14 DAY TRIAL // The results of a study on three year olds, which was aimed at seeing how children are influenced by the forms of entertainment they consume, have been released. One of the conclusions of the study is that children who play violent video games are more likely to adopt an aggressive behavior in relation to their peers. So, please, put down Far Cry 2, and start playing some The Sims or maybe Spore.
The study has included a number of more than 1,200 Japanese teenagers and 364 American youngsters, all aged between 9 and 18. The survey is quoted as having found “significant risk factor for later physically aggressive behavior... across very different cultures.” The conclusion, drawn by researchers affiliated to the Iowa State University in Ames, the National Institute on Media and the Family in Minneapolis, the Ochanomizu University, and the Keio University in Tokyo, also points out that those who play violent video games are more likely to be involved in crime that is violence-based, later on in their lives. However, it's not clear what mechanism is involved in the transition from violent video games to actual, real life violence.
The study talks about “habitual violent videogame play,” which means that only those teenagers who play them more than the average are likely to be more prone to violence. Additionally, if the teenager is younger, the effect of violent games will be more pronounced. The consequences are also apparently the same, even though children come from very different backgrounds, such as America or Japan.
For every study that shows a link between violent behavior and video games, there's another one pointing to exactly the contrary. It also seems pointless to be concerned about the destructive influence of GTA IV, Gears of War 2 or Fallout 3 when the teenagers of the world are nowadays affected by wars, disease and social issues.