Swedish Study Says Videogames Do Not Cause Aggression

[Baresark]

Well, I'm glad it's not only the internet community that now points out the failure of these studies. In order to know, you would have to find kids and test them to make sure they were definitively not violent at all, then have them play violent videogames (something they would probably not want to do anyway) and then retest.

It's really idiotic what they get away with calling a scientific study these days. Is there no respect left for the scientific process?

 

[Baresark]

Finally, a study from an actual socialist country that don't have corrupt suit-monkeys paying it off to make "item X" look bad.

Sadly we aren't socialists anymore. We have a right-wing goverment since 2006 and they have done a good jobb of screwing our country up in a short amount of time.

Sorry, offtopic I know. But I couldn't care less about this. I have never belived that games make people violent and I will never belive it, but it's always fun when our small nation in the periphery gets mentioned.

To be honest, Sweden has been moving away from Socialism since long before 2006, I don't really understand where that number came from to be honest with you. At the height of it's socialist policies the country almost imploded, and that was 1991-ish. There was a massive financial crisis that people from your country seem to forget, and it was the movement away from it that actually ensured you have a country today. It was around that time policies got their first rush of deregulation which has actually made Sweden what it is today, which is considered to be the epitome of social democracy.

 

[Section Crow]

I've always found gaming supposedly causing anger issues weird because my anger problems ended when I was first introduced to a Ps1

anyways, nice to see a news story that's not against gamers from time to time

 

[Loud Hawk]

I can't take you people seriously. If a study says gaming is harmful, you start a fricking "Spanish Inquisition" on science, but as soon as something backs up gaming, then it is "All Hail Science!"...

 

[MrTub]

Finally, a study from an actual socialist country that don't have corrupt suit-monkeys paying it off to make "item X" look bad.

Sadly we aren't socialists anymore. We have a right-wing goverment since 2006 and they have done a good jobb of screwing our country up in a short amount of time.

Sorry, offtopic I know. But I couldn't care less about this. I have never belived that games make people violent and I will never belive it, but it's always fun when our small nation in the periphery gets mentioned.

To be honest, Sweden has been moving away from Socialism since long before 2006, I don't really understand where that number came from to be honest with you. At the height of it's socialist policies the country almost imploded, and that was 1991-ish. There was a massive financial crisis that people from your country seem to forget, and it was the movement away from it that actually ensured you have a country today. It was around that time policies got their first rush of deregulation which has actually made Sweden what it is today, which is considered to be the epitome of social democracy.

Well imo our current right wing have been selling a lot of stuff and after that its quality have been lowered quite a lot.

For an example is our trains, you are lucky if there is not something wrong with them each day.

 

[Mawdern]

There are so many of these I've lost count. But yeah I believe they don't cause aggression. I'm not stealing cars and ramming hookers here.

 

[Snotnarok]

I still don't get where any of these 'video games causes aggression' nonsense comes from, I've never seen someone go into a game happy and come out punching their friend in the face because he couldn't make it to level 3. I just see stressed out, play game, feel better, celebrate.

It's just like those claims against Modern Warfare that 'train your kids how to use guns' I played a few call of duties and I'm positive I cannot reload a gun on visuals alone.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

Does it ever occur to these researchers that the corralation is the other way around? That maybe naturally aggressive people enjoy playing games where you get to be aggressive? Gee that sounds unlikely.

 

[Rule Britannia]

I love sweden now ;D

 

[henrius]

Does anyone know exactly who the "Swedish Media Council" is? Are they a government run organization? Are they in the private sector? Are they reliable?

I'm currently writing a paper and this information could be really helpful, though that all depends on whether the Swedish Media Council is trustworthy.

 

[ckam]

Too bad no one will listen to this.

 

[ckam]

This makes the most sense, if any of the other "studies" that said violent video games cause violence were true, the world would be in anarchy by now

Also, that's chaos. Not anarchy.

 

[Something Amyss]

Does it ever occur to these researchers that the corralation is the other way around? That maybe naturally aggressive people enjoy playing games where you get to be aggressive? Gee that sounds unlikely.

It gets brought up frequently in honest studies.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Yay Science!!! None this faux science crap where they try to tell me videogames cause me to become violent now where is the part where it gives me super powers? In all seriousness this is something we mostly already know and unfortunately will be mostly ignored.

 

[MrTub]

Does anyone know exactly who the "Swedish Media Council" is? Are they a government run organization? Are they in the private sector? Are they reliable?

I'm currently writing a paper and this information could be really helpful, though that all depends on whether the Swedish Media Council is trustworthy.

It's a government run organization. I hope they are reliable, but honestly I do not know

 

[henrius]

Thanks, I'm currently reading up on their website though it's a bit hard to determine information as Google Translate isn't perfect.

Otherwise this is a very interesting study, seeing that the mission of the Swedish Media Council is to "strengthen children and young people aware media users and protect them from harmful media influences." their lack of a bias is quite comforting, though I haven't read the full report myself.

I think there's no need for government regulation of selling video games (aside from obvious first amendment infringement), though the industry could help raise further awareness of the ESRB, at least in the states.

The Swedish Media Council website can be found here:
http://www.statensmedierad.se/Om-Statens-medierad/

 

[Torrasque]

Thank you Sweden. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some "TOLD YA SO"s to hand out.

 

[sabercrusader]

Well, I remember reading a while back about a study that says games do cause aggression, but in the same way that literally any competition does, like football or basketball. It short too, and isn't harmful. I'm more inclined to agree with that study than any other, but this one does bring up that interesting point that most other studies don't, what if it's cause by an outside factor and they just use games to escape it.

 

[Joey245]

You mean, kids who play violent videogames might ALREADY have aggressive tendencies due to shitty parenting?

"You know how old people always write letters to Dear Abby, complaining that their kids never write, call or visit? Those letters really crack me up."

That's exactly what I've been telling everyone who believes that games are to blame for a while now. Only reason I'm replying is because I caught the Calvin and Hobbes reference.

Seriously, that comic was awesome. +10,000 internet points to you.

OT: If someone truly believes that, after all these studies, all these debates, and all these years that video games truly do cause violence, then they are forever lost. Because with people like this, emotional experiences and feelings will trump logic and reason every. Single. Time.

But as long as at least one person has changed their mind based on this study, then the Swedish have done their job well.

 

[Realitycrash]

Arguing that violent video games lead to real-world violence uses the same logic as arguing that elevated ice cream sales lead to shark attacks.

Wow, you really have no idea how an analogy works, do you?
That's..A really, really poor comparison. Several mediums, when exposed to it, mentally alter your behavior in some subtle way. Point is that it isn't enough to go from violence in videogames = violence in real life, but that doesn't mean that violence in videogames = no change at all. We have age-ratings for a reason, you know.
For your own good, don't make such a logic-leap again, especially not with a flawed comparison like that. You'll probably get pounced on the internet by far ruder people than me (and I have no intent of being rude) in an instance if made at the wrong time, in the wrong place.
Cheers.