“The Columbine shooters were influenced by violent video games, which may have played a role in their decision to brutally murder fellow students!” Society tends to oversimplify and unfairly place blame on individuals in unfamiliar situations. Psychologists have extensively explored the impact of video games on young minds since their emergence. Despite ongoing debates and numerous studies, society has not yet reached a definitive conclusion.
When studying the influence of video games on children’s mental growth, researchers need to adopt an impartial viewpoint and consider various factors. In my inquiry, I explored personal experiences, assessed studies that presented different viewpoints, analyzed America’s fascination with violence from an external standpoint, and examined the reasoning behind the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) to obtain a comprehensive comprehension of this matter.
The research indicates a potential connection between violent video games and aggressive behavior in children, especially during puberty when testosterone levels are elevated. Other factors associated with a inclination towards violence also contribute to this association. Notably, age does not appear to be a significant factor in the discussion on violent tendencies, despite the fact that most violent video games target older individuals. To fully understand why people exhibit violent behavior, it is crucial to analyze these inclinations separately from the impact of violent media.
To understand the violent tendencies associated with video games, we have to first examine the rating system implemented to regulate content based on the appropriate audience. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) has been defining age suitability in video games since 1994. Through their ratings, which span from EC (early childhood) to AO (adults only), the ESRB establishes legal guidelines for video game age restrictions, accompanied by explicit justifications for their decisions.
The text explains that the evaluation of video games often involves considerations of references, violence, language, and gore. It mentions that the severity of these aspects can vary from mild to extreme, and from childish to adult. The study conducted by marketing and advertising professors Karen Becker-Olsen and Patricia Norberg aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the ESRB rating scale and its perception among different age groups. The study involved participants from middle school, high school, college, and parents. Each group was asked to watch advertisements for four popular games, corresponding to their respective ratings, and provide their own rating feedback.
The study examined the groups’ ratings in comparison to the actual rating of the games. The groups’ ratings did not often match the ESRB rating and almost always rated each game lower than the suggested scale. The only group that deviated from this trend was the parents, who generally rated games more harshly than suggested. Surprisingly, the middle school group gave the games the most lenient ratings (Becker-Olsen and Norberg 87-88).
When evaluating these findings, three inquiries arise: are children nowadays excessively desensitized to violence; do advertisements depict accurate representations of the media to target the right audience, and what impact does this misdirected attention have on today’s young people?
According to Paul Adachi and Teena Willoughby, who have written numerous articles on the subject, violent video games do not cause violence in young people. However, they argue that certain competitive games can lead to short-term increases in aggressive behavior.
Adachi and Willoughby have observed discrepancies in previous studies in three main ways. Firstly, no study has yet compared a competitive, difficult, and fast-paced violent video game directly with a nonviolent one. As a result, it remains uncertain whether the violent content itself is solely responsible for increased aggression levels.
Secondly, previous experimental researches have typically employed an aggression measure which may also encompass competitiveness. These findings have raised doubts regarding the connection between violent video games and aggression or competitiveness. Furthermore, the impact of video game competition on aggressive behavior remains unexplored (Adachi and Willoughby 259).
The text affirms that violence is not a contributing factor to the violent behaviors in young boys and girls in America. There is a lack of substantial proof establishing a direct link between video games and violent tendencies. Adachi and Willoughby, on the other hand, associate competitive games with a primary connection to aggressive inclinations and exposure. As someone who truly enjoys sports games that revolve around competition, I completely agree with this viewpoint.
In previous experiences, I have tended to have more outbursts while playing FIFA or Madden compared to Call of Duty. Existing studies on this correlation are almost rendered irrelevant when considering Anderson and Bushman’s General Aggression Model (GAM) from 2002.
Craig A. Anderson and Brad J. Bushman aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the reasons behind the rising occurrence of violent actions in American society in 2002. They observed a surge in violent activities following the infamous events at Columbine High School and the attacks on September 11, 2001, but were unable to comprehend the underlying factors driving these actions.
Anderson and Bushman’s investigation focused on understanding the mechanisms and reasons behind the translation of violent media into real-world behavior, rather than simply establishing a correlation. They conducted a series of studies and subsequently formulated the General Aggression Model (GAM). The GAM recognizes various factors that contribute to the development of violent tendencies in individuals: “The model illustrates a cyclical relationship between an individual and their environment, where personal traits like hostility and situational factors like exposure to real-world or media violence (e.g. violent video games) interact to shape an individual’s current internal state.”
According to Anderson and Bushman (1680), an individual’s internal state consists of cognition, affect, and arousal. Cognition refers to aggressive scripts or hostile thoughts, affect relates to anger and frustration, and arousal includes elevated heart rate or blood pressure. These three elements are hypothesized to interact and ultimately impact an individual’s aggressive behavior.
Despite primarily using video games as its main example for explaining the cause of violent tendencies, the General Aggression Model (GAM) can be applied to various aspects of life to examine situations involving aggressive behavior. For instance, if the GAM were to analyze the factors preceding the actions of Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, it would yield similar conclusions ultimately.
One example often used by critics to argue against the idea of video game violence is the Columbine Shooting, which took place on April 20, 1999. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris carried out a planned attack at their high school, resulting in the deaths of twelve fellow students and one teacher. The media quickly pointed fingers at video games for influencing their violent behavior. However, what was not reported in the news was that both Klebold and Harris had been bullied for many years leading up to the incident.
Brooks Brown, who has been close friends with Klebold since second grade, states that both of them were targeted due to their “different” qualities. They often faced physical attacks and ridicule for their lack of athleticism and small physiques.
What was the difference that caused Klebold to reach a breaking point while Brown avoided it? Did Brown not participate in video games? No. Brown explains that he and Klebold both enjoyed computers and video games and played them together frequently. The factor that prevented Brown from turning violent was having a mentor. Brooks Brown discovered a teacher who unknowingly saved his life until after the tragic massacre.
According to Cook (181-182), Mr. Critser, Brown’s senior philosophy teacher, displayed an uncommon interest in him, unlike any other faculty member who ignored his pleas for help. This anecdote highlights the presence of underlying factors that can cause a propensity for violence and the potential to prevent a violent outburst.
How does age influence the inclination towards violence? As children age, their cognitive functions evolve and they become more aware of external influences and the processes unfolding around them. Additionally, they undergo chemical changes throughout childhood, puberty, and beyond. In boys, the significant alteration is in testosterone levels.
Both genders experience physical and cognitive changes caused by testosterone. However, males have significantly higher levels of testosterone during puberty and into adulthood. One cognitive effect of testosterone is an increase in natural aggression tendencies and thought processes.
According to an article in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, a study conducted by faculty members from Texas A&M University found that violent video games do not have significant short- or long-term effects on children’s academic and social behavior. The authors, including Christopher Ferguson, unintentionally support this claim. The study involved 333 children with an average age of 12.5 and focused on their exposure to violent media, specifically violent video games. The researchers concluded that playing these games does not have any major effects. Additionally, the study highlights how an individual’s behavior and performance can be influenced by their level of testosterone without explicitly mentioning it (Ferguson et. al. 112-115).
Does the physical progression of puberty and the increased levels of testosterone in a matured body truly result in more aggressive tendencies? Jih-Hsuan Lin from the National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan aimed to find answers to this question.
In a study by Lin, 169 college-age males played both a violent video game and a nonviolent one. After each game, Lin assessed the participants for aggressive traits. The findings of the study indicate that violent gameplay led to a brief period of aggressive behavior as well as physiological signs of aggression, such as activation of the sympathetic nervous system, high blood pressure, and underlying tension.
The duration of aggressive behavior in the game is determined by the extent of exposure to violent scenarios (Lin 688-691). The crucial difference between Ferguson and Lin’s studies lies in the age and physical maturity of their test subjects. This suggests that changes in physical maturity may have a causal role in the ongoing argument.
As a 23-year-old male, I have firsthand knowledge of violent video games. Back in 1999 when I was eight years old, I got my first game console and spent hours playing different games on my Nintendo 64. Some of these games, like Banjo Kazooie, Super Smash Brothers, Goldeneye, and The Legend of Zelda were considered violent back then. However, playing these games didn’t often make me act violently afterwards. If there were instances where I showed aggression, it was usually during imaginative play such as “Cops and Robbers.”
After a decade and a half, I continue to indulge in videogames of various genres, embracing both violent and nonviolent ones. During this time, I have observed two distinct aspects: my intense competitiveness when it comes to sports games and my complete lack of desire to replicate the actions portrayed in my beloved games in real life.
The relatability of my experiences and thought processes in playing video games to most people my age is evident. This can be attributed to the fact that if this were not the case, there would be a noticeable increase in the frequency of newsworthy violent incidents on a daily basis.
When analyzing the causes of aggressive behavior, it is crucial to recognize that violence arises from a mix of different factors. While it is possible for people who engage in violent video games to display violent actions, it would be oversimplistic and careless to solely blame these games as the only cause for a tendency towards violence.
It is suggested that the influence of video games on violence is affected by age and levels of testosterone during physical development. Instead of hastily assuming causes for aggression, it is recommended to thoroughly analyze the situation using the General Aggressiveness Model, taking into account all relevant factors. Therefore, you are encouraged to freely enjoy playing your game!
