Do you think that violent games lead to aggression?

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Nope, stress causes aggression. This can be brought about by many things. Games "tend" to de-stress you; though certain games *cough*blueshells*cough* are more likely to bring about aggression.

Thing is...most of the game aggression is used up on the game or its controllers. Rarely, if ever, have we seen someone play a game and then immediately take it out on someone, unless it's that person stressing them out while they are playing the game.

This would happen with any form of social interaction. Games will make you tenser than normal, if it's an action game, and possibly more likely to react badly to extraneous stress, but no more so than any other form of competitive activity.

Quick quiz:
Someone shoots you in a cheap way when you KNOW you had a bead on him first. What is your immediate reaction?
a) Swear
b) Ragequit
c) Go after him again
d) Pound the desk
e) Punch someone.

I'm almost sure that those options are in order of people choosing them. E - I'd be amazed if anyone did that; and would probably point to an underlying problem with aggression far more than what the game did to you.

Why do people believe this? Because games show violence and people wrongly assume that violence breeds violence.
Why do they believe that? Because they want to stop violence happening?
Why do they want to stop it? Because domestic violence is a bad thing.
Why games though? Games are an easy target. Pinpointing the actual target is far harder.
Best way to handle it? If all the scientific studies that prove it's not related can't help, then we have to pinpoint the target ourselves and let people know.

Surveys have shown that 1/6 of the world's population are gamers; if this was 1% true, then we'd have nearly 600 million cases of violence a day. As bad as the world can be, there's never been a single act of violence to match that - even with some of the most terrible disasters.

Even if we take all the uncorroborated reports of games causing violence (Columbine etc.) that's still maybe a billionth of those playing games that are affected. Road rage, alcohol, religion, law, and medicine would be overjoyed to have statistics that low.

 

[Kortney]

Certainly. Songs, movies and books have led people to aggression - why can't video games?

I do believe that those they lead to aggression are predisposed to it and aren't exactly mentally healthy however.

 

[Dark Knifer]

Not against a person, no. You might ragequit and punch a wall but I doubt that would lead to violence against a human being. I punch walls when I'm angry at games sometime but I'm not aggressive at all in real life.

 

[Tibike77]

Recent studies have shown correlations between violent games and increased aggression in children and young adults.
Does that sound possible?

EVEN IF IT WAS TRUE, just remember... correlation does NOT imply causation.
In this particular case, I find it even difficult to believe an actual statistically significant correlation was found between playing violent video games and long-term permanent increased aggression levels, let alone begin to consider the notion that there might be a causal link between those two things in the direction implied by your statement (a causal link in the reverse direction, now that MIGHT be believable).

If anything, other studies tend to show that playing violent video games acts as a stress relief valve, delaying or even suppressing the expression in real life of the natural violent tendencies inherent in the individual.
Yes, humans are naturally violent. Just like any other omnivore or carnivore animal on Earth. It's kind of a prerequisite for survival, embedded in our genetic code.
Just look at very young children, those that have not been exposed to any "violent media" at all, then just dare tell me the little hellions are not naturally violent (then I'd have to send you for an eye exam, because you're probably legally blind).

 

[ilspooner]

Nope. I play violent games, and I think its made me less aggresive. They halp me let off steam.

 

[Exile714]

I'm going to have to make a strong "maybe" answer. It doesn't make me more violent. It doesn't make the majority of people more violent. Since video games have become mainstream, youth violence has actually decreased. Coincidence? Probably.

I think there is a likelihood that videogames make mentally unstable persons more prone to violence, but then again I'm not a social scientist.

And before you go quoting social scientists and their "research" you should read this excellent academic paper on the topic of social scientists and video game violence studies.

http://www.tamiu.edu/~CFERGUSON/skeptinq.pdf

Basically, the article says that many social scientists have done poor work trying to prove the hypothesis that violence in video games leads to aggression. Some ignore their own data, some ignore data from other sources, and some make up reasons after the fact why their data does not conform to the hypothesis.

It's an excellent resource because it leads you to other sources, but critiques them in a particularly cutting way. If you're at all knowledgeable about the scientific process, data evaluation or simply logical argumentation, then this is an essential resource for your paper.

The game community needs you to write a convincing paper. Every mind changed is another tool taken away from the other side. If you slack off and turn in a poorly written paper, we will be disappointed in you.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

Violent Videogames don't cause aggression.

They cause frustration. Frustration then leads to aggression.

 

[Leemaster777]

In a sense, yes. However, no more so than, say, violent TV shows or violent movies. Or even certain sports (like hockey and american football).

EDIT:

Violent Videogames don't cause aggression.

They cause frustration. Frustration then leads to aggression.

Also, this.

 

[Ladette]

Video games are no more likely to cause aggression than:
rock music
movies
porn
goatse
rap music
apple products
microsoft
steve jobs
al pachino
etc.

You can twist studies to show whatever you want. In 10 years I expect video games to be in the same place as movies when it comes to controversy.

 

[Just_A_Glitch]

I think that there is some correlation between violent video games/tv shows/movies/etc. I think that it can raise aggression levels in people and cause them to act out.

However, I think it is merely a catalyst for aggression, and doesn't necessarily breed anger. If media violence leads to any outward displays of aggression, then I think it is safe to assume that something was wrong with the person beforehand, and that the media cannot really be blamed for its involvement. Plenty of people play violent video games, watch violent tv shows and movies and come out fine.

 

[scw55]

Violent Video games causes violent by nature and badly parented/parented by parents who cannot cope/really ignorant and naive children to be violent.

I do belive video games can make children violent, in the same way which a book, a tv programme, a film, swimming, breathing, existing can make them violent.

 

[DelphiSantano]

Violent Videogames don't cause aggression.

They cause frustration. Frustration then leads to aggression.

This.
They don't directly cause aggression, although they can be a contributing factor of the contributing factors of aggression.

 

[Dan Steele]

Its not the game,but the enviroment the child is raised in

 

[SilentCom]

I don't think videos are the sole cause or even a leading cause to aggression. There may be some correlation, as previous posters have stated, however it is also possible that aggressive people play violent video games to alleviate their aggression.
I'll use myself as an example. I play violent, gory video games and yet I am somewhat of a pacifist who would only resort to violence if I had no other choice. Sometimes I became irritated due to frustration in video games but it has never made me physically aggressive.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Recent studies have shown correlations between violent games and increased aggression in children and young adults.

Does that sound possible?

Yes, and other recent studies debunk it. Its basically just the two sides going back and forth saying they're right without just flipping the finger and shouting "fuck you, you're wrong." (which honestly would probably get a lot more done then what they're doing now).

I dontk now, I think it depends on the person. "violent" videogames rely on getting your heart rate up and plucking at those emotions. Its like how action movies make you feel pumped up, love movies make you feel warm and fuzzy, and sad movies make you feel... well, sad. If you as a person are psychologically strong enough to look at the game, say thats not real, and can control your anger issues (cause thats one thing that studies like to leave out, whether the person had an anger problem, or any outside forces on the person) then it doesnt.

 

[Macabre9037]

Yes. Violent video games, movies, television and the like have been proven to increase aggressive behavior in children and young adults, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that supports this. That doesn't mean that all people who play violent video games are angry and aggressive but it does mean that they are more likely to be than someone who is not exposed to violent media.

 

[Ravnican]

Video games, like movies or books, are not to be held responsible if you are weak minded enough to try and recreate the violence within them.

 

[Psycho Cat Industries]

-snip-

 

[Psycho Cat Industries]

Exposing people to it is better then just hiding it away like a bleeding gouge wound.If it is to be that video games make you violent,that is more to the individual then to their psychological reasoning.I have never met a single person who plays Fallout to be violent.The only violent people are the pack followers like those that hamper around Call of Duty like it is god's ice cream truck or the like.Games change nothing on this aspect and whoever started up this problem obviously wanted to stir trouble,either for distraction as politics ever so love to do or as a troll to whom we all owe a great hatred for foolish ignorance and an unending attack by those of the media who either are too morally offended by what they claim or those who wish to gain power by endorsing such false claims.

Violence is an action and a teacher.
You can learn violence but it is the personnel's choice whether to enact it and frankly,the only way to not learn violence is to live in a hospital where all is provided and die without ever seeing anything.People love to blame their problems on others.That's how we roll and it is not going to stop.The ESRB and any other game rating system only endorses the antagonist of it's representer.Start your own organization to judge games and do nothing but defend and you have comic books,but what's the point?The blame will continue and no one can stop it.

Games don't cause violence,we do.
Just look at the news for Christ's sake.

 

[Lugi]

Violence is everywhere around us, it's the way we are "humans".
If you hide videogames, then you better turn off the tv, shut down movie theaters, and even stay at home and don't leave your house.
If someone gets violent because of videogames, it wasn't the videogames that made that person violent, he was violent already.