Do Violent Video Games Cause Aggression And Violence?

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Are violent video games responsible for real-life violence? Are children who have grown up playing graphic games more aggressive than their peers? Did violent video games inspire mass killings, usually done by young adults, such as the Newtown massacre? Scientists and psychologists have been studying violent video games and their connection to aggression and violence in the real world for decades. These questions have recently resurfaced after Vice President Joe Biden stated that research should be conducted on violence and violent video games after the recent controversial debate over gun control. Many criminals have admitted that violent video games inspired them. For example, on June 25, 2003, two stepbrothers, Joshua, 14, and William Buckner, 16, fired a rifle at vehicles on …show more content…

Actually, only 1% of boys and 6% of girls don't play video games. Meanwhile, violent video games with “Mature” and “Adult Only” ratings are also being produced, and children as young as 12 are playing them. Many studies show that violent video games are linked to violence. For instance, researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine randomly separated a group of adolescents into two groups. One group had to play a non-violent game, Need for Speed: Underground, for 30 minutes, while the other group played the extremely violent Medal of Honor: Frontline. After taking MRIs of the brains of the adolescents in each group, the researchers found that those who had played Medal of Honor had an increase in emotional arousal and a decline in activity in the areas of the brain that are related to self-control, attention, and inhibition. The same effect did not result in those who had played Need for Speed. The main investigator of the study, Vince Mathews, said “Based on our results, I think parents should be aware of the relationship between violent video-game playing and brain