Video Games: Deadly or Fun

Do violent video games influence teen behavior? If one were to Google the words "Teen Violence" they would find articles, journals, websites, blogs, and publications stating several opinions on the issue at hand. They all come down to two main arguments: those that feel that video games directly correlate to teen violence; and those who oppose the idea that any video game could cause such actions.

Proponents of the idea that video games could directly cause teen violence hold one core belief: video games encourage and or promote teen violence directly, and that inherently violent children are only encouraged further by such intensely violent games. The American Medical Association (AMA), in a statement before a House of Representatives subcommittee in 1994, stated this: "Like violence depicted elsewhere in the media, video game violence has a horrifying potential to coarsen society, promote acts of violence against real victims, and desensitize children to the real thing" (Anderson, et al.). Their report mentioned some preventative measures such as the rating system as well as the "inclusion" of statements warning players of the "real life" effects of killing fellow human beings. The AMA also added the following, "Scenes should be incorporated into games in which the consequences of violent acts are depicted...such as an ambulance rushing the character to a hospital or cemetery, and other characters represent the family and friends of the injured or killed character crying and grieving." (Anderson, et al.) The AMA feels that such definitive "warning labels" could at least educate young teens about the horrors of killing live human beings, and assure them that such behavior is not enjoyable. Another proponent of the idea that media and games cause teen violence is the American Psychological Association (APA). Countering claims that some children are merely "prone to violence", the APA states that, "Violence is learned behavior, and it is often learned in the home or the community from parents, family members, or friends" (Anderson, et al.). It is APA's belief that, in fact, the violence seen on video games can and is learned by those who play them.

The most common argument against video games is that of video games promote violence, killing, crime, sex, and drugs etc. A counter argument commonly used by the video game community is that playing these games does not encourage such abhorrent behavior; playing a "shoot-em-up" game does not cause most people to go out and actually kill. If it did, the effects would be overwhelming by now. Many gamers accuse critics of overreacting and imagining effects. While most gamers do admit that there are occasionally violent or horrifying incidents tied to video games, they maintain that it is an extremely small percentage. While millions of people play video games everyday, only a few hundred people have been affected by violence as a result. Gamers claim that they are being used as a scapegoat for occasional tragedies with no hard evidence to support the accusations