Dive into the link between video games and violence, separating fact from fiction. Explore gaming's impact on mental health and well-being. Join Meri Sehat for informed discussions on this topic

Videogames And Violence: What Does Science Say?

Let’s talk about it; so that you are not frustrated to a point where the virtual reality of the video games makes it seem too easy to get away with violence. Let’s talk about it so that you are not like that 8-year-old kid in Louisiana who shot Marie Smothers, an 87-year-old caregiver, under the influence of aggressive games.

Introduction

Let&rsquo;s talk about it before you turn out to be like Adam Lanza who carried out a shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in which 26 people died just because he was reportedly obsessed with violent video games.<a href="#accordion">[1]</a>

Kids these days, even teenagers, have different issues than ones faced by this demographic in the past. These issues may seem impossible to solve and hard to discuss with their parents, who also lead very busy lives; forcing kids and teenagers to escape their problems via the virtual world. Call it a parenting mistake or marketing gimmick, this is the &lsquo;safe haven&rsquo; for children now, the one place where they find refuge from the real world. 
&nbsp;

According to a study, currently 72% of the children, who are 8 years old and under, use a device for some type of activity, including playing games, watching videos, or using certain apps. These statistics are a drastic jump from the 38% noted back in 2011<a href="#accordion">[5]</a>.&nbsp;

It is horrifying because studies have reported that children who are exposed to violent media, such as movies or games, might not only become immune to violence, but also imitate the violent features and exhibit aggressive behavior. Furthermore, children or even adults who struggle with emotional, behavioral, and learning difficulties are easily affected by it. 
&nbsp;

Understanding the Link Between Videogames and Violence

Video games are not only for juvies anymore; playing them has become a fairly popular leisure activity for all ages.This has made the video gaming industry a multibillion-dollar industry that accumulates more money compared to even movies.&nbsp;

Studies show that girls are inclined to spend more than 1 hour a day playing video games, whereas boys spend more than 2 hours of their day gaming. Quite understandably, teens spend much more time playing video games than younger children. This is because the teenagers connect to the storyline at a much more emotional level, a tactic the multibillion-dollar industry uses. A dedicated team makes sure that the video games under development are extremely sophisticated and realistic, hence blurring the line between the actual and virtual world.&nbsp;

Gaming is now being globalized, too, as some games require connectivity to the internet for allowing the young ones to connect with strangers from around the world. The risk lies in the fact that the person behind the screen can be anyone and involved in anything; those people can manipulate, harass, and force the na&iuml;ve minds to do anything they want. In other words, this kind of exposure without any kind of monitoring is actually dangerous. 
&nbsp;

Earlier, games were aimed to promote educational content, however, the most popular games nowadays are emphasizing and promoting negative content, which includes:

<ul>
	<li>Harming people and animals</li>
	<li>Abuse of drugs and alcohol</li>
	<li>Criminal behavior</li>
	<li>Sexual exploitation</li>
	<li>Racial, sexual, and gender offenses 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

A genre of gaming that has become widely popular over this time in the younger generation is the &ldquo;first-person shooter&rdquo; (FPS) genre. Such games enable the user to essentially live the action and the adrenaline rush by being placed behind the lens of a weapon, and passing through multiple levels of the game, harming the targeted characters. The entirety of these games is based upon guns and enemies, and how to eliminate them

Some of the popular FPS games include titles such as Project IGI Tom Clancy&rsquo;s The Division 2 and Rainbow Six Siege, Call of Duty: Black Ops IV, and Grand Theft Auto V. Not only is the game itself instilling violence in the mind of the innocent ones, but the accessibility and addictiveness of the activity compels them to be involved in such a way that they get aggressive whether they play too much or too little. 
&nbsp;

Two studies were carried out to find the effect of violent video games in particular. The first study evaluated 227 college students on their aggressive behaviors and their recent delinquencies.Combined with their video game routine, researchers found that the participants who played violent video games in junior and high school were more aggressive.The lead author further stated that they had also found that the amount of time participants spent on playing video games was directly proportional with lower academic grades in college.

The second study was essentially a comparison between playing violent and non-violent games. A total of 210 college students were enrolled and allowed to play either a violent (Wolfenstein 3D) or a non-violent video game (Myst) and then their thought process was analyzed. It was found that the participants who played the violent genre were punishing the opponent for longer durations in comparison to those students who had played the nonviolent variant. 
&nbsp;

Video games are at the heart of accessible gaming experience. If such activities are instilling violent features in a growing mind, imagine what it would do to the troubled ones.&nbsp;

A fairly popular incident of the &ldquo;Blue Whale Challenge&#39;&#39; is a reasonable depiction of this scenario. A student of Grade XI in India had a 4-year history of disturbed sleep along with consistent low mood, self-esteem issues, and loss of concentration. His father had observed that in the last year, his son had developed irritability and would prefer spending his time in isolation with his mobile phone. The child later described that he was looking for suicide ideas over the internet during this time; he had wanted to end his life since he failed his last examination.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

He was then introduced to the &ldquo;Blue Whale Challenge.&rdquo; According to its creator, a Russian psychologist, if a person thinks they have essentially &ldquo;no value&rdquo;, they should commit suicide as this is what a whale does by stranding itself. The boy had accepted the challenge because now he had a guide to instruct him what to do. He thought that he could finally commit suicide peacefully.&nbsp;

Not only was this game launched, it was promoted and it trended in many areas of the world until it made news that the younger generation were being affected severely. The Indian child had accepted 40 challenges put forward by the game, which were a combination of watching horror movies at odd hours of the morning and cutting his body with sharp objects. While he reported that completion of each challenge gave him a sense of satisfaction, a mental status examination exhibited depressive cognition and suicidal ideation.<a href="#accordion">[6]</a> 
&nbsp;

There is a fair possibility that young adults who show inclination towards mass shooting games might harm themselves and others around them. Young adults with an inclination towards violent video games might also exhibit signs of antisocial personality disorder, also referred to as sociopathy. An antisocial personality disorder may or may not present any symptoms during the teenage years, but it is not usually diagnosed until the person attains 18 years of age. Awareness and timely interventions can help prevent the condition from worsening. 
&nbsp;

The early signs of antisocial personality disorder consist of:

<ul>
	<li>Lack of empathy</li>
	<li>Cruelty towards animals</li>
	<li>A disregard for right and wrong</li>
	<li>Persistent lying for the purpose of exploiting others</li>
	<li>Hostility</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;These tendencies should be addressed as early as possible for treatment to be effective. 
&nbsp;

Conclusion

It is an easy way out to live in virtual reality and test non-existent and imaginary abilities.Strength is not cursing someone based on their caste, color or creed, or being sexually abusive.Strength, most certainly, is not aggressiveness on the basis of heavy artillery and brutality. Rather, strength is staying in the world, present and acutely aware of everything and everyone in the environment. It is accepting that things are not right at the moment but this moment, too, shall pass; there&rsquo;s no need to hide or look for alternate or fantasized reality. Strength is knowing that something is just not right and addressing it. So rather than finding the most insanely close-to-reality gaming experience, let&rsquo;s talk about the reality of your life? 
&nbsp;

Key Points

<ul>
	<li>An 8-year-old kid in Louisiana shot Marie Smothers, an 87-year-old caregiver, under the influence of aggressive games.</li>
	<li>Adam Lanza went on a shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, killing 26 people because he was reportedly obsessed with violent video games.</li>
	<li>According to a study, currently 72% of the children, who are 8 years old and under, use a device for some type of activity, including playing games, watching videos, or using certain apps, which is a jump from 38% in 2011.</li>
	<li>Children or even adults struggling with emotional, behavioral and learning difficulties tend to be affected by violent media.</li>
	<li>Studies show that girls are inclined to spend more than 1 hour a day playing video games, whereas boys spend more than 2 hours of their day gaming.</li>
	<li>The most popular games nowadays are emphasizing and promoting negative content, which includes torture of animals, drugs promotion, and sexual exploitation.</li>
	<li>Some of the popular FPS games include Project IGI, Tom Clancy&rsquo;s The Division 2 and Rainbow Six Siege, Call of Duty: Black Ops IV, and Grand Theft Auto V.</li>
	<li>A study evaluated 227 college students on the basis of their aggressiveness, including their aggressive behaviors and their recent delinquencies. Combined with their video game routine, researchers found that the participants who played violent video games in their junior and high school were more aggressive.</li>
	<li>According to the Blue Whale Challenge&rsquo;s creator, a Russian psychologist, if a person thinks they have essentially &ldquo;no value&rdquo;, they should commit suicide as this is what a whale does by stranding itself.</li>
	<li>An Indian boy who played the Blue Whale Challenge reported that the completion of each challenge gave him a sense of satisfaction, whereas his mental status examination exhibited depressive cognition and suicidal ideation.</li>
	<li>Caution should be exercised when playing video games and it is imperative that the younger impressionable generation is educated on the dangers of virtual reality.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

[1] Russell L. Police: 8-year-old shoots, kills elderly caregiver after playing video game. CNN.

[2] Violent video games can increase aggression. American Psychological Association.

[3] BNI Treatment Centers. Violent video games effects on teens - Bni Treatment Center. BNI Treatment Centers.

[4] Aacap. Video Games and Children: Playing with Violence. Video games and children: Playing with violence.

[5] Nanji A. 75% of American children under 8 have access to a smartphone or tablet. MarketingProfs.

[6] Narayan, R., Das, B., Das, S., & Bhandari, S. S. (2019). The depressed boy who accepted "Blue Whale Challenge". Indian journal of psychiatry, 61(1), 105–106.

Trusted By