Game Theory: Do Video Games Cause Violence? It's Complicated.

Summary

This video script delves into the ongoing debate about the impact of violent video games on society, questioning their role in gun violence. It challenges the conventional narrative by examining historical data, crime rates, and the profiles of mass shooters. The script advocates for a scientific approach, citing studies and the Supreme Court's stance, concluding that there is insufficient evidence to establish a causal link between video games and real-world violence. It calls for unbiased research and a focus on facts to address the issue of gun violence effectively.

Takeaways

• 🕊️ The script discusses the long-standing debate on whether violent video games contribute to real-world violence, aiming to move beyond anecdotal arguments to a scientific analysis.
• 🎮 It highlights the history of violent video games, starting with 'Mortal Kombat' in the early 90s, and notes the continuous presence of such games since then.
• 📉 Contrary to popular belief, crime rates, including homicides and assaults, have significantly decreased since the 1990s, despite the increase in video game popularity.
• 🔍 The script points out that while mass shootings have become more frequent, this is not indicative of an overall increase in societal violence.
• 🤔 It questions the assumption that video games are a direct cause of mass shootings, noting that only a small percentage of mass shooters have had a significant interest in violent video games.
• 🌐 The United States is not alone in its consumption of video games; however, it stands out for its high rates of gun violence, suggesting that video games alone cannot be the cause.
• 📊 Many studies show a correlation between video game violence and aggression, but the strength of this correlation is often weak and not definitive.
• 🏛️ The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that there is insufficient evidence to prove that violent video games cause aggressive behavior in children.
• 🔬 The script emphasizes the importance of unbiased scientific research and the need to avoid mixing correlation with causation in the debate about video games and violence.
• 💡 It concludes by advocating for a focus on facts and evidence-based solutions to the issue of gun violence, rather than emotional or politically driven responses.
• 🌟 The creator of the script encourages viewers to keep an open mind and to be willing to reassess their beliefs in light of new information and research.

Q & A

What is the main goal of the video script?

The main goal of the video script is to change the conversation surrounding the debate on whether video games make people more violent, by moving beyond anecdotal arguments and examining the scientific evidence.

Why does the script mention the early 90s and the game Mortal Kombat?

The script mentions the early 90s and Mortal Kombat to illustrate that concerns about the violent content in video games are not new, and to compare the reactions to violent games then with the current debate.

What is the script's stance on the role of video games in gun violence in America?

The script aims to be unbiased, seeking to present scientific facts and research to determine if there is a causal link between video games and gun violence in America.

What is the significance of the graph presented in the script?

The graph is significant as it shows the growth of gaming, including violent video games, over the years and is used to compare these trends with crime statistics to assess any correlation.

How does the script address the decrease in crime rates since the 1990s?

The script points out that despite the increase in the popularity of video games since the 1990s, crime rates, including homicides, have significantly decreased, suggesting no direct correlation between video games and increased violence.

What is the script's approach to examining the role of video games in the lives of mass shooters?

The script examines specific cases of mass shooters known to have played video games, but also emphasizes the need to avoid drawing causal connections from a few examples and to consider the broader context.

How does the script discuss the international comparison of video game consumption and gun violence?

The script compares the U.S., which has high video game consumption and significant gun violence, to other countries with similar gaming cultures but lower levels of gun violence, suggesting that video games are not the sole cause of violence.

What is the script's view on the psychological studies linking video games to aggression?

The script acknowledges that many psychological studies show a correlation between video games and aggression but criticizes the weak correlation values and the methodological limitations of these studies.

What role does the Supreme Court case Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association play in the script's argument?

The Supreme Court case is used to support the script's argument that there is no sound causal evidence linking video games to aggressive behavior, as the court ruled against a law restricting the sale of violent video games to minors.

How does the script conclude its examination of the issue?

The script concludes by emphasizing the need for nonpartisan, data-driven research and open-mindedness to find solutions to gun violence, rather than relying on emotions or preconceived notions.

What is the script's final recommendation to the audience?

The script recommends that the audience keep an open but critical mind, consider facts over emotions, and be willing to put aside preconceived notions when examining the issue of gun violence.

Outlines

00:00

🕹️ Video Games and Gun Violence Controversy

The script opens with a discussion on the persistent debate linking video games to gun violence in America since the Columbine tragedy. It mentions the alarm raised by experts and parents over violent games, referencing the early 90s game Mortal Kombat as an example. The speaker aims to shift the conversation from anecdotal arguments to scientific evidence, questioning whether video games truly induce violence. The episode's goal is to explore the relationship between video games and violent behavior, particularly in the context of mass shootings, and to examine the role of video games in the lives of those involved in such incidents.

05:01

📉 Crime Rates vs. Video Game Popularity

This paragraph delves into the historical context of violent video games, noting their rise in popularity since the early 90s. It challenges the assumption that the prevalence of violent video games has led to increased violence in society by presenting data showing a significant decline in major crime categories, including homicide, assault, burglary, and rape, since 1991. The script also addresses the misconception that youth crime might reflect the impact of video games, only to reveal a similar decrease in crimes committed by young people. The paragraph concludes by highlighting the discrepancy between the perceived increase in violence due to mass shootings and the actual decrease in crime rates.

10:05

🔫 The Role of Video Games in Mass Shooters' Lives

The script examines the role of video games in the lives of mass shooters, citing examples such as the Columbine shooters and others who had connections to gaming. However, it clarifies that while some shooters have been gamers, this does not establish a causal link between video games and mass shootings. The paragraph points out that only a small percentage of school shooters have shown interest in violent video games and that the correlation between gaming and violent acts is often overstated. It also discusses the lack of a clear causal connection, suggesting that the relationship is more likely coincidental than causal.

15:09

🎮 International Comparisons and the Complexity of Causation

This section compares the United States' consumption of video games with other countries that also have significant gaming cultures but lower rates of gun violence. It argues against the notion that video games are the primary cause of gun violence in America by highlighting that other nations with popular gaming cultures do not experience the same levels of violence. The paragraph also addresses the potential for video games to be harmful, referencing the positions of the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, while also pointing out the complexity and variability of psychological responses to video games.

20:10

📊 The Flawed Correlation Between Video Games and Aggression

The script critiques the methodology and conclusions of studies that claim to find a correlation between video games and aggression. It discusses the ethical constraints of such studies and the indirect measures used to assess aggression, questioning the validity of these measures. The paragraph also addresses the statistical significance and the practical impact of the correlations found in these studies, noting that they are often weak and not indicative of a strong causal relationship. It references a Supreme Court case that ruled against a law restricting the sale of violent video games to minors, stating that the studies do not prove that such games cause aggressive behavior in children.

🌐 Setting Politics Aside to Focus on Data and Solutions

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker emphasizes the importance of setting aside political biases when examining the issue of gun violence and video games. They acknowledge the fear of finding evidence that contradicts personal beliefs but ultimately advocate for a focus on sound causal evidence. The script calls for a nonpartisan approach to research and decision-making, encouraging viewers to keep an open but critical mind. It concludes with a recommendation to prioritize facts over emotions in the pursuit of solutions to gun violence.

Keywords

💡Videogames

Videogames are electronic games that involve interaction between the player and user-interface elements such as a display device, joystick, or gamepad. In the video, videogames are central to the debate about their potential link to real-world violence, particularly in the context of gun violence in America. The script discusses the history of violent videogames and their availability since the mid-90s, suggesting that despite their prevalence, there is no clear causal link between videogames and increased violent crime.

💡Controversy

Controversy refers to a situation that is the subject of prolonged public dispute or debate. The script highlights the ongoing controversy surrounding videogames, especially violent ones, and their alleged role in influencing gun violence. The term is used to describe the polarized opinions and the need for a more nuanced conversation beyond the typical he-said-she-said arguments.

💡Violence

Violence is the use of physical force to harm or kill someone or something. The video script explores the relationship between the depiction of violence in videogames and the occurrence of violent acts in society. It challenges the assumption that exposure to violent videogames leads to violent behavior, citing statistical data and research studies that do not support a strong causal link.

💡Columbine

Columbine refers to the Columbine High School massacre that occurred in 1999, often cited as a pivotal event in discussions about gun violence and its potential links to media violence, including videogames. The script mentions the tragedy to underscore the long-standing nature of the debate and to highlight the need for a more scientific approach to understanding the issue.

💡Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat is a popular videogame known for its violent content, including graphic depictions of fighting and death. The script uses Mortal Kombat as an example of an early violent videogame that sparked controversy and debate, setting the stage for ongoing discussions about the impact of such games on society.

💡Aggression

Aggression is behavior characterized by a willingness to attack or confront others in a forceful way. The video discusses various studies that have attempted to link videogame play, particularly violent games, with increased aggression. It critiques the methodologies and conclusions of these studies, suggesting that the evidence for a causal link is weak and often misinterpreted.

💡Correlation

Correlation refers to a statistical relationship between two variables. The script addresses the issue of confusing correlation with causation in studies that find a link between videogame violence and aggressive behavior. It emphasizes that a correlation does not necessarily imply that one variable causes the other, which is a critical point in the debate over videogames and violence.

💡Causation

Causation is the relationship between an event (the cause) and a second event (the effect), where the second event is a result of the first. The video argues that while there may be correlations found between videogame violence and aggressive behavior, there is a lack of sound causal evidence to support the claim that videogames cause violence. This distinction is crucial in understanding the video's stance on the issue.

💡Psychological Research

Psychological research refers to the systematic investigation of human behavior and mental processes. The script delves into the findings of psychological studies on the effects of violent videogames, noting that many of these studies show only weak correlations and are often subject to criticism for methodological flaws or misinterpretation of results. The video uses this to argue against a simplistic view of videogames causing violence.

💡Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States, with the power to interpret the Constitution and federal laws. The script cites a 2011 Supreme Court case, Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association, which ruled against a law restricting the sale of violent videogames to minors. The Court's decision is used to highlight the lack of constitutional basis for claims that videogames cause harm, reinforcing the video's argument for a more evidence-based approach to the issue.

💡Gun Violence

Gun violence refers to violent acts involving firearms. The video's primary focus is on the debate surrounding the potential influence of videogames on gun violence in America. It discusses the need for a clear understanding of the facts and a nonpartisan approach to research in order to address the issue effectively, rather than relying on emotional reactions or political agendas.

Highlights

Video games have been a center of controversy surrounding gun violence in America for two decades.

The alarm over violent video games is not new, dating back to the early 90s with games like Mortal Kombat.

The goal of the episode is to change the conversation from anecdotal to scientific facts about the impact of video games on violence.

The show 'Game Theory' aims to entertain while educating about various topics related to video games.

The relevance of video games to real-world violence and gun violence in America is a current and significant issue.

Politicians have repeatedly invoked video games as a major contributor to mass shootings.

The debate is polarized with entrenched positions and a lack of research on both sides.

The presenter seeks the truth about video games' connection to violence, regardless of personal bias.

Crime statistics in the U.S. have decreased significantly since the 1990s, contrary to the increase in video game popularity.

Youth crime rates have also dropped dramatically since the early 90s.

The number of mass shootings has more than tripled since 2006, but this is not reflective of overall crime trends.

The role of video games in the lives of mass shooters is examined, but no causal link is established.

International comparisons show that the U.S. has a unique problem with gun violence despite similar video game consumption.

The American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics have concerns about violent video games.

Many studies show a positive correlation between video games and aggression, but the connection is weak and not conclusive.

The Supreme Court ruled that there's insufficient evidence to blame video games for aggressive behavior in children.

The need to put politics aside and focus on sound scientific data to address the issue of gun violence.

The presenter encourages an open and critical mind towards research findings on the impact of video games.

The episode concludes that there is little evidence to suggest that video games cause real-world violence.

Transcripts

whenever we see the news talking about

videogames these days it seems like it's

always the same thing

in the two decades since Columbine video

games have been at the center of the

controversy surrounding gun violence in

America particularly violent video games

and it has experts and some parents

alarmed this includes the gruesome and

grisly video games that are now

commonplace then again this type of

alarm is nothing new role that early 90s

VHS tape you can knock your opponent's

head off complete with electronic blood

and guts the game is called Mortal

Kombat one of the hottest video games

going there feel like going out and

beating somebody up after watching this

game tell me true yes the more things

change the more they stay the same right

but to be fair our counter-arguments

back in the early 90s were exactly the

same too so you know what it's time to

change the conversation and that's my

goal with today's episode to move beyond

this he-said she-said style of argument

that this topics been mired in for

decades

instead we need to get down to the real

story the scientific fact do video games

actually make people more violent

[Music]

hello Internet

welcome to game theory a show where we

talk about a lot of things that

absolutely do not matter from the

physics of Mario to the lore of haunted

chuck-e-cheeses yep I know some people

take these episodes a little bit too

seriously and it's especially hard if

I'm talking about I don't know your

favorite hero and calling him evil the

whole time but in truth it's all for

dumb fun at the end of the day whether

or not Phoenix Wright is breaking the

law and his pursuit for justice just

doesn't matter and by the way that was a

terrible episode I am so sorry about

that one anyway the long and short of it

is that this show is meant to be

entertaining first and foremost with

some education sprinkled throughout I

was lucky enough to have parents and

teachers who got me excited about

learning but so many others out there

aren't so fortunate so if I through this

little web series here can get you

interested in the way a computer works

by talking about Mario maker or teach us

something about

gravity and astronomy through the lens

of Minecraft well that's great you had

fun you learn a bit and the whole world

is a slightly more positive place

because you viewed a video but today for

all the stupid extraneous topics that we

talk about on this show today what we're

talking about really does matter in fact

it's more relevant now than it's ever

been do video games make the people who

play them more violent and is there a

connection between video games and the

issue of gun violence in America since

the 90s various politicians have invoked

video games as this major contributor to

the mass shootings that are in the

headlines over and over again and now

the president is even calling it out so

I wanted to do an episode on the topic

so we can get a definitive answer once

and for all and see that's the thing in

this debate you have two sides that are

so entrenched in their respective answer

that no one is bothering to actually

stop and do the research on one side you

have people who are so convinced that it

must be the media we're consuming that's

causing this aggression that they're

eager to point the blame there because

they're biased against games they don't

understand them but on the other side

you have people like me people who grew

up playing video games where our

knee-jerk reaction is like no duh I play

video games I know a lot of people who

play video games and we're not violent

the problem with that though is it's not

real proof it's a small amount of

anecdotal evidence it's important to

recognize that everyone's brains

function differently we're biased too in

this debate because we're eager to

defend this thing that we love that

embodied our childhood neither side here

is having a conversation because we're

both so certain that we're right what I

want more than anything is what I hope

all of us want and that's the truth if

video games have no connection to

real-world violence whatsoever I wanna

have done my homework and have the

receipts to prove it and then being able

to show those receipts to other people

who claim otherwise on the other hand if

I were to find conclusive causal

evidence that said video games

our warping our minds are making us more

prone to violent impulses and making us

less sensitized to violence then I want

us to hear that hard truth to it'll suck

yeah but it'll be important for us to

know because we can start figuring out a

solution from there and that's not me

trying to get political or anything I

don't care whether you're someone who

believes strongly in gun ownership

rights or the exact opposite on the most

basic level I would hope that we're all

united in this same goal of trying to

find the source of blame and how to

correct it so that fewer people get hurt

and die it's as simple as that and if

video games are to blame then great at

least now we know that and now we can

start correcting for it at the end of

the day I don't want my son to grow up

in a world where he feels like he has to

be on guard for people trying to hurt

him at school at church at Walmart so to

be clear my goal today is not to propose

any sort of political solution I'm not

qualified to do that at all but instead

to just share some cold hard facts the

scientific research done by trusted

institutions presented to you and as

unbiased away as possible the work that

I've done for this episode has looked at

the issue from three separate angles

number one examining links between video

games and crime number two looking at

the profiles of many shooters and the

role that video games played in their

lives

and number three exploring the

psychology behind playing video games

and how they affect our perspective on

violence now admittedly or if you can't

tell by this point this isn't gonna be

my most lighthearted episode of game

theory but it certainly is one of our

most important let's start with angle

number one shall we looking at any links

between video games and crime to start

off with we have to talk a little bit

about the history of some of the more

controversial and violent video games

you see if there is indeed a direct

causal link between violence shown and

video games and users becoming more

violent in their daily lives then we

would expect to see increases in

violence spurred on by some of the most

popular violent video games in history

and well there are definitely some very

early video games that had violent

themes to them if we want to talk about

true

or realistic violence becoming popular

in the mainstream while we'd probably

have to look here the early 90s and

mortal kombat which was released in 1992

as well as Wolfenstein 3d and doom in

1992 and 1993 from that point forward

we've seen plenty of other violent video

games get themselves bad press like the

Grand Theft Auto series the Call of Duty

series battlefield things like that but

for the most part the availability of

violent video games has been pretty

constant since the mid-90s now this

graph they see right behind me shows us

the growth of gaming both in terms of

pure number of games sold per year as

well as the number of titles released

per year and unsurprisingly they both

start to take off here in the mid 90s

with platforms like the PlayStation in

Nintendo 64 really surging the

popularity and then it explodes in the

2000s as they really hit their peak and

it's all started to taper off coming

back down here in the mid 2010s as

smartphones and mobile gaming have

become more popular but it's pretty

clear that if the real surge in video

games which would include violent video

games occurred between the mid-90s and

2010 well if they're influencing people

to commit more violence in real life

then crime statistics should show

similar growth during those same periods

but when you look at the data that's the

opposite of what's happened the murder

rate in the United States actually hits

its peak in 1980 pac-man fever truly set

in people's minds into the rage mode but

starting in the early 90s those rates

went way down from 1991 through 2016

homicides in the US have actually gone

down by forty five point five percent

and it's not just homicide that we're

talking about here we're talking about

all major crime categories across the

board assault burglary rape all of them

are down by at least 30% since 1991 the

idea that the popularity of video games

which again weren't really all that

commonly played until about the 1990s

has contributed to making the United

States a more violent society as a whole

just doesn't really show up in these

sorts of statistics No maybe

you think that since young people are

the ones tending to play more video

games that youth crime statistics would

actually show the real impact of violent

video games on our minds but those stats

actually looked pretty darn similar the

number of violent crimes committed by

people ages 12 to 17 has plummeted since

those early days in the 90s to a rate of

about 1/5 of what it was at its peak

so the overall data seems to tell us

that crime isn't getting worse even

though someone watching the news

nowadays we think that's worse than ever

and that's probably less because crime

as a whole is getting worse and more

because incidents of mass shootings have

gotten bigger and more prominent and

more shocking in the media just exactly

what constitutes a mass shooting creates

a lot of disagreements it is shockingly

difficult to define as everyone comes up

with their own definition to kind of

forward whatever statistics they're

looking to prove but in general I think

a pretty common definition is that a

mass shooting involves an incident where

at least four people are killed by a

shooter in a public place in that case

from 1982 until 2006 there were

approximately 1.6 mass shootings per

year but in the years since 2006 it's

actually more than tripled 25.4 per year

to put that statistic in another way

from 1949 until 1998 there were 9 mass

shootings in the US where at least 10

people were killed so that winds up

being about one every five years in the

last 20 years meanwhile there have been

18 shootings where at least 10 people

were killed that translates to one per

year five years per year by the same

token though while the murder rate has

indeed gone down the percentage of

homicides committed using guns has been

climbing steadily hitting 73 percent in

2016 so maybe the question that we

should be asking ourselves isn't whether

video games make our society as a whole

more violent but whether they're causing

select individuals from that society to

suddenly snap and decide to become mass

shooters like I said at the beginning of

this episode everyone's brains work

totally differently so well 19

9.9% society might be completely

unaffected by the violence and

videogames all it takes is just that one

person to have a bad reaction to what

they're playing so the second angle that

we need to take a look at this issue is

what kind of role video games have

played in the lives of past mass

shooters perhaps most famously the two

Columbine shooters from 1999 they were

both fans of the early first-person

shooter doom the Sandy Hook elementary

shooter owned a lot of video games as it

was on record games like left 4 dead

Dead Rising Grand Theft Auto and there

was a Norwegian shooter which I know

were focused on u.s. shooters but I

needed to draw from as many data points

that I could reasonably research back in

2011 he claimed that playing Call of

Duty actually helped his aim and target

acquisition both skills that he used

during his attack now to be sure some

mass shooters are fans of video games

but you can't take just these few

examples and create a causal connection

there especially since I could list

plenty of other tragedies where those

shooters didn't have strong ties to

video games in fact of the 18 incidents

that I mentioned earlier that had more

than 10 deaths my research actually

tells me that only four of those

shooters actually had noteworthy video

game habits there are plenty of

explanations for that but it all aligns

with the report issued by the Secret

Service back in 2002 which indicated

that only 12% of school shooters

expressed any sort of interest in

violent video games now you could

probably make a case for an interest in

video games being a statistical

coincidence given that most mass

shootings are actually committed by

young men and 72% of men under the age

of 30 play video games 58 percent of men

from 30 to 49 played video games as well

it's just not that surprising that young

men who do evil things also happen to

share habits with other young men who

don't do evil things other young men in

their same demographic other traits that

these shooters share breathing oxygen

eating food wearing clothes but to call

that out seems ridiculous right

I don't see anyone attacking the denim

industry because these shooters tended

to wear jeans it appears as though

opponents to video games are mixing

correlation with causation

now as for that Norwegian terrorists

claim that shooting games made him much

more effective in his shooting those

claims may have had some ground to stand

on if they wouldn't have gotten redacted

over the years you see a study was

published in 2014 that found people who

practiced shooting games got more

headshots in real world target practices

by a wide margin but that study was

retracted because the results couldn't

be replicated by outside researchers or

the original researchers who conducted

the experiment in the first place

regardless there's still one more piece

of evidence that makes me think that

video games aren't the variable to blame

for our epidemic of gun violence here

the United States isn't unique in its

consumption of video games compare it to

other nations with big gaming cultures

though we are unique in how much gun

violence we have the numbers absolutely

backed us up well the u.s. is number one

in money spent on video games per year

the rest of the top ten includes China

Japan South Korea Germany Canada Spain

and Italy now China doesn't release

statistics on gun violence but the rest

of them do and if you compare homicides

by firearms and adjust for population

size the United States actually has more

gun deaths per year than all those eight

other countries combined these countries

aren't immune to mass shootings but it's

awfully hard to believe that our

consumption of video games is to blame

for the gun violence in America when

other nations wear those same games are

popular don't have anywhere near that

same problem but still I am willing to

consider the possibility that violent

video games could be harmful especially

since the American Psychological

Association as well as the American

Academy of Pediatrics have both come out

against violent video games so do video

games make us more violent in the long

run

or maybe they're desensitizing us to

real-world violence by simulating such

graphic and often realistic violence in

gameplay well there are a lot and I mean

a lot of studies out there done on this

topic

the connection between playing video

games and aggression and many of them do

actually show a positive correlation

between the two the trouble here though

is that a lot of news outlets here

hey this study shows a connection

between video games and aggression but

don't understand the report or fully

talk about the limitations of those

sorts of studies to show you what I mean

we need to think about how these sorts

of studies are being conducted for

instance how would you test aggression

in the first place these tests have to

be ethical after all can't just give

kids video games and then ask them to

act them out by shooting things so

instead the marks of aggression in these

sorts of tests are things like whether

the subject would be willing to subject

their opponent to a loud noise or

whether they would offer that subject

hot sauce for some sort of advantage in

the game look I'm not saying that these

findings aren't telling but it's pretty

hard to extrapolate someone's

willingness to give someone else spicy

food into the assumption that they're

now suddenly more likely to shoot

someone with a real-world gun I mean

that's a huge stretch it's already a

stretch to say giving them spicy food is

aggressive behavior maybe they just like

pranking the other person or maybe they

think the other person's hungry maybe

they just really like spicy food another

issue here is that the findings that are

statistically significant aren't

necessarily statistically impressive you

see when a study determines that there

is a correlation between two things that

are being tested that correlation is

measured with a value between negative

one and positive one now a zero value

would say that the two variables are

entirely unrelated to one another while

a positive value would indicate that one

predicts the other so a point three

positive correlation for example would

mean that one thing predicts another by

a little bit whereas something like a

point seven positive correlation means

that one thing strongly predicts another

positive one guaranteed I do X Y is

gonna happen 100% now when it comes to

our case of using video games

violent behavior none of the studies I

saw which claimed to show some level of

connection between violent media and

future behavior or immediate aggression

seemed to correlate beyond a positive

0.3 which means that the studies can

indeed sometimes indicate correlation

but even in the best case scenarios it's

a very weak level of correlation and

then that's not even mentioning the

conflicting studies that contradict all

the ones that I just mentioned or the

psychologists who write entire articles

and papers talking about how overblown

the idea of video games causing violent

aggressive behaviors might be it gets

confusing trying to figure out what

findings are most valid which

researchers might have conflicts of

interest which ones are just putting out

weak findings because they have to get

published to keep their jobs but for me

one of the most telling analyses of the

state of psychological research on this

topic violence in video games actually

comes from an unexpected source the

Supreme Court of all places in a 2011

case titled Brown versus the

entertainment Merchants Association the

Supreme Court ruled that a California

law forbidding the sale of certain video

games to kids was unconstitutional and

they struck down that law with a vote of

7 to 2 part of the majority opinion

written by the court stated this quote

psychological studies purporting to show

a connection between exposure to violent

video games and harmful effects on

children do not prove that such exposure

causes minors to behave aggressively any

demonstrated effects are both small and

indistinguishable from effects produced

by other media end quote

what's really encouraging about that

message right there is that that

majority opinion was written by Justice

Antonin Scalia one of the most

conservative members of the court but it

was co-signed by one of the most liberal

justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia

Sotomayor what I mean to say with this

is that when you're looking at gun

violence it doesn't have to be a

partisan issue

sure Supreme Court justices aren't

supposed to be a part of any political

party but with how divisive discussions

on gun violence gets

it's important to remember that looking

at research and deciding what is and

isn't supported by sound scientific data

isn't a matter of politics it's a matter

of caring about the truth above and

beyond everything else back to the cow

and that's one of my real takeaways from

researching this episode the need for us

to be able to put politics aside when

we're looking at these sorts of problems

there's a reason why I haven't done this

video in the last eight years of making

game theory and that's because I was

afraid of what I would find I was afraid

that the research would lead me to a

conclusion that I was scared to tell you

guys about and trust me there is still

plenty more out there in the gaming

community that we have to be concerned

about like how video games might be

shortening our attention spans or how

certain mechanics and video games can be

linked to problematic gambling there is

still plenty more out there that people

can point at video games and be like

they're not a good influence but in this

case the fact of the matter is that

there's just very little sound causal

evidence to suggest that video games are

more likely to get people to commit

violence or that playing video games get

people to be more violent it's important

for us to remember regardless of where

you stand politically on guns on video

games or on whatever that we all want

the same thing a safer less violent

future for ourselves for our children

and for our country just like I had to

put some of my preconceived notions

about video games aside to research this

episode we're not gonna find any

solutions to the issue of gun violence

in this country if we only hear the

things that we want to hear I think

decisions based on data nonpartisan

research is the thing that's gonna help

us have a chance of making that happen

it's not about emotion it's about the

facts and I'll do my best to keep an

open but critical mind if any findings

show us the path forward and I encourage

you all to do the same it's not so much

a theory as it is a recommendation a

game theory recommendation

thank you for watching and for keeping

an open mind