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Shane Flores
Mrs. Harrell
English II Honors
May 14, 2015
Societys Newest Scapegoat
If Pac-Man had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in dark rooms, munching
pills and listening to repetitive electronic music (Marcus Brigstocke). There is much
controversy over violent video games causing aggression and violent tendencies. It is hard to
overlook the disturbing news on television discussing another bombing or shooting. What is even
harder to overlook, is the fact that media blames violent video games for the behavior of these
criminals. While there is a surplus of evidence to argue both sides, it would seem that people
would need to look deeper in to the mind of the killer to determine if the actions were a result of
playing such games. Based on the evidence found in the sources, violent video games do not
cause violent actions or aggressive behavior in the people that play them.
In a world where much of our youth are absorbed in media and technology, it is easy to
assume that violence in games and movies is the blame for societal violence. However, a few
new studies provide evidence that teens know the difference between fantasy and reality. Stetson
University performed two studies, one observed the frequency of violence in popular movies
from 1920 to 2005 and compared it to that of homicide rates, finding no correlation. The second
study included scientists looking at violent videogame use alongside federal data on youth
violence from 1996 to 2011, finding no increase in violent incidents. Every child is different,
and parents need to monitor what media their children participate in (Denise Dador).

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Violent video games could play a part in aggression and anti-social behaviors. A
collection of studies from the 1990s and early 2000s showed that playing these violent
video games leads, at least in the short term, to more-aggressive attitudes, emotions, and actions.
These games can be particularly dangerous for people with preexisting mental health conditions,
especially children diagnosed with depression or ADHD. In 2011, German scientists observed
people playing a game with first-person shooter experience. Normally, negative images provoke
activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex, the part that contributes to emotional processing and
control. In this study, however, the gamers showed little activity in that area, as if they had
become desensitized to the death and gore (Tom McGrath).
Based on the evidence found in the sources, I feel that violent video games do not cause
violent actions or aggressive behavior in the people that play them. What about the mass shooters
who were so devoted to their video games? Not only is blaming video games the 21st-century
norm, but it also distracts us from what could be the actual issue underlying all those shooting
cases: untreated mental illness. Violent video games are now the scapegoats of shootings. People
just want an answer to why these individuals act the way they do. Perhaps they should look
deeper into the way they were raised as opposed to what games they took part in. Another big
thing that needs to happen is more parent supervision of what the kids are playing or watching.
People need to realize that these game have ratings for a reason, they are not meant for kids to
play.
Based on the evidence found in the sources, violent video games do not cause violent
actions or aggressive behavior in the people that play them. While there is evidence to argue both
sides, we must first find the root of the cause before we start blaming the violence in games.

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Performing evaluations and making sure your child is being taught right from wrong could
significantly help decrease the number of shootings and violence of individuals.

Works Cited

Dador, Denise. "Study: Violent Videogames Don't Cause Teen Violence." ABC7 Los Angeles.
N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2015.
McGRATH, TOM. "When Killing Is A Game." Men's Health 29.5 (2014): 120. MasterFILE
Premier. Web. 5 May 2015
Vincent, James. "Long-term US Study Finds No Links between Violent Video Games and
Youth Violence." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, n.d. Web. 08
May 2015.