Violent Video Games, Behavior: Latest Evidence

Miller-McCune:

A clear consensus exists among researchers that playing violent video games is a risk factor for aggressive attitudes and behavior.

The Supreme Court today struck down a California law barring the sale of violent video games to children. By a vote of 7 to 2, the justices ruled that the law violated the First Amendment right to free speech.

In a concurring vote, Justice Samuel Alito (joined by Chief Justice John Roberts) wrote that a more carefully crafted law restricting such sales might be constitutional. According to Adam Liptak of The New York Times, he argued that the California law “was too vague, even though it was meant to address an authentic problem.”

So, is video game violence an authentic problem? Can playing these games, in which players often assume the role of violent protagonist, affect behavior for the worse?

Read the whole story: Miller-McCune