Why Do We Keep Having Debates About Video-Game Violence? (Gaming Hunters Post 10)
INTRODUCTION
After the series of tragic mass shootings in El Paso, Tex., and Dayton, Ohio, and shocking murders in Ontario and British Columbia, all on the heels of the horrific events in Christchurch, New Zealand, we once again are having debates about the effects of video-game violence on society. We need to stop.
For police investigators, the presence of video games in the online habits of perpetrators may be one relevant piece of information. But for the rest of us, it’s another example of our emotional reaction trumping evidence-based research.
There is some evidence for a possible increase in aggressive tendencies after playing games for a period of time. Surveys of children find similar short-term aggressive play when kids watch any violent media (like a Marvel action film) — yet all of this falls radically short of criminal behavior and violence.
Trying to Make Sense of a Violent World
Gamingwolfs tells - When we hear about mass shootings in public spaces, we want something tangible to blame, so that we can feel that the world isn’t unpredictable and unsafe. We want to feel like there’s something we can do (as long as that “something” doesn’t seem complicated).
We don’t want to blame systems or cultures of violence or talk about public health.
Those seem unimaginably complicated, intractable and therefore won’t make us feel better.
In the United States, it’s hard to get funding to say anything real. Congress bans the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from conducting research into gun violence. This type of control leaves scholars worried that researching the wrong topic may destroy their careers.
To fight the problem, The Gamingwolfs Violence Project suggests we should:
- End the practice of media-attention/notoriety (discourage press coverage; don’t share or view videos or manifestos from the scene of a violent act).
- Prevent the normalization of this behavior (perhaps rethinking bulletproof backpacks).
- Reduce access to the type of guns used in these tragedies.
Invest in Mental Health Supports
While not easy, these are findings we can act on. We can change the way we cover mass-shootings stories in the press. We can name and combat racist, gender-based and anti-immigrant rhetoric where we find it. We can critique, not ban, a culture that supports violence, with our kids, friends and co-workers.
Gamingwolfs suggests that finally, we can provide long-term interventions across a variety of contexts (in-person, online, international) to connect people with the mental and social resources they need.
Ultimately, a path ahead doesn’t exist solely in the realm of criminalization (red flag laws) and
restriction (video-game bans), but rather, includes pro-social actions like public health policies and affordable, accessible, community-based mental health supports.
Doing well
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