An update on the effects of playing violent video games

An update on the effects of playing violent video games
Craig A.Anderson

I thought that the comparison in the study of the correlation between violent video games and aggressive behavior to condom use and HIV risk, passive smoke and lung cancer, and calcium intake on bone mass made a very strong statement. It is common knowledge of the dangers of the later correlations, but society as a whole has not yet accepted that violent video games have a strong impact on the likelihood of aggressive behavior in an individual. Violent video games are not considered to be a health risk, but that does not mean that they can not help create an unhealthy individual.

The reality is that many children, adolescents, and adults are playing video game for many hours a week. If their games of choice include those that include and promote large amounts of violence, then their leisure time activities consist primarily of exposure to violence and violent activities. If parents monitor what their children are playing and limit their ability to play violent games, maybe the effects of the games would not be so great. Right now, there is enough evidence to conclude that violent and aggressive behavior can be linked to playing violent video games, and parents need to accept that fact and do something about it.