Skip to main content

Pres. Obama, Republican and Democrat senators back new study into the effects of violent video games on children

Image used with permission by copyright holder

As promised, President Barack Obama is pushing forward with legislation to tackle gun violence in the United States in the wake of the Dec. 14 massacre in Newtown. Included in these efforts is a plan to fund new studies into how violent media, and particular video games, effect the development of children. Senate Bill 134, the Violent Content Research Act of 2013, was introduced by Senator Jar Rockefeller (D-WV) on Thursday and the bill is already garnering bipartisan support in the Senate.

Recommended Videos

“The reality is we are living in an increasingly violent culture which, when coupled with mental illness, can create a very dangerous situation,” said Nevada Republican Senator Dean Heller, “This bill is a step in the right direction towards better understanding the effects of violence on children, and I look forward to the recommendations that result from this report.”

The proposed National Academy of Sciences study will try to determine if violent video games and movies have a “direct and long-lasting impact” on children, and whether that violent media encourages aggressive behavior.

Sen. Rockefeller first proposed the study less than a week after the Newtown shootings. While the Senator’s initiative to study the effects of violent media on people is an appropriate response in the wake of myriad shootings in the United States, particularly after the Colorado shooting during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises, his other proposals calling for the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission to curb violent media is more concerning.

“At times like this, we need to take a comprehensive look at all the ways we can keep our kids safe,” said Rockefeller in December, “I have long expressed concern about the impact of the violent content our kids see and interact with every day. Recent court decisions demonstrate that some people still do not get it. They believe that violent video games are no more dangerous to young minds than classic literature or Saturday morning cartoons. Parents, pediatricians, and psychologists know better.”

It will be interesting to see if the NAS’ findings differ significantly from the 2010 study conducted by Dr. Christopher J. Fergusson and Dr. Stephanie M. Rueda, “The Hitman study: Violent video game exposure effects on aggressive behavior, hostile feelings, and depression.

“[They] took a sample of 103 young adults and had them solve a ‘frustration task.’ Separating the participants into four groups, the researches [sic] had one group play no video game, one play a non-violent video game, one play as good guys in a violent game, and one play as bad guys in a violent game,” the study claimed.

“They found that the games had no impact on aggressive behavior whatsoever, and that the group which played no game at all was the most aggressive after the task, whereas the group that played the violent games were the least hostile and depressed.”

It should be noted that Dr. Fergusson and Dr. Rueda studied the effects on young adults, not young children. Young children though, can’t purchase violent video games of their own accord. The ESRB ratings system is in place to prevent just that.

Anthony John Agnello
Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…
What is Wordle and how do you learn to play it?
Woman playing Wordle on her smartphone.

If you've seen those green squares flooding your social media feed or keep hearing your friends and family talk about keeping their Wordle streaks alive, you're probably curious what this game is that has the world hooked. Wordle hit the mainstream in 2022 and has since become part of most people's daily routine. What makes it so addictive is how challenging it can be to solve a puzzle, which makes it important to know the best Wordle starting words or to check out some Wordle answers and hints for any given day's game. Wordle isn't as complicated as Connections, Strands, NYT Crossword, or the Mini Crossword, but it is a little tricky if you've never played it before. I'll go over all the rules and information you need to become a Wordle pro in no time.

What is Wordle?

Read more
I wasn’t a fan of Mario Kart World’s free roam mode until I changed my perspective
Daisy rides a jetski in Mario Kart World.

Long before Mario Kart World was announced, I theorized what Nintendo's next spin on the franchise would be. Mario Kart 8 introduced anti-gravity, and Mario Kart 7 brought us hang gliders, so I was curious what angles were left to explore that would keep the core kart racing experience intact. As we know now, that turned out to be one giant interconnected map that players are free to explore with no boundaries or time limits.

As interesting as that idea was on paper, I remained a little skeptical due to the lack of details Nintendo gave about what exactly I would be doing in this world. The last trailers showed off a few challenges and collectibles, but I wasn't convinced that was enough to justify the new open-world design. My first week with the game only reinforced that feeling. However, I realized my own expectations were at fault -- not the game -- and have come to appreciate Mario Kart World's world for what it is.

Read more
3 new PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (June 20-22)
A crew in FBC: Firebreak.

More and more I am finding myself getting more excited for the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium game announcements than the Essential ones. It always varies, but months like this are some of my favorites. We are getting treated to a day one release, a ton of sleeper hits that didn't get enough attention, and one influential PS2 classic that is great to have available as a PS5 game. Today also just so happens to be the first day of summer, so what better time than now to close the curtains, crank up the AC, and play some great games courtesy of PS Plus? This is my hand-picked selection of PlayStation Plus games you need to play this weekend.

FBC: Firebreak

Read more