Critic's Corner
Video games have arguably surpassed film and television as the chief concern of media violence experts. Studies and research into the effects of violent video games on children, adolescents and adults have intensified in recent years, as the controversy around games such as the Grand Theft Auto, 25 to Life, and other heavily criticized titles has grown. What's all the fuss about?
I recently spoke with Dr. Craig Anderson, a professor of psychology at Iowa St. University and leading expert of the effects of violent media, including video games. Anderson isn't an anti-video game crusader who wants to take all titles off the shelves. Still, after spending several years analyzing research and examining the issue, he favors strict parental controls and adult supervision when it comes to video games, and more scrutiny on the games' rating system. Anderson gives his perspective on the issue to TwitchGuru, and explains why new studies may turn up the heat on an already hot-button topic.
RW: No one would claim there aren't some truly violent games out there, but is this more of an economic issue about limiting the availability to underage players?
ANDERSON: Well certainly, one of the problems with this issue today is that kids can get their hands on anything. Some retailers are doing a good job about enforcing the [MSRB] ratings, but if you send a 10-year-old into three different stores to buy an M-rated game, chances are good that he'll be able to buy that game in at least one of them. Plus, kids can order games online or play free Web games. It's not hard for them to do at all.
RW: So in terms of content, where does the case against video game violence stand today?
ANDERSON: There's very little debate now among experts in media violence and child psychology about whether or not the games have harmful effects. Of course, there needs to be more research. For example, we don't know yet if there are certain groups of children or adolescents that are more susceptible to the effects. But we do know that no group is totally immune. Every year there's more detailed research, better studies and stronger literature coming out that gives us a more accurate picture of the effects of long term play.
RW: So long-term, sustained play of a violent game will have harmful effects on a child.
ANDERSON: Yes, to varying degrees depending on the individual. The most frequent symptoms are increased aggression and anti-social behavior. I've always been of the opinion that a well-designed video game is an excellent teaching tool. If you put some pro-social activities into these games, then they'll have positive effects. But when you have anti-social activities in the game, we shouldn't be surprised about the negative behavior that's learned by children and impressionable adolescents. Games can teach children to solve problems constructively, or they can teach them to solve problems with violence, and desensitize them to bloodshed.
RW: Is the bigger concern among the experts the bloodshed, or the interactive ability that children have in the games?
ANDERSON: I think it's the interactive nature. For some time now, there's been a growing concern not just about the actual violence, but the stronger psychological effects that come from the active participation. Therefore, a lot of people believe there's a more serious problem with video games than passive media like movies or television.
There's strong evidence to support this. For instance, kids learn more through participation, and with games you can rehearse actions over and over again. Of course, there are some critics and groups that believe video game violence isn't harmful because it's cartoon-like and not realistic. But we now know that's not true.
RW: Let's the say the retailers and ratings board come up with a way to ensure close to 100 percent efficiency in keeping mature video games away from underage kids. What about the 18 and over gaming crowd?
ANDERSON: Like I said, research today shows no group, including different age groups, is totally immune. Studies show that children are likely more susceptible than, say, college students. But we've seen research that indicates a 12-year-old and a college student could experience the same short-term effects, such as aggressive attitudes, elevated heart rates, and increased blood pressure.
RW: Sounds like football. Seriously, though, don't people exhibit these same symptoms playing competitive sports?
ANDERSON: Sure. I know it sounds like sports. But this isn't exercise. It's a stress reaction. And when you're playing video games, you're in a fantasy world where you don't have to answer for your actions. There are no real-life consequences for immoral acts, and that's what children learn through repetition.
There are also concerns about video game and Internet addiction for adults. There's a small population of people out there that are suffering serious problems because they can't put down the controller and hit the off switch. Experts now believe that video game addiction is quite similar to gambling addictions.
RW: You mentioned short-term effects. What about the supposed long-term effects of violent game play? Do media violence experts like yourself believe they can lead a person to commit murder, as some lawsuits have claimed?
ANDERSON: We don't know yet what the long-term effects are at this point. There could be some severe psychological and physiological effects 10 years down the road, but since this is a new area, we don't know.
As far are some of the more well-known cases go, it's very difficult to prove scientifically whether or a not a murder would have occurred because the killer played violent video games. It depends on the risk factors. Was the individual in question raised in a troubled environment or suffered from violence?
No expert would make the claim that a child with no risk factors will go out and shoot somebody after playing a video game for a few hours. That's the key. You have to control children's exposure to violent games. We've done it in our household. The problem is that there are a lot of kids out there with risk factors, and the more they're expose to this type of interactive violence, the greater the danger is.
