Full sociological analysis (PDF) is available here.
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As soon as it was released in 1993, a video game called Doom became a target for critics. Not the first, but certainly one of the most popular firstperson shooter games, Doom galvanized fears that such games would teach kids to kill. In the years after its release, Doom helped video gaming grow into a multibillion dollar industry, surpassing Hollywood box-office revenues and further fanning public anxieties.
Then came the school shootings in Paducah, Kentucky; Springfield, Oregon; and Littleton, Colorado. In all three cases, press accounts emphasized that the shooters loved Doom, making it appear that the critics’ predictions about video games were coming true.
But in the ten years following Doom’s release, homicide arrest rates fell by 77 percent among juveniles. School shootings remain extremely rare; even during the 1990s, when fears of school violence were high, students had less than a 7 in 10 million chance of being killed at school. During that time, video games became a major part of many young people’s lives, few of whom will ever become violent, let alone kill. So why is the video game explanation so popular?
[editorial comment removed]
Editor's Note - After contacting ASA, I've edited the title and content of this post to better portray the nature of the material - fitbabits
Last edited by fitbabits; 03-02-2007 at 09:17 AM..
Politicians and other moral crusaders frequently create “folk devils,” individuals or groups defined as evil and immoral. Folk devils allow us to channel our blame and fear, offering a clear course of action to remedy what many believe to be a growing problem. Video games, those who play them, and those who create them have become contemporary folk devils because they seem to pose a threat to children.
Such games have come to represent a variety of social anxieties: about youth violence, new computer technology, and the apparent decline in the ability of adults to control what young people do and know. Panics about youth and popular culture have emerged with the appearance of many new technologies. Over the past century, politicians have complained that cars, radio, movies, rock music, and even comic books caused youth immorality and crime, calling for control and sometimes censorship.
Acting on concerns like these, politicians often engage in battles characterized as between good and evil.
The PC Gamer podcast was talking about this story, and it brings up an angle I had not thought of. How video games explain white-suburban violence, but never minority gang violence or inner city violence. I knew it was always "the devil made me do it" idea, but I never say the racial undertones of it.
Funny, but off topic, I read a book called 'freakanomics' - They relate the huge drop in crimes are due to legalized abortion...
One of the other main points in freakonomics is that one could find correlations that appear to exist in almost any statistic, in topics that are pretty unrelated.
It's part of the "freak" nature that can appear in numbers and stats. Also, hence the title.
White, middle-class killers retain their status as children easily influenced by a game, victims of an allegedly dangerous product. African-American boys, apparently, are simply dangerous.
I think that's the statement that stood out the most for me in that report.
The PC Gamer podcast was talking about this story, and it brings up an angle I had not thought of. How video games explain white-suburban violence, but never minority gang violence or inner city violence. I knew it was always "the devil made me do it" idea, but I never say the racial undertones of it.
I read that too and it really made me think. A great job on this study.
Unfortunately, a study like this will likely do nothing to reverse the anti-gaming sentiment in government. It's like the study said: there's too much benefit for them to use violent games as a scapegoat, and a too large body of "research" backing whatever conclusion they want to come up with. Gaming will only cease to be a scapegoat when those who have grown up playing games (and defending them) come into political power.
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A 2005 review found evidence that playing video games improves spatial skills and reaction times, but not that the games increase aggression.
Ironically, this makes me think that video games ARE turning us into well trained killing machines.
I don't believe games drive violent behaviour any more than you guys, but I am growing tired of this topic and the way its treated on this site.
Let's face it, no one here ever even considered, in an open minded way, that there could possibly be something to this.
Are there any studies by any organization that does indicate a link between violent media and behavior? I don't know. I doubt anyone here looked for it.
I'm not saying you have to be even handed in this. But if all we're going to get is stories supporting the wishes of this sites audience, why don't we just declare the issue won and be done with it?
Finally, a proper study conducted by a legitimate, and agenda-free, organization.
I'm sure there have been proper studies by legitimate organisations before, but I suppose this one has the advantage of agreeing with the consensus viewpoint at video game sites.
Sometimes.... I just want to go down to my local high school.... AND ROLL ALL THE MOTHERFUCKERS UP IN AN EXPONENTIALLY-INCREASING-IN-SIZE BALL AND SHOOT THEM OFF INTO SPACE TURNING THEM INTO STARS.
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I'm not seeing the "study" part in this article. It summed up the body of research, sure, but it didn't really report any original findings. Don't get me wrong, this is an important piece of journalism, but it is not a research study by any long shot, no more so than the research "studies" that the politicians reference that are nothing more than anecdotal evidence. Still, it gets out the other side, so I'm all for that.
I'm not seeing the "study" part in this article. It summed up the body of research, sure, but it didn't really report any original findings. Don't get me wrong, this is an important piece of journalism, but it is not a research study by any long shot, no more so than the research "studies" that the politicians reference that are nothing more than anecdotal evidence. Still, it gets out the other side, so I'm all for that.
Thank you! I feel like I've been taking crazy pills. It's a well written article that makes some good observations, but there's no study here.
I'm not seeing the "study" part in this article. It summed up the body of research, sure, but it didn't really report any original findings. Don't get me wrong, this is an important piece of journalism, but it is not a research study by any long shot, no more so than the research "studies" that the politicians reference that are nothing more than anecdotal evidence. Still, it gets out the other side, so I'm all for that.
I just contacted ASA for clarification on exactly that and they confirmed to me that it was meant as an analysis, not a study. I've amended the heading and related information to reflect this new information.
Thanks, as always, for your continued vigilance - it keeps us on our toes.
Gawd, we need a Anti-Bad Parent Association. When the politicians bring up these folks devils, the ABPA can go on the attack against them and blame the parents for reasons why little Jimmy has a habit for shooting cats.
"My life requires busting faggoty assed bitches like yourself in the fucking face." -Zeal
"Real American gamers don't die after 5 days straight." -Vermy21
