can even be perceived as an acceptable way to resolve conflicts. The debate then revolves around the protection of children from this content and the role of first amendment rights to free speech and artistic expression. This analysis will look at the debate from both sides before making recommendations as to how the future of the industry should evolve.

Video Game Violence Contributes to Youth Violence

There are many factors that can be cited to illustrate how video gaming can have a detrimental effect on children and adolescents. One is simply the time dedicated to playing the games that can contribute to the obesity epidemic and isolation between friends and family members. Adolescents...

In an extreme example, a Columbus, OH, teen was rushed to the hospital with severe dehydration after playing "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" for up to five days straight (Oskin, 2012).
Therefore it is clear that the youth in general is devoting an enormous amount of time on gaming. However, beyond the sum of the time the youth devotes to gaming, the content of many of the games is equally as troubling. Many of these games contain violence, obscenities, and sexual content that can be detrimental to a developing mind. Several studies in both the United States and Japan have shown that, controlling for prior aggression, children who played more violent video games during the beginning of the school year showed more aggression than their peers later in the school year (Anderson, et al., 2008). Spending so much time playing violent video games can work to train the mind to develop scripts about violence that can create a predisposition to violent behaviors in the real world.

Neutrality of Gaming

Although there are specific scientific studies that point to the violence in video games resulting in the expression of violent behaviors, there may not be a causal linkage between these factors. For example, it could potentially be…