Today's video games are very realistic with many young people especially spending significant time playing games with very high levels of violence.
Is this impacting on the way people treat others in reality? Are we becoming desensitised to violence or has it always been a part of games with most people clearly able to distinguish between fiction and reality?
Scientists are looking for links between real life violence and violent video games. However, the research so far is inconclusive.
The New York Times reports that 'Social scientists have been studying and debating the effects of media violence on behavior since the 1950s, and video games in particular since the 1980s. The issue is especially relevant today, because the games are more realistic and bloodier than ever, and because most American boys play them at some point. Girls play at lower rates and are significantly less likely to play violent games.
A burst of new research has begun to clarify what can and cannot be said about the effects of violent gaming. Playing the games can and does stir hostile urges and mildly aggressive behavior in the short term. Moreover, youngsters who develop a gaming habit can become slightly more aggressive — as measured by clashes with peers, for instance — at least over a period of a year or two.
Yet it is not at all clear whether, over longer periods, such a habit increases the likelihood that a person will commit a violent crime, like murder, rape, or assault.' www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/science/studying-the-effects-of-playing-violent-video-games.html
Other studies seem to show no link to increased violence:
'A study, which looked at violent video game use from 1996 to 2011, found there was less youth violence even though games became more violent.
Christopher Ferguson, Associate Professor and Chair of Psychology of Stetson University, compared crime statistics and found video game consumption increased nearly seven times, while a nearly identical drop in youth violence reportedly took place.
Ferguson said, “We should accept that, whether we like violent video games or not, if we are serious about reducing crime, our attention is better focused on other issues such as poverty, mental health care or educational disparities.” http://wreg.com/2014/11/12/study-finds-show-no-connection-between-video-games-violence/
Meanwhile research from a number of US universities suggests that contrary to public opinion,'Video gamers may just be the most moral and compassionate people around -- that is, if a new research study on 'bad' game behavior and its impact on gamers proves true.
The study, conducted by Matthew Grizzard, claims playing violent games may be the catalyst for better social behavior by game lovers.
'We suggest that pro-social behavior also may result when guilt is provoked by virtual behavior,' says Grizzard, a University at Buffalo assistant professor of communication, in a news release on the study. He led the study along with researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Texas, Austin.
'Rather than leading players to become less moral,' Grizzard said, 'this research suggests that violent video-game play may actually lead to increased moral sensitivity. This may, as it does in real life, provoke players to engage in voluntary behavior that benefits others.' http://www.techtimes.com/articles/9954/20140708/violent-video-games-could-making-more-compassionate-moral-human-beings.htm
What do you think? Do violent video games make people more violent in real life?
Image source
It is proposed that violent video games are a significant factor in people being more violent in real life