Behavioral Effects: Do Violent Video Games Create Violent Kids?

GTA V

In 1971, the public was introduced to the first arcade-style video game cabinet console. At the time, this futuristic-looking arcade console housed an immense amount of electronic components alongside a 13-inch black and white television display monitor. The video games that were typically played and enjoyed by the public during this period of infancy for the console were often simple objective based games, like Pong or Pac-Man. However, as time wore on game developers continued to press into new territories, merging the realm of video games into the world of realism and eventually controversy. And in 1993 with the release of Mortal Kombat, the first realistically life-like video game to incorporate violence, the video game would forever become synonymous with violent behavior in children and teens.

Mortal Kombat

Video game violence has also become a controversial issue constantly in the thoughts of public consciousness due to the rise in tragic events, like school shootings. In each case, from Columbine in 1999 to Sandy Hook in 2012, it seems that each of the shooter's had some connection to violent video games, such as Doom. This seemingly obvious correlation between the people who engage in violent games and these unspeakable acts of violence has brought many politicians and parents to criticize developers for incorporating such violent themes and elements into their games. Thankfully, these acts of extreme violence are not common occurrences, however, a majority of gamer play violent video games. So, is it fair to denounce the violence in video games as being a primary culprit in promoting violence or aggressive behavior among the youth of today? Or do violent video games actually influence certain types of aggressive acts in children and teens?

Although the predominant viewpoint of violent video game being held by a majority of society is resoundingly negative, I don't agree with this assumption being put forth that the violent themes portrayed in video games leads to more aggressive behavior in children or teens. In fact, I don't even believe that the violent content is even the one to blame for promoting aggressive behavior in youth. Instead, I think the aggressive behavior being displayed by avid players of such games stems from a sense of competitiveness. 

Political cartoon exposing the link between violence and video games

In a recent study, they discovered that youth aggression was due more likely to the overall competitive nature of the game, suggesting that acts of aggression being displayed outside of games can be traced back to certain competitive actions that have been largely accepted by society (Adachi & Willoughby). For example, the game Mario Kart is suppose to be a simple racing game, in which features everyone's favorite Nintendo characters from past to present. However, due to the competitive nature of the game, players have grown accustomed to performing acts of aggression, like shooting, smashing, and crashing into other players, in order to "take them out." This sense of aggression emanates from the players developed attitude towards competitive activities, which is: "Win by any means necessary!" When a player is in this competitive state of mind, I believe is when their behavior becomes most altered into a  state of aggression. As their willingness to win takes over any civil instincts to simply play the game without the urge to commit violent acts to feel like their, competitively, the best. 

The Competitive Outlook of Rick Bobby and many Others

In reality, aggressive nature is an innate quality in everyone, whether we choose to actively show it off or not. And there are certain activities, like sports and video games, which tend to transform this innate nature into aggressive behavior. However, I don't believe that exposing players to violent content in video games automatically results in aggressive behavioral issues in every gamer. In fact, studies have revealed that even in this day and age of extreme video game violence, youth violence has decreased cross-nationally, not risen (Ferguson). Instead, the players sense of aggression from their internal competitive nature, which arises more frequently when interacting with exceptionally competitive games. Therefore, I believe society should stop the complete condemnation  of violent content as the only aspect of video games to cause children or teens act out violently, and instead begin to focus on the competitive nature of gamers in general as a primary suspect leading to such behavioral issues in youth. 


References:
A Timeline of Video Game Controversies. (2010, October 31). Retrieved November 13, 2015, from http://ncac.org/resource/a-timeline-of-video-game-controversies/

Ferguson, C.J. (2014). Is Video Game Violence Bad?. Psychologist, 27(5), 324-327.

Adachi P., Willoughby T. Demolishing the Competition: The Longitudinal Link Between Competitive Video Games, Competitive Gambling, and Aggression. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. July 2013; 42(7):1090:1104. Available from: Academic Search Complete