Video games have become as much a part of the American routine as drinking morning coffee or taking your daily commute. Whether it’s experiencing a compelling story-driven adventure, liberating automaton strongholds in space or socializing with friends on a virtual island, gaming has evolved to offer something for just about anyone. According to the Pew Research Center, over 60% of all U.S. citizens and 85% of teenagers aged 13 to 17 game somewhat regularly. Amid the plethora of games played, some categories are scrutinized more than others.
One such group is “violent games,” categorized by the National Institute of Health (NIH) as games where users intentionally kill or harm other characters. While some believe they provide an outlet for strategizing and enabling higher levels of cognition through improved memory and reasoning, others think that they contribute to real-life aggressive behavior, especially among youth.
According to research conducted by psychology professors Brad Bushman and Rowell Huesmann, and annotated by the Youth Violence Prevention Center (YVPC), there is an accepted connection between violent video games and increased aggression. Even with that said, the solution to behavioral dilemmas does not lie in eliminating video games, according to Oxford University.
On the contrary, the American Psychological Association (APA) concluded that video games, especially violent first-person shooter games, can strengthen players’ cognitive, spatial navigation and overall coordination. The APA correlated these psychological benefits with improved problem-solving skills for youth observed in the study.
Upper School Wellness Counselor Stefie Dominguez feels that the amount of time spent online and the type of game played are important factors to consider when evaluating violent video games’ effects. “The longer you play [a video game] and the more violent it is, the risk goes up that it will affect you negatively,” Dominguez said.
Computer Science teacher Douglas Kiang, who also teaches Principles of Game Design, believes that players should understand that the gore of a game does not actually attract users. “It’s not the blood that makes [violent games] interesting, it’s the act of winning,” Kiang said. Junior Jacob Wang believes that playing violent games can be an effective way for students to detox after stressful days. “I think as a teenager, it’s probably not best to play too much of one game. But, it can be fun sometimes, you know, to just jam and [fight] some enemies,” Wang said.
Dominguez recommends that students be mindful of the types of games they play and how long they interact with them. “I think that most things in life are not necessarily bad, in moderation. You should have the agency to know what works for you and do that,” Dominguez said.
Kiang affirmed the importance of finding games that are fun to play, rather than titles that unnecessarily use gore. “A lot of the violence and the blood and the violence is just window dressing, because if a game sucks, it doesn’t matter how much blood and guts are in it, it’s still not going to be a fun game to play.”
