Correlation Between Video Games and Violence

Researchers have been studying the use of video games, particularly violent video games, to demonstrate its relation to negative behavioural developments. When analyzing the available data, it would be safe to state that the correlations between video games and the development of negative behaviours found in youths are minimal and have caused generalization. Video games have been able to evolve a similar pace to modern technology. With the introduction of the personal computer, video games soon followed. As the technological evolution progressed into the realms of the internet, video games were right on its tail, taking players to an online world that would emerge them into competition. The video game industry has become one of the fastest growing forms of digital entertainment (Adachi & Willoughby, 2012) with no signs of letting up. In today’s aspect, video games can be found on almost any personal digital device, such as computers, tablets and cell phones.

However, along with the growth of this particular digital industry, video games have been subject to a variety of negative relations. Researchers have studied and attempted to demonstrate correlation between video games and the development of negative behaviours found in youths. (See e.g. Holtz and Appel, 2011). Although most of these studies have arrived to minimal results and suffered multiple limitations to their research. Within the past two decades, another group of researchers have begun to analyze video games to see if they correlate to positive behavioural developments instead (See e.g. Durkin & Barber, 2002). Once again, these studies have also concluded to minimal results but in turn argue the effect of generalization caused by the negative correlation studies. Res...

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...re commonly described as aggression, anti-social behaviours, withdrawal and acts of delinquency. However these findings are the result of minimal measures and have contributed to the effect of generalization. Researchers such as Christopher Ferguson (See e.g. Ferguson, 2010; Ferguson & Olsen, 2013) have made their research more in-depth in order to discover more substantial evidence of the correlation. Although very few published findings are available, some studies have analyzed and concluded that the use of video games can promote positive behavioural development such as family cohesion and pro-social behaviours (see e.g. Durkin & Barber, 2002). The research conducted in this field is important because it will provide better evidence to parents, policy officials and law makers that video games, if regulated, can be a safe form of digital entertainment for youths.