Study Links Violent Video Games to Violent Thought, Action
Posted March 2nd, 2010 in Articles by Drew Koehler
The original Story can be found here: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/2010/03/study_shows_violent_video_game.html
The age old debate for those of us thumb-calloused nerds. Does exposure to violent video games lead to violence in someones life. My answer? Yes and No.
The answer can’t be a purely black and white, Yes or No, simply because if that were true, every person who ever played a violent video game would have lashed out. But, obviously given this data, we can’t say that is has no effect on the prevalence of violence in someones lives either.
Even beyond scientific studies, observed trends etc. there is something even more indicative that violent video games (or other forms of media for that matter) can have a damaging effect on our lives: Scripture. Scripture does tell us to be careful what we expose ourselves to: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. – Proverbs 4:23 (sadly I can only find one verse on this topic, but I know there are more. Please feel free to add more in the comments section).
Now, playing video games is something that each believer needs to decide for himself/herself whether or not he/she should be playing a certain game, but also in addition to that, let us also be careful how much time we spend on them, as to avoid these games being elevated above God in our hearts and becoming idols. Like any other questionable activity (Violent video games, “over-sexed” media exposure through tv and movies, gambling) with consistent exposure, the “highs” decrease and the threshold and standard increase. This creates an ever increasing “need” for our flesh to be satisfied (I experienced this first-hand with lust and the internet before I was saved. Praise God I am free from that demon!).
So for those of us who do enjoy our violent video games I pose a few questions:
- Do you notice yourself becoming more easily agitated after a gaming session? (Sadly, I do)
- What are you personal “healthy” limits for gaming? (For me, just making sure that my other responsibility are taken care of and that I spend time with Jenn. To be honest, my desire to game lately has been reduced)
- Have you had an experience where you you said to yourself “Whoa, this is too much. I need to address this in my life.” (Yes: WoW…need I say more
) - What other observations or questions do you have regarding this matter?
I pray that we are all able to look at ourselves and habits objectively and that we can enjoy this hobby while still allowing our hearts to belong “solely” (you’ll have to pardon the pun) to Jesus.
God Bless.
-Neil
i wish this study had posted last semester lol… In one of my classes we had to do a debate on a topic we were passionate about and had to take the opposite side. I wasnt too passionate about any of the topics but I did like the Video games and violence in children one so I was asigned that one. This would have helped my research lol.
but yeah you can deffinatley see a difference in people depending on the amount of time they are exposed to the simuli.
I work at a day care (elementry age afterschool care) and the kids knew I played FPS and other video games and would tell me about how they had killed this dude in Halo or something. The only thing I could think of was… “this really isnt an appropriate conversation for me to be having with a 4th grader in a church” (the daycare is at my church).
The same kids were nice when i started working there but after a while, and hearing about the games they played They seemed to get more physical with each other and more agressive. Even just playing 4 square.
I deffinatley feel that the age rating on video games need to be more strictly enforced by parents. I mean a 4th grader playing halo… what is wrong with this picture? I love that there are some kids on this site who cant play MW2 because their parents wont let them play any M rated game. I respect their parent greatly for not giving in to the world around them and letting their children play what they will. Once you see those violent images you can’t erase them from your brain, They are there to stay.
Personally I didnt by my first M rated game until I was 17 and got SOCOM confrontation, my Dad was reluctent but I was 17 and was old enough so I did. The age restrictions on games are there for a reason… Why not follow them?
I had a great conversation with a teacher about this very subject. We both agreed that video games do effect people. It was this line of questioning that really showed me how much video games were effecting my thought life:
Teacher: “How long does it take to play a video game?”
Me: “Depends but a good range would be ten to twenty hours.”
Teacher: “So twenty hours controlling and making decisions for a character. How much time do you think about the game when you aren’t playing it?”
Me: “Again depends on the game. Some I don’t think about and just enjoy. Some, I will admit, I think about a lot. Rehashing story lines, asking myself if I made the right choices, etc.”
Teacher: “So basically you put yourself into the character your playing for twenty hours and you are thinking about the story line even after you play. That’s a lot of time.”
Me: “Yeah it is. I guess I never looked at it like that.”
Also here’s another verse:
“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive.”
1 Corinthians 10.23
I’m always confused by this data. I did a research paper for a sociology class about this very topic. One of the big things I found was an FBI tracking of violent crime. It showed that while there has been a steady rise in crime, with each major violent game release and each console launch, there was a decrease of crime at that time. It returned to normal afterward. Things may have changed some, as I wrote this paper in 2004, but I think we need to look elsewhere for what is causing these issues.
I agree wholeheartedly with the point about age ratings, as the industry enters maturity, there is a tendency toward more mature material…just like in all forms of media. Look at TV. If parents are not enforcing the gaming ratings, are those 4th graders watching “Spartacus”? Are the watching “The Unit”? It may seem that these shows aren’t interesting, but I watched “China Beach” with my parents when I was in 4th grade…only because they let me stay up till 10 with them if I wanted to watch it. (This was 1989 or ’90) Was it appropriate? A lot more that the shows on now. Even the “family-friendly” shows like “Chuck” are overflowing with sex and violence. There is more to the increase in violent crime than games, it is also the looser morals that have entered and are overtaking our society. I do believe that if we guard our childrens’ viewing experience (games and tv as well as radio/music) we will see an improvement.
Just my 2 cents.
Didn’t they prove that link years ago. Around the time of the whole Columbine incident. Here is my take. Violent video games rationalize and glorify the thoughts of a violent person just like porn will rationalize and glorify a sexual deviant thoughts.
Thats why he should all play Tertis
I’m actually doing a research paper on the psychological effects of killing on the human mind. During my research I have found that video games gradually desensitize the human mind to killing. While one might not ever commit an unwarranted violent act, they still find it easier to act violent.
For example, in World War 1&2, only 15 to 20 soldiers out of every 100 soldiers actually fired their weapons at the enemy. It’s not that the others were cowards. Many men were documented as rescuing comrades from enemy fire and exposing themselves to other great dangers, but only 15% to 20% could ever bring themselves to kill a fellow man. When Vietnam came along, the military switched its training tactics. Instead of round targets, they switched to human shaped targets, and the drill instructors often spoke of the enemy as less than human—not because of any racial or ethnic motivation, but because it helped the recruits become disconnected from the fact that they were killing other humans. Not suprisingly, the % of men who were willing to kill other humans went up exponentially. By adding more layers of realism to the mix, video games are able to desensitize the human mind even more efficiently.
Again, one can become desensitized to violence and not be a violent person. I know for a fact that I am desensitized to violence. Granted the only violence I get is from the media, but what used to churn my stomach when I was a child doesn’t bother me anymore. I used to watch old war movies and have nightmares at night. Now I can watch movies like Saving Private Ryan, and Black Hawk Down and have a great night sleep. So I definately agree with Drew. Video games DO have an effect on us, but only a very small percentage of people become violent and murderous as a result. Good post Drew!
I think from a psychological view, it is kind of a “chicken or egg” question. Do people become violent because of violent games, or are more naturally aggressive people drawn to violent games? Personally I don’t see any connection between violent games that I play and by own disposition. I MW2 and L4D2, games that involve lots of shooting and blood, but I would never really consider myself a “violent” person. I admit that I get angry when getting killed in MW2, but I would experience the same anger from getting pwned in a card game. I believe that this is because the “violence” on screen is never really connected with real-world violence, at least in my mind. When I shoot a friend in MW2, I don’t even begin to think that I actually “killed” him, but instead that I just was superior to him (if just for a moment haha). I would get the same feeling of satisfaction from beating him in a race.
However, we still must be careful what we expose ourselves to in video games, as well as other forms of media. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)
Does anyone agree with me? Please feel free to email me if you want to discuss this topic: 123hamturkey321@gmail.com (I know it’s weird but so am I )
Interesting blog because this subject is always more compellingthan it appears.
Love that Phillipians verse. Good points llamamamma.
I have noticed some negatives myself in playing games.
1) Playing too much has caused me to look at lesser activities, like reading the Bible, as being boring. It seems that if I get too stimulated with games then I struggle to do less exciting activities.
2) Spending too much time playing games causes me to take my focus off God and put it on games. I have been trying to set up a time in the morning for quiet time, but late night game playing sabotages my plans.
3) playing games, especially violent ones, causes me to get more agitated and angry. This may also be caused by a lack of time spent with God reading His word and praying.
I personally feel that it is important to look at our priorities and see if anything is competing with our time with God.
1 Corinthians 9:25 – Applies to sports, but can easily be used with video games. I asked myself, what am I working towards? Achievements and trophies? It is not worth it! Strive for a crown which will last!
“When playing this game, did you start to develop violent thoughts?”
“Yes”
“I see. And were you playing on Xbox Live with vulgar 12-year-old racist homophobes?”
“…Yes.”
But why are some of the 12 year old on XBL vulgar racist homophobes? You can’t just pit the blame on other people that are vulgar egomaniacs. I have worked with people like that before. Christians all over the world have to deal with people that behave inappropriately. The problem is in us. As humans, we are by nature fallible, broken beings. I know that playing violent games increases my chances of becoming irritated. I can say this though, while I know that I have become desensitized (to a degree) to the violence around me there are still times when my stomach churns over things that some people would consider “minor”. And as for the WWII info. I don’t know if I could ever bring myself to shoot another human. If someone I cared about was in danger, I probably could if I had to, but without a direct threat, I don’t think so.
Someone mentioned the military and changes in training making it easier to kill other humans. While I agree that it is easier to pull the trigger, that is also very important in combat.
I served for 9 years as a Combat Medic in the Army. During my stint with the 101st Airborne, I was deployed to Iraq for the start of the Iraq war. I saw the horrors of war. While a medic rarely fires his weapon, I did. I was carrying a 9mm pistol, not a rifle, and I had to shot and kill an insurgent that was about 50m from me. If I had hesitated or not shot at all, my brothers, who he was lining up his AK-47 to shoot would have been shot and I would have had multiple patients to treat or corpses to transport, if I was not shot as well.
Many times after telling of that day, people try to spin the subject to if the war is biblically justified, and if you want to have that discussion, send me a PM on the forums, Taril Raalen. The reason I tell this story is not for that reason, it is to show the necessity for young men to be willing to fight and, if necessary, die for each other and to complete a mission. The training we receive allows us to complete our mission, not by killing more, but by killing less.
As far as desensitization to violence, the story above was the only time I killed anyone, but I saw death around me on a regular basis. I told you I served 9 years, the last 3 years were spent undergoing rigorous treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The doctors have linked it to the entire war with the incident above as one of the primary stressors.
I have played violent video games my whole life, and if they desensitized me to violence, I (and over 80% of soldiers returning from combat) would not suffer from PTSD, as the violence would not have been traumatic to me. However, because of my ability to separate fiction from reality, killing in MW2 does not bother me at all, but it took me 5 years to even be able to fire a pistol at the range without flashbacks.
I welcome anyone who would like to discuss this further to send me a PM or start a topic in the lobby in the forums. I would love to share my insights and some of my experiences. There are some things that I am still battling with and will be dealing with long into the future. This has been very difficult for me to write, so it may be a delayed response to allow myself time to defuse, but I look forward to hearing from you.
You are in my prayers Taril and God bless you for serving.
Actually, I have heard on several occasions (mostly on an ign podcast or two) that the studies are pretty in conclusive. One study says they do lead to violence one says they don’t and of course, once those involved publish the results one side or the other touts it as much as possible. This is about a recent study, so just wait till the next one comes out to disprove this one.
Also, most of these studies aren’t about the effects on adults, but on children which has to do with the development of the child. The thing is kids aren’t suppose to play the very violent games anyway, unless their parents buy them the game. Well, that’s my two cents. It’s for each Christian to decide for themselves through pray and truth.
Thanks, Neil. I did it for everyone back home and now I’m moving on to ministry (once I finish with school!)
Paul, you’re right, it’s a developmental question. And one issue I have seen is that most of these studies ignore the parents who answer “My kids play violent games and have had no increase in violent behavior.” The reason for ignoring the results may be valid, as there is no study performed on these kids, but shouldn’t there be? What is different in their lives. Do they go to church? Do they spend active family time regularly? Things like this are what is often ignored as it is becoming “normal” for kids to have little interaction with their parents in their development as parents put less emphasis on their children and more on money and things.
Another thing I would love to see is a study of kids over 20 years. What differences do we see between essentially identical lifestyles except for game choices? Do violent games lead to more violent adults when children are given positive attention and positive family role models? Violent games have been around long enough for this…I was playing Wolfenstein and killing Nazis before I was 10…
I don’t game nearly as much as I used to. Most of the people I game with have had to move out, or move on in life and they have no internet of their own. When I talk to them, they tell me that they miss gaming so much it’s killing them. Honestly… since they have lost their internet, I game less and I don’t miss it honestly. My Xbox anymore is set up specifically for Netflix at this point. However, I do make a point to at least some games over my weekends because frankly, doing only work is not good for the soul. Fun is needed too. As far as the violence perspective… I’m the same person I’ve always been. If anything makes me angry it’s because someone is being stupid and that grinds me. Gaming doesn’t make me angry, aggressive yes but never to the point of being to people outside of gaming. It’s just a game after all.
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