Vanessa Chambers-Stewart | Contributor
Featured illustration by Jasmine Wiradharma
The iconic sounds of video games can trigger the slightest of memories: the famous Mario coin ding, the announcer enthusiastically saying: “EA Sports. It’s in the game.” The nostalgia brings us to a simpler time. The iconic video games produced in the 1990s and early 2000s were arguably clean, with sanitary games like Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog and Kirby, and if there was any violence in these games, it didn’t mimic real-life brutality. Fast-forward to the new millennium and everything is completely different.
Within the last 10 to 15 years, mainstream video games have undergone a serious transformation. With the latest technology, players are given the ability to challenge themselves and face players around the world, increasing the playing field to span all ages and countries.
A study has shown that 97 per cent of youth between the ages of 12 and 17 play video games. Given that so many video games on the market contain a violent element, chances are that the majority of these youth are playing violent video games.
Psychologists from the American Psychological Association observed that the excessive play of these games may lead to more aggression and lack of empathy towards others. The results from more than 400 studies show a significant link between being exposed to violent media in general and aggressive behaviour, thoughts and feelings.
However, this evidence is inconclusive when compared to other studies. There is research that suggests that some video games can actually serve as a healthy hobby and cure for mental health illnesses such as anxiety and depression.
The report “Understanding the Effects of Violent Video Games on Violent Crime” from Baylor University in Texas claims that gamers are too busy gaming to actually cause violence in the real world. Though new video game releases involve fighting, combat or gore, societal violence doesn’t increase because gamers are too engaged in the game to participate in society.
The report also points out that studies that have linked video games to aggressive behaviour in the past were conducted in laboratory settings where video games were linked to aggressive behaviour, but were not conclusively linked to violence or crime.
Experts remain on the fence as they continue to debate whether video games are hindering or helping to diffuse acts of societal violence.
While increased coverage of tragic events such as acts of terrorism and mass shootings are prevalent in our media, it is important to note that no one element is responsible for such crimes. We cannot simply point the finger at video games as the cause of violent crimes. The decision to play video games is an individual preference, and gamers are expected to separate reality from escapism, fact from fiction and the real world from fantasy.
