Over the past several decades, video gaming has become one of the most, if not the most popular form of entertainment for teenagers in America and several other countries. Video game genres can vary from the casual puzzle/ problem solver variety to a fast paced first-person shooter types. Like many other forms of entertainment media, video gaming has received a great deal of scrutiny. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), the entity that rates video games (e.g., C, E, T, M and A), claims that in 2010 the average gamer spent an astonishing 8 hours a day playing video games. (ESRB, 2010) Violent games (such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto) have received the brunt of the criticism. Many people believe that violent video games cause teens to develop an aggressive and eventually violent attitude, even claiming that they are responsible for multiple recent school shootings. Due to concern over the increasing popularity of video games and their effect on the behavior of teens, a myriad of research has been conducted recently to determine if there is a correlation between violent video games and teens committing violent crimes. Several studies have corroborated the correlation between the two, resulting in many countries quickly banning or restricting access to these games in an effort to fight violent crime. (Note, the State of California’s ban on the sale of violent video games to purchasers under age 18 was thrown out in 2011 as a violation on the First Amendment rights of minors by the Supreme Court of the United States) (Brown, 2011). However, people who are looking for an explanation for a perceived increase in violence are looking at the issue from the wrong direction and mistaking correlation for causation. Although, violent video games desensitize teenagers to violence and cause them to lack empathy, they does not cause them to become aggressive or violent in and of themselves. Instead, the brutality of violent games tend to attract teenagers who already have an aggressive tendency due to some sort of mental illness or an abusive family environment. These previously aggressive teens spending their 8 hours per day gaming, become desensitized to violence and lack the empathy that would normally prevent them from committing acts of brutality or violence, increasing the potential for them to become violent criminals. Combative teenagers are often spending many hours each day gaming. Several teens who have been convicted of mass murder or other violent crimes are know to be devoted gamers, mostly playing violent video games. One of the first and most infamous school shootings by a teenager was at Columbine High School in 1999 where Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 12 students and 1 teacher before committing suicide. They were reported to be devoted gamers of several first-person shooter games including Doom, Wolfenstein, and Duke Nukem. This initiated the controversy over whether the video games caused the violent behavior. More recently in 2012, Adam Lanza, another such gamer who turned violent, shot 20 young children and six adults in Sandy Hook Elementary School. According to officials, Lanza spent several hours each day playing video games on the computer. However, Lanza also suffered from Asperger’s which may have contributed to this episode of violence (Drinka, 2015). Teenagers who have shown previous aggressive behavior may also show some signs of mental illness like Lanza or be subjected to an abusive home environment. Another individual, Anders Breivik, who was charged with committing a
…show more content…
Sociopaths and others with antisocial personality disorder are characterized by their lack of empathy toward others, but are not necessarily known for acts of violence. “[S]ome people with antisocial personality disorder can be violent, but most are not.” (Feature, 2014) Similarly, simply having a more aggressive attitude by itself does not necessarily mean that person will act out in a violent manner. However, combining these traits --the desensitization towards violence and lack of empathy caused by gaming with an already aggressive attitude or mental illness -- can lead to an increased likelihood of violent acts. This would explain why teens who play violent video games are not necessarily violent, but violent teens who are associated with violence tend to be steadfast
Sociopaths and others with antisocial personality disorder are characterized by their lack of empathy toward others, but are not necessarily known for acts of violence. “[S]ome people with antisocial personality disorder can be violent, but most are not.” (Feature, 2014) Similarly, simply having a more aggressive attitude by itself does not necessarily mean that person will act out in a violent manner. However, combining these traits --the desensitization towards violence and lack of empathy caused by gaming with an already aggressive attitude or mental illness -- can lead to an increased likelihood of violent acts. This would explain why teens who play violent video games are not necessarily violent, but violent teens who are associated with violence tend to be steadfast