Video Games and Violence

After the Virginia Tech tragedy in April, a debate erupted about whether video games influenced the killer. I won't rehash that here – let's just say there are two sides to every story. But as a parent, you should know there is evidence that playing violent video games leads to aggressive behavior in children. Recent studies led by Iowa State University's Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Dr. Craig Anderson, show that playing a lot of violent video games is related to having more aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Furthermore, playing violent games is also related to children being less willing to be caring and helpful towards their peers. When parents limited their children's exposure to violent video games, these behaviors were reduced.



The Blue Lake take on it:
Read the full article on this study published by the American Psychology Association. It's hard to keep video games out of your child's life – remember there are lots of non-violent choices like Tetris, virtual pets and sports games.