"The video game industry is big business, and with the improvement of Virtual Reality technology, video games will only become more realistic and immersive. Fears abound that they drive their players to commit violent acts. While many people believe the games desensitize kids to violence, others argue that there has been no scientific connection between aggressive behavior and video games. Is immersion in violent video games a bridge to committing real-life acts of violence, demeaning women, and bullying? Or can video games actually help troubled kids, by providing them with a safe outlet for their aggression and a way to work out their frustrations?"--From the publisher's web site.
Content Note
Can playing violent video games alter our behavior? -- Violent video games have harmful effects / Brad J. Bushman -- Violent video games aren't necessarily the cause of aggressive behavior / Michael Kasumovic -- Violent video games are a risk factor for youth violence / Iowa State University News Service -- Playing video games does not cause violence / Matt Terzi -- Playing video games reduces stress / Eddie Makuch -- What is the effect of violent video games on health and development? -- Research shows violent video games reduce emotional reactivity / Craig Anderson -- Violent video games can desensitize young people / Shankar Vedantam -- Cooperative video gaming can increase prosocial behavior / Jeffrey MacCormack -- Playing violent video games increases stress / Yousseff Hasan, Laurent Begue, and Brad J. Bushman -- Playing video games reduces your stress / Ryan Dube -- How violent games are bad for your kids / Laura St. John -- Interpretations of video game studies depend on your agenda / John Walker -- Can violent video games lead to extreme or criminal behavior? -- Video games don't make deadly shooters / Brendan Keogh -- Violent video games: a place for cyberbullying / Jesse Aaron -- Changing video games could stop bullying / Patrick Stafford -- Study finds no impact of violent video games on bullying / Christopher J. Ferguson and Cheryl K. Olson -- We can't ignore the connections between violent video games and criminal activity / Andy Ruddock -- Should the government regulate violent video games? -- More studies, more policies needed for video games / Joyram Chakraborty and Nirali Chakraborty -- Violent video games should be banned / Eric Roberts -- Do we need more video game violence regulation? / Shawn Schuster -- Law banning sales of violent video games to minors overturned by Supreme Court / Derek Green -- Banning violent video games won't eliminate the violence in our culture / Alyssa Rosenberg.