Introduction
As one of the most popular types of modern entertainment, video games have been subjected to some controversy since some of them depict extreme violence, raising alarm bells as to whether they entice cruelty in younger generations. However, the views on the issue have split, with the opponents of violent video games bans suggesting that they have the same effect on people as violent movies or books, with the limited evidence available on the connections between violent behaviors and exposure to cruelty in media. Indeed, those who state that video games that exhibit cruelty cause violence refer to outdated sources, failing to consider relevant and up-to-date studies disproving the assumptions. Thus, the logic of statements that violent video games cause cruelty in the population is flawed, and this paper aims to provide credible evidence against the banning of such games.
Research on Video Games and Violence
The video game industry is expanding every year, with new releases coming to the market all the time. It has been estimated that by 2022, the video game industry will reach a revenue of over $230 billion (Warman). Further estimates show that more than half of the modern best-selling video games in the market contain cruelty (Coyne and Stockdale 11). These include Grant Theft Auto, Call of Duty, Battlefield, Cyberpunk, Dying Light, Hitman, and many more (Fruhlinger). Younger generations playing these video games have been blamed for school shootings, increased rates of bullying, and violence against women.
Research Supporting the Adverse Impact of Violent Video Games
Claims have been made that violent video games desensitize their players to violence, offer rewards for simulating violence, or teach that cruelty and aggression are acceptable ways of resolving conflicts. In addition, experimental and longitudinal research has often shown a positive relationship between playing violent video gamers and increased aggressive and lower prosocial behaviors (Anderson et al. 151; Greitemeyer and Mügge 578). Although, the majority of studies pointing to the association between violent video games and cruel behaviors are outdated or have been conducted in a lab setting. This means that aggression exhibited by subjects in the laboratory does not necessarily predict real-world violence or criminal behavior. In addition, publication bias related to violent games research has been reported, suggesting a policy-enticed interest in showing evidence for the association (Coyne and Stockdale 12). The majority of research articles fail to consider the fact that changes in human behavior due to playing video games are nuanced and complicated, requiring variation for subjects’ individual factors, such as social influences, personality, as well as peer and parent relationships.
Research Disproving the Adverse Impact of Violent Video Games
Thus, to study the correlation between the exposure to violent video games and players’ criminal or aggressive behaviors, research must include a person-centered approach, which is rare. All available longitudinal studies on the topic have focused on group-level differences. A person-centered study, as implemented by Coyne and Stockdale, accounts for heterogeneity, making groups among individuals who share similar personal and social characteristics (14). The researchers found a variation in the trajectories of violent video game play, with waves of increased violence coming and going throughout the years (Coyne and Stockdale 15). Some participants were found playing cruel video games to cope with depressive symptoms. However, increased violence due to playing video games occurred in association with external factors that go beyond the mere exposure to images of cruelty.
The search for rational explanations of violence among younger generations is understandable because when people do violent things, it is natural to find out why. Although, the judgments of the direct impact of violent video games are rushed, which is why the suggestions of banning such games have emerged in the first place. As suggested by Ferguson et al., finding out that a person committing cruel crimes plays video games that include violence is “no more illustrative than discovering that he or she happened to wear sneakers or used to watch Sesame Street.” Indeed, using the same flawed logic, one may suggest that watching Sesame Street in childhood contributes to racial bias among adolescents.
Video Games Helping Reduce Violence
Besides, there is evidence showing that the use of particular social networking sites, such as Reddit or Tumblr, or other general messaging boards, was positively associated with the dissemination of hate materials on the Internet. In contrast to expectations, the use of first-person shooter games had the tendency to decrease the likelihood of producing such materials (Costello and Hawdon 1). The findings imply that violent video games are used rather as an outlet for aggression and not as a precursor also supported such implications, findings that the monthly video game sales were associated with concurrent falls in aggravated assaults and did not relate to homicides (Markey et al. 15).
A possible explanation for such a reduction in violence is that playing video games leads to catharsis, a release of aggression in the virtual world rather than in the real one (Markey et al. 15). People who have the tendencies to exhibit aggression and violence are drawn to violent media, and video games that include it align with their innate systems of motivation. When such games as Call of Duty or GTA are released, aggressive individuals are likely to spend time plating them, which removes some criminally inclined persons from the streets and other social venues (Markey et al. 15). Thus, suggestions to ban violent video games do not consider the evidence that playing the games can help individuals release negative emotions, without exhibiting cruelty in real life.
Banning Video Games: The First Amendment Issue
Another problem with banning violent video games is concerned with Constitutional issues. Specifically, in 2011, in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association, the Supreme Court concluded that the First Amendment to the Constitution protected video games. They must be categorized as a form of art that communicates ideas through storytelling and allows players to interact with virtual reality (Patel). Because of this, they should be protected just like any other form of speech or expression. Therefore, it is illustrative that the Supreme Court struck down the California law that banned the sale of violent video games to minors. Such decisions should not be in control of the government that must not have the power to limit the free flow of information to which younger generations may be exposed.
Artistic Value
Besides, the artistic value of video games has been underestimated, with more releases representing highly nuanced art forms within storytelling. For example, the 2018 game, Celeste, dealt with complex themes of depression and self-doubt in a masterful fashion (Ortner). The 2016 Bioshock has explored the complicated political and social issues by envisioning dystopian societies through the lens of socialism and objectivism (Ortner). Cyberpunk 2077 has been praised for its social awareness and the warnings that it gave humanity about its future: “pollution is rampant, crime is rampant, and social and economic inequality is just accepted” (BBC). Such games encourage players to think deeply and imaginatively about the modern world. While it is true that some video games can depict extreme violence that may be intolerable to some or cause mental distress. However, the use of violence in some games correlates with the intention to illustrate larger and deeper themes, while in others, cruelty offers a release of negative emotions, which is sometimes needed. Therefore, video games provide the same variety in artistic expression as the Netflix discovery page.
Conclusion
To conclude, violent video games should not be banned because they are no more effective at inspiring aggression or criminal behaviors than novels or movies that cover the same issues. The relative novelty of video games and their rapid advancement scares some people and causes bias in research. What many proponents of violent video games fail to consider is that they are media for storytelling, and aggression and cruelty are part of the human condition despite their negative implications. Ignoring or censoring negative imagery will only exacerbate the desires of people to experience them, which can potentially lead to increased violence. It is also imperative to consider the findings that violent video games can keep individuals with cruel tendencies preoccupied as they offer an outlet. Thus, until there is a reputable scientific report using a person-centered approach that can prove that violent video games are direct causes of violence, banning such games is not only unconstitutional but also unwise.
Works Cited
Anderson, Craig A, et al. “Violent Video Game Effects on Aggression, Empathy, and Prosocial Behavior in Eastern and Western Countries: A Meta-analytic Review.” Psychological Bulletin, vol. 136, no. 2, 2010, pp. 151-73.
BBC. “Cyberpunk 2077 A ‘Warning’ About the Future.” BBC, 2020, Web.
Costello, Matthew, and James Hawdon. “Who Are the Online Extremists Among Us? Sociodemographic Characteristics, Social Networking, and Online Experiences of Those Who Produce Online Hate Materials.” Violence and Gender, vol. 5, no. 1, 2018, pp. 55-60.
Coyne, Sarah M., and Laura Stockdale. “Growing Up with Grand Theft Auto: A 10-Year Study of Longitudinal Growth of Violent Video Game Play in Adolescents.” Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, vol. 24, no. 1, 2021, pp. 11-16.
Ferguson, Chris, et al. “News Media, Public Education and Public Policy Committee.” The Amplifier Magazine, Web.
Fruhlinger, Joshua. “How Violent Were July’s Best-Selling Video Games? Not Very, According to New Data.” The Business of Business, Web.
Greitemeyer, Tobias, and Dirk O Mügge. “Video Games Do Affect Social Outcomes: A Meta-analytic Review of the Effects of Violent and Prosocial Video Game Play.” Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 40, no. 5, 2014, pp. 578-89.
Markey, Patrick, et al. “Violent Video Games and Real-World Violence: Rhetoric Versus Data.” Psychology of Popular Media Culture, vol. 4, no. 4, 2015, pp. 277-295.
Ortner, Daniel. “Video Game Bans are Unconstitutional, and They Won’t Prevent Violent Crimes.” Pacific Legal Foundation, Web.
Patel, Nilay. “Supreme Court Says Video Games Are Protected Free Speech, California Can’t Regulate Sales of Violent Games: A Complete Analysis.” The Verge, Web.
Warman, Peter. “Newzoo Cuts Global Games Forecast for 2018 to $134.9 Billion; Lower Mobile Growth Partially Offset by Very Strong Growth in Console Segment.” Newzoo, Web.