AMA study explores video games and violence
I previously vowed to discuss and link to studies on both sides of the games and violence issue, and I’m now making good on it. An AMA report summarizes and has links to resources; I have read a few of these articles. In short, the report finds some apparent causal relationship between consumption of violent games and aggressive behavior immediately afterward.
Given my review, I now concede that some amount (perhaps large, perhaps small) of consumption increases aggressive affect and behavior in the immediate period following play of violent games. As a result, I advise that parents who have children who already exhibit tendencies toward violent behavior, and people who themselves have problems controlling their violent behavior, keep a close eye on how their violent tendencies may increase immediately after consuming violent media (games as well as movies, TV, and so on), and if so, reduce or eliminate consumption of violent media at times of risk.
However, as the AMA says in the report, more study is needed before we take this very far. It is unproven that there is anything more than a short-term effect, and the effect in a lab setting appears quite mild. The effect appears to be of a magnitude not greater than many other real-life factors that can provoke aggressive thought and action, all of which should be kept in check for someone who has violent tendencies. Also, I still see flaws in the studies that once corrected may bear out that even the laboratory effect is in fact negligible. Lastly, there is nothing yet to show that a well-adjusted person who does not have other risk factors for violence would be put “over the edge” by any amount of violent media consumption, so it may well be that for the large part of the population who is not at risk, there is absolutely no causation of any violent behavior.
I maintain that real, long-term, longitudinal study is needed where in a controlled test, individuals are compared in their real-life behavior on many axes, with one group not permitted to consume violent media, and the other group permitted. This will take some time and expense, but if the results might be as pernicious as certain grandstanding legislators and academics make it out to be, surely it will be worthwhile.
I maintain as firmly as ever my stance against legislation which prohibits the production or consumption of violent media. Even if it turns out that the causal effect exists strongly and carries over into real-life violence, I have views in common with the Libertarian view, that personal responsibility is key, and we should not indulge in a nanny state that outlaws everything that might be bad for the self or the society. I have my own limits here as well, and if it were proven that games were truly pernicious and a large effect, then I would support bans by legislation. But as I see it, we are very, very far from proving that.
Also, I maintain that games are a nascent art form and a form of free speech, and to regulate them by law will infringe free speech and squelch important artistic expression. We should not do to this new medium what society previously did to other art forms that we grew to recognize as serious and meritorious– repressions such as were imposed on plays, music, and books at various ignorant periods of history.
Lastly, I repeat that we should be wary of those who promote a knee-jerk reaction to the problems of society and propose simple-minded feel-good solutions to problems whose real solutions will be much more difficult than banning games. Useless but good-feeling actions in response to social violence simply delay and drain impetus for real solutions.
Tags: free-speech, harmful-games, kids, law, Parenting, research, science, television
