For years, scientists have been studying whether violent video games are harmful to teens, but their findings have often contradicted one another. Now, three researchers have analyzed the data from experts who filed briefs in a U.S. Supreme Court case involving violent video games.
The case, Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association, decides whether California can ban the sale or rental of violent video games to kids under 18.
They found that experts who believe violent video games are harmful to teens published more evidence than those who do not believe they are harmful.
"The evidence suggests that those who argue violent video games are harmful have a lot more experience and stronger credentials than those who argue otherwise," said Brad Bushman, co-author of the study and professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University.
The researchers looked at how many articles and books the experts published on media violence and aggression. Bushman said the research “provides strong support for the argument that video game violence is indeed harmful."
I always think about how video games negatively affect gamers. Well, I’ve never known anyone play violent video game then go commit a murder or steal from someone, most people I know are drunk or high when they do those things. 😛
This is total nonsense. Saying violent video game researchers publish more studies is proof of violent video games doing damage is nonsense. Its the same logic used in the studies themselves. It’s all correlation.
Maybe the researchers publish more studies on violent video games because they are more “prestigious.” This article makes no sense. Not to mention that one of the briefs was signed by 80 something world class scientists arguing against causation to which the article suggests.
And the Puritans believed that if an accused woman’s heart weighed more than a feather, it was proof that she was a witch.
Research by the pound is a very poor measure of anything.
Utter bollocks. My friends and I? All played violent video games when we were younger. Not one of has has gone on to become a violent person. NONE of us. You can’t blame violent video games for violence, or ONE of us would be a violent nogoodnik by now, just by the law of averages.
Psychologically, violent video games will affect the lives of the teens. With these games, they have the tendency to follow whatever violent actions they are doing in the games in real life. One example of it is when a teen has an enemy, he can think of all the harsh and violent actions that he has done in a game as a good revenge for his enemy.