In response to concerns about mass shootings, American society is increasingly attributing blame to violent video games. As a result, Wal-Mart, a well-known retailer, has chosen to remove violent video games from their shelves after mass shootings occur. However, they continue selling guns without any limitations. Nevertheless, it has been proven that the direct association between video games and mass shootings is not entirely accurate. Although there is a connection between the two, merely having correlation does not imply causation. Christopher Ferguson's research specifically explores the potential impact of exposure to violent video games on school campus homicides.
Contrary to initial beliefs, the Virginia Tech massacre in April 2007, where 32 students and professors lost their lives, was not influenced by violent video games. Research conducted by Ferguson and Christopher on various mass shootings indicates that there is no significant connectio
...n between exposure to violent video games and involvement in school shooting incidents. Claims suggesting otherwise either lack supporting evidence or fail to acknowledge the differences in methodology and construction of existing video game studies. Additionally, Jeanne Funk's report highlights that exposure to violence in video games is linked to decreased empathy. This suggests that while video games may diminish understanding of wrongdoing, they generally do not lead to extreme acts like mass shootings.
Funk's research did not find substantial evidence supporting the connection between video games and mass shootings, indicating a need for additional investigation. The common belief that video games manipulate players' minds contributes to the perception that they are responsible for mass shootings. Nicholas Carnagey examines the psychological consequences of violent video games, revealing an escalation in aggressive thoughts and feelings of anger. However
the report recognizes alterations in mental state without any exploration into how violent video games affect physiological desensitization. This absence of study questions the notion that these games provoke extreme real-life behaviors.
According to the data, individuals who played violent video games experienced a decrease in their heart rate when watching a 10-minute clip of real-life violence. This suggests that they became less sensitive to violence on a physiological level. Barrie Gunter also argues that playing video games does lead to increased aggression, although this type of aggression is different from natural forms of aggression. Gunter emphasizes that while video games may raise levels of aggression, this aggression doesn't translate into actual violent behavior in real life. Therefore, despite the potential for violent video games to provoke aggression, there isn't enough evidence to link them directly to mass shootings.
Research conducted by Ferguson indicated that participants were divided into two groups and engaged in either violent or nonviolent video games. The results showed that aggression levels increased among both males and females, with males demonstrating higher levels of aggression. However, there were no significant differences in aggression levels observed among individual participants. In a separate study, Ferguson examined the relationship between trait aggression, criminal behavior, and exposure to family violence. The findings revealed that individuals with trait aggression had a higher likelihood of engaging in violent crimes, while exposure to violent video games did not have a notable impact on this behavior.
Exposure to family violence has a greater impact on individuals' likelihood of engaging in violent crime compared to playing violent video games. It is important to note that there is no evidence supporting the unfounded claim
that video games are responsible for mass shootings in our country. While violent video games can increase aggression levels, they do not necessarily result in the commission of violent crimes. The majority of mass shootings have little or no connection to the influence of violent video games. Experts, including Ferguson, suggest that direct experiences with violence, such as family violence, play a more significant role in driving individuals towards extreme behavior.
Furthermore, there is no strong evidence that shows causation, although there is correlation between the two.
