Do Violent Video Games Cause Real-Life Violence?
Violent video games are a hot topic whenever something extreme occurs, such as a US school shooting. But do they cause violence in the real world?
Pic: Pexels Creative Commons / Lalesh Aldarwish
If these changes are so drastic, why has crime not also increased?
Are there benefits?
Many studies have also agreed that violent video games actually are beneficial as they help users to re-direct any violent urges into the game, which helps to get rid of stress. These games also increase people’s reaction skills as they have to quickly react to the game environment.
With so many benefits you could say that it’s almost a ‘healthy’ past-time.
Are there side effects?
There are, however, some side effects to the prolonged exposure to the violence of video games. After countless hours of playing, people may start to be desensitised by the content they witness in the game, meaning that they feel less guilt or emotional stress when they witness or perform actions like the ones they experience in-game.
So, is there a correlation?
Video games, like many movies, take place in a fictional reality. Researchers have struggled to find correlations between violent video games and real-life violence. Therefore we can not blame fictitious stories and games as the main cause of violence in teenagers.