This week for my blog post I've decided to do something a bit different. Instead of focusing on something that specifically happened in class I want to address an ethics issue that has once again come to the forefront of the pubic eye: gun violence and video games. This past week a deadly shooting occurred at a Florida school killing 17. This has rekindled a debate in the video game world about violent behavior and how certain games may play a catalyst role in encouraging it.
Many studies have been conducted on both sides of this debate with a wide array of results. Some studies seem to prove a strong correlation between games and aggressive behavior while other studies fail to find any connection. Individual studies tend to show that video games do have an effect. Children who play more violent games tend to display more aggressive behavior. However, in society as a whole, even as more graphic and violent games are coming out than ever before, researchers haven't seen any statistically significant rise in crime or aggression. And so on the debate goes. Not everyone both sides of the evidence. In light of last weeks shooting, Kentucky governor Matt Bevin has gone as far as to directly link the virtual bullets of games to the very real bullets that were shot in Florida. This seems like a very extreme reaction to me. Video games simply haven't been proven to have that deep of a behavioral effect on people. This is a touchy subject for many people but as of right now I feel, while violent games should be studied further and adjusted to try and prevent any such issues arising in the future, games cannot be used as a sole scapegoat whenever something horrific happens unexpectedly.
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AuthorSamuel Henry is a Senior at DSA in NC. He has 3 years of prior experience in the game design pathway and he's looking forward to becoming a great game designer. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not represent those of Durham School of the Arts or Durham Public Schools Categories
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