Video Games and Youth Violence: Evidence and Debate

Introduction

The integration of video games into youth culture in the United States is undeniable. One estimate stated that 97 percent of twelve to seventeen-year-olds played a video game in 2008 (ESA, 2009). These figures suggest that virtually every adolescent in that demographic plays video games. The economic result of this demand has created an eleven-billion-dollar industry (2008) that continues to expand (ProCon, N.d.). However, many of these games contain graphic violence and sexual content deemed inappropriate for this age group.

It is argued that violence in the digital world can cause negative effects in real life as well. When children are exposed to violence, it may desensitize them to its use and cause violence to be perceived as an acceptable way to resolve conflicts. The debate thus revolves around protecting children from such content while balancing first amendment rights to free speech and artistic expression. This analysis examines the debate from both sides before making recommendations about how the industry should evolve.

Video Game Violence and Youth Aggression

Many factors illustrate how video gaming can have a detrimental effect on children and adolescents. One is the sheer amount of time spent playing, which can contribute to obesity and isolation from friends and family. Adolescents have been estimated to play video games for 50 hours a week. A 2010 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation reported: "It's a full-time job plus 10 hours of overtime, and that's the average," according to Douglas Gentile, a psychologist and director of the Media Research Lab at Iowa State University (Oskin, 2012). In an extreme example, a teenager in Columbus, Ohio was rushed to the hospital with severe dehydration after playing "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" for up to five days straight (Oskin, 2012).

It is clear that youth devote enormous amounts of time to gaming. Beyond the sheer duration, however, the content of many games is equally troubling. Many contain violence, obscenities, and sexual content that can be harmful to developing minds. 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 extensive time playing violent video games can train the mind to develop scripts about violence, creating a predisposition to violent behaviors in the real world.

Evidence Against Causation

Although specific scientific studies point to violence in video games resulting in violent behaviors, there may not be a causal linkage between these factors. For example, it could be the case that children and adolescents who are already violent are most likely to play violent video games. In this situation, the child playing such a game is already violent, and the violence is not generated from gameplay itself. However, the game could conceivably be a medium in which violent tendencies are strengthened, though other effects are also possible.

If a child is already violent, they could use a virtual world to express this violence, which harms no one and could actually reduce real-world violent episodes. A 2007 study reported that 45 percent of boys played video games because "it helps me get my anger out" and 62 percent played because it "helps me relax" (ProCon, N.d.). Thus, playing violent video games could actually reduce anger levels in children in some situations, so long as they distinguish between fantasy and reality—which most children and adolescents appear to do.

Overall violent crime statistics in this demographic provide additional evidence supporting the neutrality of violent games' effects. Violent juvenile crime in the United States has declined as violent video game popularity has increased. The arrest rate for juvenile murders fell 71.9 percent between 1995 and 2008, while the arrest rate for all juvenile violent crimes declined by 49.3 percent (ProCon, N.d.). During this same period, video game sales more than quadrupled. If a causal effect existed between violent games and violence, crime rates would be expected to increase rather than decrease.

Conclusion

The evidence regarding negative effects of violence in gaming on adolescents is inconclusive and heavily contested. Video games could desensitize some individuals while providing others a safe venue for venting aggressive behaviors. Positive effects documented in the literature, such as enhanced sense of control and reduced stress responses, represent legitimate counterpoints to concerns about desensitization.

The significant decline in crime rates among this demographic during periods of increasing game popularity suggests that overall violence levels are not rising. There is sufficient evidence to support parental involvement and dialogue regarding gaming content, but insufficient evidence to justify legal regulation of violent games. The role of parents is therefore paramount. They should monitor their children's gaming habits generally and, when violent content is present, engage in open conversations about potential effects so that risks are understood by all parties involved.

Anderson, C., Sakamoto, A., Gentile, D., Ihori, N., Shibuya, A., Yukawa, S., ... Kobayashi, K. (2008). Longitudinal effects of violent video games on aggression in Japan and the United States. Pediatrics, 1067–1072.

ESA. (2009, May). Essential facts about the computer and video game industry. Retrieved from Entertainment Software Association: http://videogames.procon.org/sourcefiles/essential-facts-about-the-computer-and-video-game-industry.pdf

Oskin, B. (2012, August 10). Teens and video games: How much is too much? Retrieved from Live Science:

ProCon. (N.d.). Violent video games. Retrieved from ProCon: http://videogames.procon.org/