Do Video Games make you violent?

[Is not JL]

Disclaimer: This article was written during fall of 2013, for a school course. I utilized www.343industries.org as a resource, and it is for that reason that I decided to post this as well. This is a modified copy of my original project, with modified formatting to fit this forum and thread. 
 
 
 

Do video games make you violent? 

 
ABSTRACT 
This project looks at the question of whether playing video games can make the player violent, with an end goal of trying to answer the question with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The process of which I worked on this project was by looking at research and previous scientific studies done on the subject, as well as asking both people who have, and people who haven’t played video games. At the end of the project, I did not reach the goal of finding a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, but that while there is a link between certain games and aggression, there is no definite link between video games and violence.
 
INTRODUCTION
Video games have, for years, been associated with violence. In fact, almost every time a shooting ‘tragedy’ happened, video games would always take the heat - for example, 2012‘s Connecticut shooting was blamed on Video Games by the National Rifle Association. People often would start to blame video games for causing violence, with the main correlation being ‘violent people play video games’. But is this true, that video games cause violence, or is it all just people trying to blame it on media? The question of whether video games make players violent is what I set out to answer in this essay.
 
To start off, here is a graph (Source [4]) comparing ‘Murder’s per 100,000’ and ‘Video game spending per capita’. While this dates a year back, the statistics are no doubt very similar.
 

 
These comparisons assume that national game markets are very similar if not the exact same in different countries, with european, american and asian gamers playing the same games. While an assumption, aside from possibly Japan, the video game market is quite global, so it’s a very safe assumption.
 
Now, if there were a correlation between violence and video games, then we would expect the more money spent on video games, the more violence there would be. However, if that were the case, then the graph (Source [4]) should look a bit like this.


 
As we can see, that obviously is not the case. With just 10 points of data on the graph, its in no way a perfect comparison, but with the United States having such a high violence count (and if we ignore the fact that of all the countries in the graph, they are the only country that doesn’t ban or heavily restrict guns is the US) the data would then suggest a slight downward shift in violence compared to video games.


 
From this, we’ve learned that based on international data, there isn’t a correlation between video games and violence at all. In fact, countries that spend more money on video games are also some of the safest countries in the world, (probably because they are developed and stable countries, not because they have video games) apart from the US, whose rate of gun-related murders are still much higher than the rest of the world.

Further evidence that supports the theory that video games don’t actually correlate to violence is shown by comparing game console releases with crime history. Using the US as an example, as many prominent game consoles have been released there, and the US has the worlds largest crime rate and video game market. 


 


As you can tell from the units sold, the past decade has had a massive spike in video game console sales compared to previous years - From less than 10 million units sold to over 100 million units sold. If there was a correlation between video games and violence, then the influence of so many sales in the past few years should have increased violence as well. However, the past decade also has the lowest crime rates since the 1970s - which is when video games started to become prominent - but sales were still less.
 
The only correlation apparent here, if there is one, is that the more console sales, the lesser the crime. Which would then mean that video games act converse to this theory of making players violent - instead, it would make players less violent than they were! Of course, that most probably isn’t the truth; safety has simply gone up.
 
However, if you do argue that these sales are only in consoles, and it doesn’t change how many ‘violent’ games are sold alongside, think again. This September’s GTA V, known notoriously as a ‘violent’ game where players step into the shoes of criminals, achieved a record breaking revenue of 1 billion dollars within 3 days. If you want a comparison, movies such as The Avengers and James Cameron’s Avatar managed to achieve 1 billion dollars revenue in 3 weeks.
 
And who held the record before GTA V? Why, 2012’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, yet another ‘violent’ game. 


 
So this kind of tells us that a crime drop in recent years has occurred the same time as the video game industry soaring to new heights. Correlation between violence and video games? Seems much more inverted than proportional. 

However, from a scientific point of view (Source: [1 and 6]), this isn’t the found truth. In a french psychology experiment early 2012, seventy french university students participated in an experiment to test aggression. To do so, they split the students into two groups. One group of 35 students would play violent video games consisting of Condemned 2 (A psychological horror game), Call of Duty 4 (A first-person shooter game), and The Club (A third person shooter). Another group of 35 students would play non-violent video games such as SBK Superbike (A racing game), Dirt 2 (A rally racing game) and Pure (An off-road racing game). 

After each gaming session, the students were asked to write an ending to randomized stories. For example, in one of the stories, a driver crashes his car into the main character’s car, causing a bunch of damage, and the main character approaches the driver’s car. Students would have to fill in what happened afterwards.
 
Then, each student had to compete in a game where they had to react to visual cues faster than an opponent of the same gender. The loser would have to suffer from a noise blast that sounded like a combination of nails on chalkboards, dentist drills and ambulance sirens. The winners were allowed to determine the intensity and duration of the noise blast that their opponent would have to suffer through.
 
The results - conducted by Ohio State University professor Brad Bushman - were conclusive, the researchers said. The students who played the violent games were more likely in writing violent endings to the stories and select more unpleasant noise blasts that were played on a longer period of time. Violent video games, Bushman and his colleagues concluded on, have a direct effect on aggression. 
 
Still, aggression and violence are two different things - while violence could be due to aggression, not all aggression could be violence. And while there has been studies that prove the theory that video games lead to aggression, there is still no direct link between video games and criminal violence.
 
Of course, there’s the argument that only violent video games can make you violent. Puzzle games, racing games, etc. all exist and are video games as well.
 
Interviewing some people who DON’T play video games reveal their thoughts that while certain games and genre’s (For example, one of the games used as an example many times is Candy Crush, a simple tile matching game where players try to get 3 same colored candies in a vertical or horizontal row) don’t cause violence, other games, such as shooters and hack-and-slash games, do.
 
On the other hand, many gamers disagree. (Source: 343industries.org forums) While there is a possibility of bias, there’s also the fact that millions of players log on daily to play these games that are said to cause violence, yet these millions don’t go around committing these violent crimes daily. As one gamer says, “Playing football on my playstation didn’t mean I could play football in real life, nor did it make me want to. Similarly, playing a shooter game didn’t mean I could shoot others in real life, nor did it make me want to.”
 
Some gamers emphasized upon the point that many of these so-called shootings where the shooter usually has a mental illness or brain disease already. 2012’s Adam Lanza was reported to be autistic, and diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome. These gamers hold the belief that it is these mentally unstable people who shouldn’t be playing video games, due to possibly not being able to differentiate from right and wrong.
 

CONCLUSION 
In the end, I have found multiple points for both sides of the argument as to whether or not video games make players violent, each of the points with substantial evidence.
 
Evidence that supports that video games don’t make players violent include the comparison between crime rates and video game sales, as well as video game spending per capita and crime rates in different countries. By comparing them, we see that there is no trend at all between rise of video game sales and rise of violence, and if anything, there is an inverse trend. Further, when I interviewed many gamers (Who have confirmed to play violent games such as Call of Duty) all of them have said that they don’t ever feel ‘violent’ due to playing video games, and pointed out that many of the people who have been shown to be violent (Especially those in controversial events such as Adam Lanza of the 2012 December Connecticut shooting, during which video games have been blamed for the cause of their violence) have also had recorded mental problems, and as such it is most probably due to their mental issues that they ended up committing their violent crimes.
 
Evidence that supports that video games do make players violent involved a scientific investigation into the subject that I found, that had been performed early in 2012, during which scientists let students play ‘violent’ and ‘non-violent’ games, and compared the students’ reactions and actions. They found that the violent video games caused an increase in aggression in the students, compared to those who hadn’t played the violent games. However, this didn’t necessarily cause them to become ‘violent’.
 
Throughout my research, I have continuously found that many of the articles relating to this subject conclude that there has never been conclusive evidence that video games do cause violence, which is what I conclude as well. While video games can cause aggression, there is no proof that video games themselves have a direct link to violence.
 

 

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY
 
Works Cited/Used
 
[1] Amini, Tina. "25 Video Game Violence Studies, Summarized." 25 Video Game Violence Studies, Summarized. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 June 2013. <kotaku.com/5976781/25-video-game-violence-studies-summarized>.
 
[2] Carey, Benedict. "Studying the Effects of Playing Violent Video Games - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 June 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/science/studying-the-effects-of-playing-violent-video-games.html?_r=0>.
 
[3] English, Cameron. "The Health Benefits of Call of Duty and Mario: Video Games Make Society A Better Place." The Health Benefits of Call of Duty and Mario: Video Games Make Society A Better Place. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 June 2013. <http://www.policymic.com/articles/4416/the-health-benefits-of-call-of-duty-and-mario-video-games-make-society-a-better-place>.
 
[4] Fisher, Max. "Ten-country comparison suggests there’s little or no link between video games and gun murders."Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 June 2013. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/12/17/ten-country-comparison-suggests-theres-little-or-no-link-between-video-games-and-gun-murders/>.
 
[5] Layton, Julia. "HowStuffWorks "Do violent video games lead to real violence?"."HowStuffWorks "Electronics". N.p., n.d. Web. 6 June 2013. <http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/video-game-violence.htm>.
 
[6] Schreier, Jason. "Do Video Games Make You Violent? An In-Depth Look At Everything We Know Today - TechSpot."TechSpot - Technology News, Reviews and Analysis. N.p., 18 Jan. 2013. Web. 6 June 2013. <http://www.techspot.com/article/629-do-video-games-make-you-violent/>.
 
[7] Wang, Kai-Ping, and M.D.. "Video Games and Kids: Why they love them, and what parents can do to minimize the risks | AboutOurKids.org." About Our Kids | AboutOurKids.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 June 2013. <http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/video_games_kids>

[BeckoningZebra1]

Good job JL. Very well done, I think your arguments were strong and (if I didn't already think video games weren't violent) you would have definitely given me food for thought. Again, good job!

[Great Mist 40]

Nice..... now post to all sites so we shall all know..... Plus I think it could get featured..... Maybe. Anyways great job :y:

 

(I wish I could write like this for my school

[Vaulting♥Frog]

It definitely is an interesting read, if a bit short for my tastes. I definitely think it was a smart idea to keep the option of it possibly connecting to violence open at the end.

 

Personally I feel that video games CAN contribute towards violence, however it is only a very minor contribution and only with in a select group. Many people are just fine with it and that is a great thing, but those who are too young to understand video game concepts and have poor parenting have a chance of being affected in such a manor.

 

Still, as I said, it was an interesting read.

[ShockGazm]

Well, FIFA 14 makes me shout at my TV and so does COD Ghosts. Nothing like going outside and throwing knives at people, haha. I only get a bit frustrated, but when I do I just go on LoveFilm and chill for a bit.

[Snipe MD]

No jimmy...Video games don't make you violent, crazy Justin Beiber hallucinations make you violent...    

[Caboose The Ace]

Do playing games make you a psychopath cold blooded killer ?

 

No they do not and even if they do the stuff you can see on TV is 100 times worst so if anything TV is the problem and anyone who does play games and becomes a psychopath was already in a terrible mental state to begin with.

[Akali]

Do playing games make you a psychopath cold blooded killer ?

 

No they do not and even if they do the stuff you can see on TV is 100 times worst so if anything TV is the problem and anyone who does play games and becomes a psychopath was already in a terrible mental state to begin with.

i agree even though most games are violent they should look at the positives instead of violence because some youtube vids and a lot of movies hold a ton of violence but some people who are depressed and a lot of people play games because of depression and i know i did start playing games because of it

[Pbrabbit]

Great Project. To me, I hope you received an A Plus on this project. Keeping the argument at the end open with out a Yes or No answer leaves the reader to make the decision themselves and is not given an answer by the writing. I really like it a lot. Again, good job.

[AnimeAddict]

Video Games do not make us violent 

 

LAG DOES!

[Azaxx]

In my opinion;

You're either born with natural violent tendencies or you're not. Growing up in an aggressive household can create artificial violent tendencies or build upon the natural ones. Games only reveal the tendencies people were born and/or brought up with, it doesn't create it.

[Snipe MD]

i agree even though most games are violent they should look at the positives instead of violence because some youtube vids and a lot of movies hold a ton of violence but some people who are depressed and a lot of people play games because of depression and i know i did start playing games because of it

 

In all honesty, I don't believe video games to be "Violent", in that sense of the word, It's the things people do with and make from video games that is violent. like, you could just kill a grunt in halo 3, but some people like destroying it's backpack THEN killing it; the violence level is just a determinant of the individual.

[Unease Peanut]

Nice work! 

 

 

I don't think video games make you violent. It's not like I think after playing GTA "let's go out and steal a car and murder everyone"

They just use video games to blame it on something.

A good reason for the high kill rate in the US is mainly due to the fact that just about everyone can buy a firearm not because of video games. 

[AnimeAddict]

Nice work! 

 

 

I don't think video games make you violent. It's not like I think after playing GTA "let's go out and steal a car and murder everyone"

They just use video games to blame it on something.

A good reason for the high kill rate in the US is mainly due to the fact that just about everyone can buy a firearm not because of video games. 

thats defintely true but its also parents faults a little bit cause if they raise their kid(s) up with the mindset of that fact that  "Im not allowed to do that" more then likely it will dumb down the number of cases  im not saying its a solve all solution but it would help 

either that or keep them away from Violent Video games untill they are old enough to understand they arent suppose to do some of the things that games like GTA or Mafia  show them doing. Did anyone ever notice that the ESRB rating system has kind of gotten thrown out the window now?

[Jack Of Harts]

They don't make us violent. Wars happened WAY before video games were even invented, there's no way that video games can make us violent. I think if anything, it makes us less violent, because we can shoot things and blow everything up on the games, but it's only a piece of software so we're causing no harm at all, if any of that made sense. Hopefully you guys understand what I'm saying. People say that "Video games are making kids violent" - If that's even remotely true, that would be due to bad parenting. There are family settings on the consoles, so if people don't want their kids playing these games, set parental locks on "M" rated games! I played video games all my life, and I am FAR from a violent person.

[UncookedMoa]

Very well written article you have here! Interesting to read. Sure, it was just for a school course, but you should be getting paid for this.

It presents many excellent points. It's so good, that I'll be looking at this whenever someone argues that video games cause violence.

[Helix Amell]

I suppose in some cases yes and some cases no because there's a  difference between someone who is mentally healthy who knows that he is aware of his actions whereas someone who has violent tendancies may not. Also ask yourself this what would you blame? The man with the gun or the gun itself?

[ShockGazm]

Just jumping back to this topic to be more serious. I don't think video games cause violence, if anything it helps decrease it. If you have a stressful day at work, video games can help relieve stress. Of course, it's not everyone's cup of tea. Ultimately it depends of that persons mind-set. I want to talk about something else, rather than what I just mentioned.

 

I heard a story on the internet about a parent who let his young boy (Aged around 8-15, can't remember) play any game he wanted, typical spoiled child. Regarding the game, specifically it was Call of Duty, the boy was naughty this one day, he demanded to be allowed to play his video games and the mother simply said no. The boy later during the night or early morning went into his mothers room and stabbed her to death. Now, what causes this? Video Games? Wrong, it has nothing to do with video games, this issue results to how that young boy lived his life and how he was parented. But, that's simply not the issues either, as human beings we are one with our mind, we control our thought process and ultimately make decisions by our selves.

 

Now, I can't say how accurate this story is, but it has definitely happened before, and it's not the first time and I don't doubt it wont be the last time. Only that person is to blame, not video games. Whatever the news says that results in the flaming of video games, is completely biased and clearly have no understanding in human nature.

Edited March 1, 2014 by ShockGazm

[Mr Biggles]

I don't believe games CAUSE violence at all.

Its the person's mindset and if they are mentally ill, if they are and play violent games and do something, its more the persons fault. not the Game.

[Vinyl Scratch]

Well everyone thought that cracking your knuckles gave you arthritis, but not anymore, just takes time for people to conduct more research on the matter. I think people just don't want to accept blame or personal responsibility.