World War V

World War V

The popularity of violent video games all over the world has grown tremendously over the years. The reason for this popularity is the sheer number of people playing them. Not only is the number vast, but it encompasses a wide range of ages playing the games as well. Two of the most popular violent games out right now are Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto V.

According to VG24/7.net, the Call of Duty “Community” is comprised of 100 million people! And according to IGN.com on the day of its release Grand Theft Auto V made 800 million dollars which is about 13,333,333 copies and now that the game has been out for a couple weeks that number has grown. As you can see the online communities of these two games are very expansive. 

This brings us to the issue at hand which is: Is video game violence actually causing violent behavior in people who play them, or are violent video games innocent, and just a scapegoat?

They do cause violence:

There are a lot of people who would say that violent video games do cause violent behaviors in people the number one source being the media.  In fact the Palo Alto Medical Foundation says that there are three reasons as to why violent video games cause violent behaviors:

1. “First, video game play is active whereas watching TV is passive. People learn better when they are actively involved. Suppose you wanted to learn how to fly an airplane. What would be the best method to use: read a book, watch a TV program, or use a video game flight simulator?”

2.“Second, players of violent video games are more likely to identify with a violent character. If the game is a first person shooter, players have the same visual perspective as the killer. If the game is third person, the player controls the actions of the violent character from a more distant visual perspective. In a violent TV program, viewers might or might not identify with a violent character. People are more likely to behave aggressively themselves when they identify with a violent character.”

3.“Third, violent games directly reward violent behavior, such as by awarding points or by allowing players to advance to the next game level. In some games, players are rewarded through verbal praise, such as hearing the words "Nice shot!" after killing an enemy. It is well known that rewarding behavior increases its frequency. (Would you go to work tomorrow if your boss said you would no longer be paid?) In TV programs, reward is not directly tied to the viewer's behavior.”

At The Ohio State University, researchers are studying the effects of violent video games on a person's behavior in order to see how true these allegations are. So far, he says, "the results clearly showed that playing a violent video game increases aggressive behavior, and also makes people numb to the pain and suffering of others. There is a link between exposure to violent media and violent criminal behavior. We can't do experimental studies. It's just a correlation. Correlation doesn't imply causation, but they're related."

The lack of experimental proof is what deflates this argument. But the studies being conducted around the world look to prove the arguments validity. According to the International Human Press, “Over 130 studies have been conducted on over 130,000 participants around the world. These studies show that violent video games increase aggressive thoughts, angry feelings, physiological arousal (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure), and aggressive behavior.” But still, this may not prove definitively enough that it was the video games that caused these things to occur.

This all leads to the point that these violent video games are affecting the people who play them and are causing violent behaviors. Maybe it is in combination with certain personality types or with stress but they are definitely causing something. Jim Meyer of Common Sense Media said "No one is suggesting that violent video games are the only reason they went out and committed those horrific acts, but was it a tipping point? Was it something that pushed them over the edge? Was it a factor in that? Perhaps. That's a really big deal.”

They don’t cause violence:

The main argument against the idea of video games causing violence is that there is no concrete proof that it does.

Two scientists, Christopher Ferguson and Carol Olsen, from Texas A&M University conducted a study to see if kids were affected by the playing of violent video games. “The researchers found no association between the playing of violent video games and subsequent increased delinquent criminality or bullying in children.” Also “their findings are in line with those of a recent Secret Service report in which the occurrence of more general forms of youth violence were linked with aggressiveness and stress rather than with video game violence.”  

With some of the recent shootings that have occurred, people may be taking these games a bit too seriously. 

Cheryl Olson of Harvard Medical School 
says "One of the problems in this field is that people confuse aggression and violence. Some research will call sort of a competitiveness-type aggression as equivalent to violence in the real world. There is absolutely no evidence that any video game or violent movie for that matter has ever caused a real-world violent act."

This leads to the problem which is the media. They are creating all the “hype” around video game violence making people think it’s a problem. Video games are just a form of fiction. The DailyCaller says that “Fiction has always glamorized violence and brutality and moral decay, and it always will. And there will always be people who want to decide for you whether or not you can handle it.” With all the violent things displayed in the media, they need something to blame for violent behavior.

The media has been trying to pin the mass shootings that have place over the years on video games. Forbes reports that “Aaron Alexis, Navy yard shooter, Eric Harris, Columbine High School, and Dylan Klebold, the Virginia Tech shooter, the Arizona shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, that Norway shooter, Anders Behring, I think he shot 77 people. The Aurora shooter, James Holmes, the Sandy Hook shooter, Adam Lanza, they’re all described as essentially being addicted to video games.” The media has tried to pin these acts on video games instead of the fact that this group had mental deficiencies. 

What Can We Draw From This?

In conclusion, violent video games seem to play a major role in a lot of peoples lives. Will playing these games ever violently manifest in a person? After seeing both sides it definitely seems possible that someone could demonstrate violent tendencies after playing these games, however on a very small scale and most likely won't become a mass murderer.