Violent Video Games Cause Aggressive Behavior By: Jael Vogt Teens today are very easily addicted to video games, and this can be frustrating for parents. Unfortunately, the addiction is only one of the issues that plague the kids of the 21st century. Video games have evolved from the innocent ghosts eating dots in PacMan to the violent killings of civilians and police officers in the well-known and very popular Grand Theft Auto.
Aggressive behavior has steadily increased over the past twenty years and society has seen more and more violent acts than ever before. Is there a connection between these violent video games and the aggressive and violent behaviors that have affected our families, schools, and towns? Surveys show that 98% of pediatricians in the Unites States say that “too much exposure to violent media heightens childhood aggression” (procon.org, 2016). Studies show that after twenty minutes of exposure to violent video games, a person can become desensitized to violence around them. Also, in “1998 a peer reviewed study found that 21% of games show violence against women. 28% of video games make women look only like sexual objects” (procon.org016). Playing “shoot ‘em up” video games is not as harmless as people once thought.
For example, the 1999 Columbine shooting was committed by two boys who played violent video games on a regular basis. The perpetrator of the Sandy Hook massacre played a video game called “School Shooting.” While playing the game, the shooter was given ideas on what to do when attacking a school. Many of the individuals who have committed serious criminal acts play violent video games on a regular basis; some of the games played are Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Combat, and Night Trap. Video games that influence people towards violence should be taken out of stores and homes.