Argument Essay

Do Video Games Inherently Cause Violence?

Everyone seems to know about video games these days, and whether the game people think of is something like Minecraft or Call of Duty, they cannot deny the increasing popularity of digital gaming. Throughout the last century, video games have become increasingly present in our society and more socially acceptable. Is there a positive correlation between the violence in a digital game and violence in the real world? To answer that question, other aspects of the subject need to be taken into consideration. This exigence is important, and I feel like it can only be solved through human discourse. Some could argue that we have increased terrorism and acts of violence now because of our expanding digitalization compared to years ago. One notable example of violence being tied to video games stems from the Columbine shooting in 1999 (John Gaudiosi). Doom was an extremely popular game in the 90s that both Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold played. It was one of the pioneers in the First-Person Shooter game genre. The game was controversial for its time, mostly due to the violence and gore that players could partake in. The character had various guns that players could kill aliens with. Quickly after the shooting, the perpetrators were connected to violent influences such as Doom. Some held the assumption that the shooters were inspired by the game and wanted to recreate in real-life. Is this true? Does the violent action taken in a video game affect someone’s real-life behavior? Can violent games be the sole cause of terror in real life? I personally believe violence in a virtual world does not automatically equate to violence in the real world. Video games do not directly cause violent acts.

I personally believe that situations such as the Columbine shooting and the Bethel shooting do not provide evidence that video games are the reason behind the shootings. Mental health, current situations, and the person’s environment growing up need to be taken into account regarding motive. When asked why he did the act, Evan Ramsey (the Bethel shooter) claimed, "I honestly believed that if you shoot somebody, that they would get back up, I didn't realize that you shoot somebody, they die." (Jim Avila et. al.) Evan, a sixteen-year-old high schooler, did not understand that when someone is shot, they perish (Lyndee Fletcher). Logically, there is no reason a mentally-sound, matured human would think that. He had an extremely rough childhood, consisting of bouncing from foster home to foster home, and was sexually abused along the way (Rage: A Look at a Teen Killer). He had also suffered from depression and attempted suicide when he was ten. These factors all contribute to his actions at his school. The mixture of mental instability, bullying, and the violence depicted in games can be a trigger for some.

Eric Kain writes about studies specifically conducted to test the link between video games and violence. There have been at least two dozen studies since the 1980s, but he only covers a few. In a 1984 study conducted by the University of Georgia, people who played arcade games were found to have an increase in personal aggression. However, just a year later, a study by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that arcade games had a calming effect and that people would utilize the games to blow off steam (Eric Kain). Alternatively, George Drinka reports that games can desensitize people to the pain others suffer, and cites numerous scientific studies to back up his claim. These studies show that the locus-coeruleus norepinephrine in of the central nervous system is suppressed while playing violent games. This part of the brain is responsible for eliciting empathy in humans, thus showing that violent games can desensitize players (George Drinka). While this could be true, other studies contradict this one, and further studies on the subject should be conducted. It is important to note that people with certain mental illnesses already have a lack of empathy, so playing games might amplify this to a certain extent.

Many people play violent video games, but they do not decide to go shoot up their school or workplace because of the digital violence. However, just because some mentally ill people are negatively affected by these games does not mean they have to be taken away from everyone. The majority should not be punished due to the actions of the minority. Video games can be a relaxing escape for lots of people, and I feel as if it could potentially cause more harm than good to label gamers as violent if they play such games. The violence in games is a way to live out the natural tendencies we have as humans in a safe manner (Torrey Meeks). Charles Herold explains it in a real-world way:

I suggest that those concerned with video game violence attend a boxing match and watch people cheer as a man is hammered to the floor, then watch children sitting on a couch, pushing buttons as animated gladiators die on-screen. Perhaps then people will realize that an animated spear is better than a real fist and they will e-mail me with their gratitude for luring the world away from true violence.

Games encompass many genres, including the casual accessible game that people of all ages enjoy, like the peaceful Minecraft to violent, nitty-gritty games like Call of Duty. A year after the controversial Doom was released, an official rating system was implemented to help consumers make sure the material in the game is suitable for the age and maturity of the gamer. American society has long kept a rating system for movies to help identify the sort of content present in them, so the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) utilizes a similar system for video games. The ESRB rates games from Early Childhood (EC) to Adults Only (AO) so similarly to movies, parents and guardians can identify what experience their child may encounter when playing these games (ESRB Ratings). In many stores, an identification card must be shown or someone at least of the minimum age requirement must be present to buy the game. Most parents would object to buying a 13-year-old a Mature rated game (M 17+). Children and teens might not possess the maturity to separate the game’s material from real life, mirroring the Evan and the Columbine shooters. I feel as if the controversy stems from here. Younger people with undeveloped minds cannot fully grasp violent games and might develop a warped sense of reality. Knowing and enforcing this rating system could help solve some of those issues. Sadly, often times the parent will either be tricked into buying the game or simply not care about the rating. They just use the game as a babysitter so they do not have to deal with their children. This is why they frequent FPS (First Person Shooter) games.

The founder of the world’s first comprehensive video game museum, Keith Feinstein, contributes his thoughts on the phenomenon, saying:

There are worse culprits than video games, and animated films are a great example, if it wasn't made by Pixar, you're hurting an animal for a laugh, or hurting someone for a laugh. There's a general crudeness, a general meanness that creeps into culture, and that has nothing to do with video games. People who were brought up on the Atari, a lot of them have dropped out of video game scene. They don't understand the modern language. They become frightened of what they don't understand. (Torrey Meeks).

A common feature of humans as a whole is that we tend to fear the unknown. People from older generations are usually the ones who hold the thought that violence in games causes real-life violence. Like Feinstein said, they cannot comprehend the newer information and stay ignorant in their own mindset. There is nothing wrong with disliking gratuitous violence in video games, but I feel as if people need to understand the subject before they go as far to use it as a scapegoat for mass shootings.

In summary, I do not agree with those who argue that violence in gaming equates to violent tendencies in the real world. I play plenty of video games almost every day and have not acted out any violent acts I’ve taken part in virtually. Not only this, but I also have mental disorders such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and general anxiety. I am still able to play violent games without feeling the need to recreate the violence. Millions of other gamers are able to refrain from violent acts as well (Eric Kain). I think people need to understand that while games can trigger certain tendencies in people who are already violent, there is no need to use them as a scapegoat every time a shooting takes place. The best way to come to an agreement on this argument is to discuss the violence in games, monitor what games children are playing, and to understand the other factors that can provoke violent tendencies.

Bibliography

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