Video games have always been a scapegoat for broader issues. First it was addiction. Then gender portrayal. Censorship. Online harassment. Mental health disorders. Gun control.
And ever since the beginning, the singular issue of violence has remained relevant. The list will continue to grow — there’s no end in sight.
After the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, National Rifle Association President Wayne La Pierre said, “There exists in this country, sadly, a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells and sows violence against its own people.”
He wasn’t talking about guns. He was talking about video games. He was wrong.
The reality is that video games do not cause any kind of violent behavior. There is no scientific evidence and no research testing that leads to this conclusion. It’s simply misinformation. In fact, almost every scientific study has shown video games have a wealth of positive effects that outweigh other forms of entertainment.
Cognitive skills typically come to mind first. Video games not only develop better hand-eye coordination, but also help improve peripheral vision, distraction resistance and attentional skills. And with recent mainstream virtual reality improvements, motor skill improvements are beginning to surface as well.
Stress and anxiety relief is another positive. Christopher Ferguson, a video game researcher and psychologist, conducted a study showing depressive and hostile feelings tend to be drastically reduced, even while playing “violent” games. Additionally, self-esteem levels tend to increase, as leadership roles and successful actions breed positivity, even in a digital environment.
Lastly, and most importantly, is the concept of video games as an educative tool. Of course, a game like Call of Duty doesn’t have a place in the classroom, but many games are built for educational purposes.
Even the latest Assassin’s Creed — a series focused on assassins stabbing people with blades — has found its way into history and architecture classes. The historic locations in this game are so accurate and lifelike that classrooms across the nation are utilizing this video game to better help students understand the time period and architecture.
Max Rothenberg | Argonaut
There’s a stigma that video games breed laziness. Yet, the medium requires more effort and attention than any other form of entertainment. Having complete control over one’s actions requires a more consistent focus and challenges the mind more than a typical television show. Just like any other pastime, moderation is key. Bad habits can surface in any entertainment form, and it’s important to not shift blame to the medium itself.
Addiction is a very real problem, and one often not easily identified. In an increasingly digital age, finding time to turn off the screen becomes more important than ever.
No, a child playing Grand Theft Auto will not begin to associate violence with pleasure. Cognitive brain functions will not decrease.
In January, an extensive University of York study involving more than 3,000 participants found absolutely no evidence to support any kind of link. Whether it be reaction time, realism, or various combat tests, the result was the same. There was nothing to suggest violent tendencies should even be part of the discussion.
Violence can be incited in numerous ways and can be bred through a variety of factors — video games should not even be in the discussion.
Earlier this year, the Entertainment Software Association met with President Donald Trump to discuss this very problem, presenting the notion that while video games are distributed and consumed globally, the U.S. has an “exponentially higher level of gun violence than any other nation.” How can video games be at fault if the problem is U.S. based?
There’s merit to this argument. A 2016 CBS study found Americans are 10 times more likely to be killed by guns than people in other developed countries. Coincidentally, the U.S. has the most firearms per capita in the world.
Gun control is a major cause for concern in the U.S. But, it’s entirely foolish to link shootings or other firearm crimes to firing a gun in Grand Theft Auto.
Ever since 1994, the Entertainment Software Rating Board has assigned age and content ratings to video games. The Federal Trade Commission has cited this rating system as the “strongest self-regulatory organization in the entertainment sector,” beating out even the motion picture content rating system.
Of course there are ways for minors to get ahold of all kinds of adult content, but this becomes an entirely different and unrelated problem.
Only 13 percent of games in 2017 were rated “mature.” Of this percentage, only a narrow percentile could even be considered “violent.” And I would wager absolutely none of these were made to fit an agenda promoting corruption and “violence against its own people.”
Politicians need to be called out on their unsubstantiated, baseless claims. It’s inevitable Trump will continue to blame shootings on Grand Theft Auto instead of the many research-based and psychological problems facing the U.S. And it’s inevitable the NRA will continue to deflect blame.
Perhaps it’s in Trump’s best interest to pick up a controller and play. Who knows? Maybe that’s all it takes.
Max Rothenberg can be reached at [email protected]