I’m sure by now every one of us who has read this has heard the arguments for the above question, but what about against. True some games contain very graphic scenes, scenarios, etc., but what most people forget is that the majority of games were and are designed as nothing more than mind numbing entertainment and an escape from the world in which we live. Video games are about as much a breeder of violence as anything else in the world is from Cops and Robbers (the lovely childhood game of ages) or modern television/movies. I’m still what most consider a kid and the only time I’m ever violent is when I’m off video games because unlike in the game, I have no immediate outlet for any anger I might develop in the real world. This becomes a bit of a conundrum as we’re often told to shrug it off, and also told it’s bad for our well being to hold it in. So I believe video games are more of a tool to help prevent violence than to spark it.

The main argument anyone has against me is the Grand Theft Auto franchise, which by all means is very violent in nature. But honestly, what kind of parent who wants to “shield” their children from this type of violence actually buys the game and then gripes about them playing it? If you look at the majority of the parents opposing the GTA series, they’ve mostly all bought it for their children by no fault of the child. I walked into Gamestop yesterday and saw a nine year old get GTA4 bought for him. The man at the counter cautioned the man telling him why the game was rated “M” and even offered alternatives to the game, but the man insisted on buying that game for his nine year old child only to come back today complaining to the world within Gamestop about the horrible things that his child was “subjected” to within the game.

If video games truly breed violence (back to the original premise), then how come every video game player doesn’t turn into a shooter, rapist, arson, etc.? This is simply because they do not cause anything. What all prior arguments do is prove correlation, which anyone who knows anything about experiments can tell you, does not prove causation. In the end I suppose the most ironic part of this situation is that no matter how I present the facts to the psuedo-concerned parents, they will all ignore me because they feel their opinions are valid and are the only ones that matter within this situation. However, I find it ludicrous to hold on to a belief when there is evidence pointing to the contrary. Alas, my final point is now to be reached, video games do not breed violence, at least no more than any other thing children are exposed to on a regular basis. And to indicate anything in the opposite manner is to be ignorant.