This topic is certainly not a new one. People have been arguing and debating since video games were created about whether violence in video games causes an increase in aggression in those that play them. With the recent surge of violence - or more specifically, school shootings - the topic has been brought back, questioning whether or not violent games should be acceptable in any capacity.

​

The official White House YouTube page has recently published a video regarding the recent discussion about violence in the games many young children play. President Donald Trump himself has publicly made it clear that he is against violence in video games, stating “Video game violence & glorification must be stopped - it is creating monsters!” in a tweet in 2012, but many would argue the opposite.

​

Video games, first and foremost, are not all in question here. It is simply the violent aspects of specific games that are under the magnifying glass. Video game violence, according to those against it, desensitizes such acts in children and young adults. Games such as Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, Fallout, and other shooters are commonly used as example for their trigger-happy gameplay and gory visuals. It has also been pointed out that Call of Duty was allegedly designed for that purpose: a simulation to help desensitize soldiers to killing. Other games, such as horror games and survival games, are also used to show how gory and morally gray video games have the potential to be.

​

There are plenty of people, not just in the gaming industry, that would argue that this is not the case. Up until recently, there were very few, if any, studies conducted about the topic. According to ScienceDaily, with the recent interest in the topic, researchers at the University of York have decided to conduct their own study. Through multiple experiments and participants exceeding 3,000, this study found that there is “no evidence to support the theory that video games make players more violent.”

​

This took many factors into account, measuring behaviors with different amounts of realism in the video games. There was no pattern to be seen, and the video games did not make them act a certain way. This is, of course, a single study and more should be done in order to achieve a concrete answer. Along with this study, many have done their own speculation on the topic in online forums, with one argument circulating very often: if video games cause violence, why is the United States the only country with this problem? Others still will point out that there is a rating system for video games for a reason, and that if people do in fact believe the video games are the problem, then it’s up to the parents of these children to not purchase these games.

​

This argument will, in all likeliness, never come to a real conclusion. It is a question of ethics and morality, and with such questions there is always a gray area. We should take comfort in the fact that instilling violent behaviors in the players is not the main goal for most video game corporations, if not all. The goal is to give the player a fun experience through what they love doing most, whether it be shooting aliens or exploring an underwater cavern, defending a military base or jumping from building to building. Hopefully, no matter the outcome of the argument, video games will still be a fun pastime for many people.