Video games don’t kill people, people kill people

Just like the old argument over guns, the same could possibly be said for video games. Games have always been immensely popular among youth, however the increasingly realistic violence often depicted in them has come under intense scrutiny from the media. Crimes committed by teenagers in the past have been linked to violent video games, however it is fair to say that many people are quick to place blame, without taking into account the numerous other circumstances that would of driven them to commit such terrible crimes.

Games have definitely become more violent over the years. When I was kid, ones like Mario kart and Donkey Kong were enormously popular. Today, it appears that World of Warcraft and Grand Theft Auto are what draws children’s attention. There are undeniably cases where violent games need to be restricted from young children. However, just because a person enjoys playing a violent game every once in a while, this does not mean they would ever consider going out and imitating that behavior in real life. I believe a major part of the appeal of video games lies in the possibility to escape reality, not to live it, similar to the reason why people enjoy watching violent movies. Games offer players a chance to immerse themselves in a different world, engaging in activities not possible in real life. I think that the majority of people are generally intelligent enough to differentiate between reality and what they play in a game. Someone would have to be deeply disturbed to actually go out and commit acts of violence simply because they played World of warcraft.

On the other hand, there have been reported cases where video games allegedly played a part in school shootings. Two teenagers named Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School in 1999, killing 12 students and one teacher, before committing suicide. In a video the killers made before the crime, they mentioned that it would be ‘‘just like playing Doom.’’ Furthermore, games such as ‘Grand Theft Auto’ have also been linked to a number of other violent crimes committed by adolescents. (Porter & Starcevic, 2007)

A psychologist named Craig Anderson conducted a study exploring the effects of violent games on behavior. 227 college students completed a measure of trait aggressiveness and reported their actual aggressive behaviors in the recent past. They also reported their video game playing habits. Results revealed that students who reported playing more violent video games in primary and high school engaged in more aggressive behavior." (Anderson, 2000) these results indicated that video games can increase aggressive behavior, and therefore lead to violence.

Despite all this, I still believe that video games alone cannot possibly be to blame. While they may play a role in influencing acts of violence, numerous other factors need to be taken into consideration. With all the negative attention surrounding certain video games, it is sometimes easy to forget that for the majority of people who play them, games are simply a way to relax, have fun and escape from reality.

references
A. Anderson, Craig (2000) Video Games and Aggressive Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior in the Laboratory and in Life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol. 78, No. 4.

Porter G, Starcevic V (2007) Are violent video games harmful? Australasian Psychiatry Vol. 15, no. 5. p422-426