Video Games And Gun Violence Essay

Since the beginning of the 21st century, video games have only become more graphic. On a near-normal basis, television airwaves are flooded with mass shootings at the hands of violent, enraged gunman. Violence and shootings affect hundreds, if not thousands of innocent people every year as well as the nation’s stability as a whole. “Seemingly with each mass killing- in places like Aurora, Colorado, Newtown, Connecticut, or Roseburg, Oregonattention refocuses on the role of violent media in such tragedies. Sociologists and psychologists continue to focus on the ways in which video games lead to aggressive behavior” (Newman, 2017, p. 138). Through research, reports often indicate that many mass killers were addicted to violent video games. Shortly after the Columbine High School massacre, both Eric Harris and Dylan

Countless children and youth are exposed to gun violence through video games. Additionally, gun violence can leave lasting emotional scars on children. According to Garbarino, Bradshaw, and Vorrasi, “Children exposed to gun violence may experience negative short and long-term psychological effects, including anger, withdrawal, posttraumatic stress, and desensitization to violence” (Garbarino, Bradshaw, & Vorrasi, 2002). All of the negative outcomes listed above can feed into a continuing cycle of violence.

Video games are often criticized for their negative, and often violent effects on those who play them. While there is evidence that playing violent video games increases aggressive behavior, findings have been mixed regarding the effects of