More than 91 percent of American kids play video games, and more than 90 percent of those video games contain violence. But does this violence that kids are exposed to affect their everyday behavior? What are the pros and cons of kids playing violent video games? Should kids even be able to play video games filled with blood and horror?

A lot of people believe that kids should not be allowed to have access to any sort of violent video games. An international study showed that the 17,000 kids studied over seven years who were playing violent video games led to increased physical aggression over time.

People also have been saying that video games could correlate to the amount of school shootings like the Parkland shooting. However, when studied closely by the United States Secret Service, it was found that only 12% of the studied attackers (or 5 out of 41) expressed an interest in violent video games. That’s even lower than the national average of kids even playing. After a link was found between playing video games and violence stated above, hundreds of psychologists, media scholars, and criminologists jumped in to argue about the conclusion they had come to. Some even argue that playing violent video games can improve instead of damage. Professors at the University of Buffalo state that playing first person shooter games can improve vision and attention. However, kids playing the first person shooter games often felt more guilt than those playing non-violent video games. Villanova University also concluded with their own study that there was a negative correlation between on screen violence and real world violence. Violent video game use has increased nearly nearly eight times in 20 years while the violence rate among American teenagers decreased 30%.

Video games have caused a huge concern for the generation growing up. Studies were split in half on the results, as well as the people studying them. It is unsure who is right and who is wrong. Many wonder if there should be gun laws or video game restrictions. But as shown, video games do not have a core link with violence. What do you think?

“Can Video Games Cause Violence?” Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, n.d. Web.

Conditt, Jessica. “For the People in the Back: Video Games Don’t Cause Violence.” Engadget. N.p., 08 Mar. 2018. Web.

“New Research Underscores Video Games Do Not Lead to Real-World Violence.” The Entertainment Software Association. N.p., n.d. Web.