Study Shows That Kids Who Play Violent Video Games Are More Likely to be Drawn to Guns

A recent study carried out at the Department of Psychology at Ohio State University has found that exposure to violent video games could potentially lead to an interest in firearms as well as heighten aggression in children.

[CyberSentinel]

Good.
Nothing wrong with "heighten aggression" or guns.

[Brave_Losers_Unite]

You forgot the /s

[CyberSentinel]

I wasn’t being sarcastic.

[Brave_Losers_Unite]

@Cyber

You forgot the /s again

[Gaming101]

For those unaware, aggression in this case is being defined as just "not being a girl"

Male aggression is the only aggression that is demonized.

Female aggression takes the form of reputational bullying, modifying pictures of other girls online, so a girl being bullied goes home and it doesn't stop, it continues online and has led to the rates of major depressive episodes from teenage girls to increase 70% over the last 5 years.

Yet here we are, worrying about toy guns and the role playing that ensues as "acts of aggression" as if boys should never role play or do anything physical whatsoever.

This has resulted in the over medication of boys, being treated as defective girls. All acts of physicality in any way is deemed unacceptable. The American Psychological Association has new guidelines written by the feminists who have taken over the Psychology field. They have demonized being male, labeling all male traits as "toxic" including competitiveness, aggression, stoicism and dominance. Complete and utter horse shit.

[UltraNova]

@gaming

Men are humanity's (women, now) worst enemy now. White men in particular. We live in some dangerous times. Men are demonized and striped from their rights every day. Feminists are indeed taking over and true equality is the price that will be paid ultimately.

[Cupid_Viper_3]

@Gaming101

You actually have some really great points about female aggression being overlooked and the astonishingly high rate of depressive episodes from teenage girls. You are also being spot on about boys being overmedicated. And there are very CLEAR double standards in regards to certain feminists views point of views that I myself have been a victim of. So I'm with you on those points...

At the same time, (and this is my opinion) your argument and points are factual enough without the need to do exactly what they (some feminists) have done as well and just generalize everything. Saying things like: "as if boys should never role play or do anything physical whatsoever." or "labeling all male traits as toxic."

Such generalizations unnecessarily muddy the water and serve as anchors to derail the serious conversations that should happen about the topic at hand. It gives them cheap ammo because you can't possibly prove said generalizations to be true, and you know some will latch on to that.

My point is that jumping to extremes rarely gets anything done besides getting people to have a very strong emotional response towards the said topic. There are some big issues that women have faced for a very long time that feminism, as a whole, can address. But there's also a lot of double standards and generalizations being made on that side of the fence that needs to be curbed. For instance, you single out "boys being overmedicated" but that's only part of the whole truth. KIDS, in general, are overmedicated, not just boys.

I've been playing video games since I was 6 years old, and I've also played with toy guns like most boys around my age have. The vast majority of us don't own guns and aren't inherently violent because of video games. That being said, my pooling sample from extended family and friends is just a drop in the bucket. I understand that as well.

[himdeel]

Um shouldn't there be a study on parenting first? Kids don't generally have jobs or disposable income. So, how are they getting these consoles and "violent" video games? Don't violent video games come with some type of warnings on them for parents and adults to consider before purchasing?

[JackBNimble]

I would like to see actual data on this rather then just believing everything the media says.

[CyberSentinel]

I want to see who funded this “study”.

[crazyCoconuts]

reading the summary of the study, kids that played with weapons in Minecraft were slightly more likely to play with toy weapons. Ok, I wouldn't dispute that Heightened aggression though? I don't see a correlation with that limited data. I mean, kids can still kick, punch, throw, verbally abuse, etc. Did the kids that played violent free Minecraft refrain from those activities? Did they try to mine their friends with toy axes? 😉

[Cobra951]

Well, OSU is a serious university. That boosts credibility, but I still want to read details before I buy into this. I grew up with cartoon characters bashing each other on the head with hammers and I-beams, and blowing each other up. I also played plenty of gun games like Cops and Robbers, and Cowboys and . . . er, Native Americans. ;) I had a Sheridan Blue Streak 5mm pellet rifle and a 40lb fiberglass bow since like Age 12. I turned out alright. Haven't shot anybody yet.

[JackBNimble]

I did read the summary but I would argue that putting a kid in a room for 20 minutes playing minecraft, and then in a room with hand guns isn't much of a study.
Most studies take months or even years to complete, not an afternoon.

They didn't mention skipping the room with video games and just putting the kids in the room with the hand guns.
I'm curious what the outcome would have been.
Of course kids are going to be drawn towards real guns , it's called curiosity.
I really question how this so called study was thought out.

[kneon]

@JackBNimble

Here is the only study you need, at least for the USA. Gun ownership in the US is declining. They are selling plenty of guns, but the number of people buying them has been steadily shrinking for decades. Fewer and fewer people are buying guns, but there are some who buy lots of them because there are too many paranoid nut jobs in the USA.

Gun owners are dying off, not because of their guns, but because the average gun owner in the US is an old white guy. It doesn't help that their life expectancy is declining.

It will take decades, but the US gun culture is doomed, as is their political influence. Good riddance.

[Rude-ro]

Well, we are a civilization that is bombarded with messaging and or advertising... and since that is a trillion dollar business.. it means it works.

A constant and repetitive viewership is indeed a proven way to influence people. This can not be argued.

Younger the mind, the bigger the grasp on their views.

[Zeegamereh]

How about parents stop being stupid dumbass that let their kids play M rated games seriously some people shouldn’t have kids

[JackBNimble]

But the study was based around minecraft.

[Flewid638]

May the Incel Be With You.

[MadLad]

Unless you live in the states, where we have a worrying gun obsession, and a weird habit of performing heinous acts with them.

[S2Killinit]

There is A LOT wrong with both heightened aggression AND guns actually. BUT, the article is confusing correlation for causation. Just because these kids tend to play video games doesn't mean video games CAUSED the behavior. Otherwise I watch comedies, and Im also a silly person. Does that mean Im a silly person because I watch comedies? No. There maybe a correlation in that some underlying cause creates both.

[ArchangelMike]

Only in America! How come the rest of the world don't have this problem? Oh that's right, they don't let kids play with guns.

[Elwenil]

You are really stupid if you truly think that.

[averagejoe26]

At least tell him why he's stupid.

If you call someone stupid and provide 0 evidence as to why, you're just making a baseless claim.

[Hungryalpaca]

@averagejoe

He did. He said he was stupid for believing only in America kids play with guns when that’s not even remotely true. Canada has youth fun clubs, so does the UK. Sweden. Etc.

[Ratchet75]

US politicians are so corrupt that they rather blame video-games, music or movies instead of dealing with the real issue which is the gun laws in the country.
Example :
Australia legislators banned the sale of rapid fire arms in 1996(after a mass shooting in Oakland) and appart from a man who killed is own family in a rural property in 2018, they did not have any mass murder ever since compared to almost 1 every year between 1979 and 1996.
😉😉😉.

[NecrumOddBoy]

Another mass shooting took place in Australia today. It's not an "American" thing.

[ChrisW]

@NecrumOddBoy,

So, just because Australia had one mass shooting this year (compared to 7 already in America), and two (compared to the 17 America had) in 2018... You're going to call it "not an American thing"?!?

I'm not going to deny that a mass shooting is a mass shooting... But it's the number of mass shootings that makes America vastly different from other advanced countries!!!

[Elwenil]

I wonder how many mass shootings are in the more violent parts of Africa? The Middle East? China? Southeast Asia? Just because all of America's problems are on the news, doesn't mean we are the only ones with that sort of news. There have been plenty of mass murderers around the world, it just seems to be a thing in the US because the media wants to harp on it and give these lunatics all the attention they want. It's become almost a fad now for people who are disgruntled, angry and want to be famous. I blame the parents and society at large for making it impossible for children to be disciplined like they should and raising entire generations of entitled nitwits that can't handle the slightest bit of adversity without flipping out.

[arkard]

@Chris You are comparing a population of 327 million to 24 million. Yeah, no wonder more bad things happen in the US, it has 13X as many people

[Hungryalpaca]

We do here in Canada. I’ve been shooting since I was 5 years old. I even own one of those “scary AR-15s” everyone wants to ban for some reason.

And yet, we don’t have a mass shooting problem.

Lol at the disagree. Disagreeing with facts now lol.

[Prince-Ali]

loool... EXACTLY so you're proving him right! You might be triggered (no pun intended) due to his wording but his sentiment remains true... This is an AMERICAN issue that doesn't plague the rest of the world.. however Video games are available in every region the same but these issues/problems are NO WHERE NEARRRR as prevalent or even an issue as they are in USA which is the whole point.

[Hungryalpaca]

@Prince-Ali

No I didn’t prove him right. He said only in America kids play with guns. That’s not true. That’s what I was responding to. Try reading next time.

I was 5. I wasn’t playing shooters at that age. I was playing Mario.

[sampsonon]

the amount of kids that play with real guns is so small in canada. and it's mostly rural . nothing even close to the states.

if you have access to guns people will use them. just look at the mass shootings in the states.

and if someone doesn't see that they are idiots.

[fathertime4464]

@princeali
It's only a problem in the us because we can't spank our child or properly punish them without some asshole calling child services. The rest of the world at least remembers that there is a difference between abuse and a smack on the ass. Also in the US if a child defends itself against a bully or other attacker that child gets in trouble also. All the senerios lead to an explosive and violent end if not properly released.

On another note, it's not the guns fault that it was in the hands of an asshole

[Cobra951]

The problem is not the guns. It was never the guns. It's something about how a select few kids respond to how they're getting raised in America NOW. The school-shooting nonsense didn't start until the last couple of decades or so. America has been inundated with guns since before the Wild West. No cowardly shooting of innocents by miscreant kids at all during most of that firearm-filled history.

[Shane Kim]

Fathertime, that is true for Europe as well. You can't spank your kids, and most often the victim will be criminalized. But still, we don't have nearly as many mass shootings as USA. I know owning a gun is in your constitution and americns defend that right to all price (rightfully so), but It's time to call this bs out. More and easier access to guns equals more gun deaths. The evidence is in your country.

[BigTrain]

There is heavy propaganda that has been floating around ever since Colombine that somehow having a gun makes you a potential killer or mass shooter. I've been shooting since I was 6 years old. A gun is a tool that's it. People who choose to misuse them should not and do not represent the majority of those who own them.

[fathertime4464]

@shane Kim
Again it has nothing to do with the gun. In Europe there's more stabings and more bombings.. so the difference is the weapon/tool used. Is it the hammers fault if I bash someone's head in with it or is it simply that I grabbed a hammer and bashed the head in with it? My point is if I want to kill someone or a large group of people I have other means. I don't see Europe banning cars, knives, or fertilizer, so Europe can step off my guns.
Also the right to own a gun in the US is to prevent the government from having the ability to over throw it's citizens.
If it wasn't for all the armed citizens the US would have been invaded by other countries a long time ago. WW2 is proof if that, the Japanese admirals refused to invade main land US not because of our army, but because of our armed citizens. Us being armed is for recreation and protection both from foreign governments and our own

[2pacalypsenow]

Because people in other countries uses buses, knifes and explosives.

[Jin_Sakai]

“Only in America! How come the rest of the world don't have this problem? Oh that's right, they don't let kids play with guns.”

To get a gun in America people should have a mental evaluation.

[Cobra951]

They do. But how many criminals buy guns legitimately? How safe is a father's gun in the vicinity of his unstable teenager?

[sampsonon]

because places like Canada it's hard to get a gun.

[Hungryalpaca]

No it’s not. You get a license then order from a catalogue. It’s a relatively short in class session over a few days.

[sampsonon]

@Hungryalpaca: compared to the states it's hard. most people in canada don't own a gun and have never seen a real gun except on a cops belt. I'm not going to argue with you because those are the facts. https://www.cbc.ca/news/can...

[Hungryalpaca]

I just said I’m an owner of an AR-15 and you send me an article about the procedures I already went through.

You said it’s harder to get a gun. Only in the sense you can’t just go buy an AR-15 but you can get your license and leave with an M1 Garand the exact same day. The first rifle I ever bought was a Russian SKS with a bayonet on it. Got it the day after I got my license.

That crap only applied to “restricted” weapons of which the government has no idea what they’re talking about. They base the restriction on how “mean” it looks. The AK-47 - semi autos even DEACTIVATED rifles are banned here unless you have one grandfathered in. They’re only banned because terrorists and our enemies use them. Not because they’re better at killing than anything else. Just because it’s a “mean” gun.

The AK is banned yet I can go buy a Barrett M82 .50 caliber anti material rifle. They cost $10k Canadian but I can go buy one none the less.

It’s harder to get a car here than it is a gun bud.

As for most Canadians only seeing a gun on a cops belt, also not true. There’s gun stores, gun clubs, trade shows all over the place. Over 20% of Canadians are gun owners. Over 60% have fired a gun.

[rainslacker]

That's what I thought. When you have the media saying how American it is to have a gun....its a right damn it...then it's going to have an effect. It may not just be an American thing though, as violent media in general is higher than it was when i was a kid 30 years ago, and the issue of media violence was a big topic back then, until games came along to take the spot light. Social conditioning has an effect in kids, especially in the long run, as this has been going on for quite a while.

It's a social thing now, and playing a violent game is just incidental, because if you look at statistics of other things, fewer people feel safe in the world today, which leads to more gun sales.

[fathertime4464]

I used guns as a kid, my wife used guns as a kid, and when our daughter is old enough she will use guns also.
It has nothing to do with being American, there are plenty of other countries with armed citizens.
It's whether or not you teach your kid to respect the weapon. What's done with guns isn't the guns fault, it's people.
Coincidentally in countries where citizens can't own a gun knife and vehicular mansloter are higher than they are in America. Should those countries ban knives and vehicles?

[SephirothX21]

The US is a relatively new country. It's still learning. Give it time

[Cobra951]

The problem is that we are unlearning what works at an alarming rate. We were doing great last century.

[crazyCoconuts]

The study involved toy guns btw

[KillZallthebeast]

you're right they just have to be worried about getting stabbed or acid thrown in their face. Such a better way to go.

[Flewid638]

Here in the States our retardation levels are high. Especially at Wal-Mart....which makes up the bulk of the country.

[lociefer]

Makes you wonder what esrb and pegi are for if stupid parents keep buying their damn spoiled kids games meant for adults

[fathertime4464]

Lmao, it's to cover the game developers asses so they can't be sued. You can warn people all you want, you can't fix stupid

[nyu1]

It's not very clear cut. Many games that are rated Mature are not that disturbing and can be played by kids no problem, while some games actually go pretty far with that rating and have legitimately disturbing content. Blood and gore in themselves are not always disturbing either.

It's hard because in the age of the internet, young kids are part of exactly the same online community that adults are part of. If there's an actual mature game out there is popular, then kids see that too, and that is the one game they want to play. On youtube and n4g and reddit, we don't draw lines between Fortnite and say, GTA V. The latter has a very disturbing torture scene near the beginning of the game.

It's time that parents to do research into these games, and the actual detailed content of the rating. Also, developers have to start making it more clear, even at the cost of appealing to a smaller audience.

[Tross]

I agree that the ESRB system needs some revamping as an M rating has been used for games with content ranging from nudity and other things clearly not for younger audiences, to maybe someone drops an F-Bomb. Heck, to this day I don’t understand the M-rating on Phoenix Wright Dual Destinies. In short, I think we need an extra rating, and this is one more reason why I wish companies would grow a pair and stop fearing an AO rating.

[MoonConquistador]

And supplement that with access to a firearm

[JackBNimble]

That's right blame the parents, but did you know that this particular study was using minecraft as the violent game?
I seriously question the legitimacy of this study .
They may as well have been playing Mario , I'm willing to bet the result would have been the same.

[Elda]

LOL!!! Smh.

[TeamIcoFan]

Studies also show that idiots who believe that violent video games will turn kids into serial killers are 100% fine with USA becoming a nanny state like Australia.

[crazyCoconuts]

We'll be there soon from the looks of it.

[TeamIcoFan]

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[HexxedAvenger]

yea blame the games not the parents that buy the games for their kid. smh

[cfc83]

If we got rid of violent video games, and gun crime went up, does this mean it would've been because there aren't enough violent video games ?

[Brave_Losers_Unite]

None of those scenarios would happen

[cfc83]

Coincedences happen

[rainslacker]

Gun crimes are down overall last time I checked. There are some rather horrific instances of gun violence with the mass shootings, but statistically speaking, they are a blip in the data.

So, that kind of counters the idea that games cause violence. Although I do believe anything can be a stimulus for someone who isnt mentally well, but that's a mental thing, and you dont restrict or ban everything just because some people take it too far. If you did that, we wouldn't have anything but work and sleep...in which case people would probably become violent due to boredom, or suicide rates would rise drastically.

[Cobra951]

Yeah. To get an understanding of the likelihood of your kid being there during a school shooting, you'd have to add up all of the school sessions across the whole country during the period that encompasses the school shootings. So, basically, during the time it took to have 3 school shootings, there were, what, millions (?) of school sessions (schooldays X number of schools) where there wasn't a single shot fired. So the odds of being safe in school are enormously higher than the odds of surviving daily commutes during rush hour. The media turns each of these horrific events into a circus that lasts weeks, if not months. Our perception is extremely skewed by that, and we start to fear that every school in our neighborhood is going to start having casualties.

[crazyCoconuts]

Enough with your logic! 😉

[rainslacker]

The chances are infinitesimally small. Child is more likely to be killed in a car crash on the way to school. Kind of a creepy thing to think about. I don't like minimalizing the horror of such events, but people really should't be so worried as they are. Even the chances of being the victim of a terrorist attack are practically nothing, although there are some professions, places one might go/work, or things they may do which could increase those chances for them. It's highly unlikely suburbanites would ever have to worry about it. We hear about a lot of these things on TV, but I know that a lot of people who are worried about it happening to them, and speak out about it(which is fine), also probably don't even know someone affected by any of it. More so as you move further away from where they happen.

I understand the media's place in it, as it is something we all would hate to happen, and nothing pulls on the heartstrings like a tragic event like that. I do feel sympathy and empathy for the victims, and certainly don't want it to happen, but the irrational fear that comes from it gets grating after a while. Looking for something to blame, other than the perpetrator, is damaging to society as it doesn't even bother to get to the root of the issue. And it's being used as political leverage from both sides. On one side, you have, "Only person who can stop someone with a gun is someone else with a gun", which makes sense, although shooters often shoot themselves, or they're shot by trained professionals, and I question if it's safer to have anybody just go in guns ablazing, responsible or not. Then you have the other side who says that we need more gun control reform, even though there are gun controls in place, so they ask for the world, so responsible limits get harder to set because it becomes an "us vs. them" mentality of gun owners vs uneducated people who don't understand the issues and only fight the issue with their feels. Then of course the third side which has to use it to try and control something....like gaming.

It's a never ending circus, and not a single ounce of it bothers to look at the underlying issues, which isn't guns, or violent media, but rather lack of training or lack of information about mental disorders and how to get people help. It's extremely rare that someone just goes off the wall without some signs. There are always signs, so the people who say, "he never showed any signs", are more saying, "We didn't notice any signs(or didn't care)", because they don't know what to look for.

[ShadowWolf712]

...being into guns doesn't make you a killer. Sweet Jesus.

[blackblades]

I'm more into swords then guns, guns are for cowards thats to scare to fight with there hands.

[jeki]

No, but most mass killers are into guns.

[alb1899]

But if Sony is the king of videogames, why show an xbox's controller...... because is bad news?

[MasterCornholio]

They were playing Minecraft in the study.

[Razzer]

Wow......laughing at the paranoia. Anyway, more than likely they wanted the blood to show up better on a white controller. And considering most Xbox 360 controllers (like the one in the thumbnail) are white, it was probably the easiest to find.

But sorry.....don't let some common sense ruin your PS4 bias lunacy.

[nowitzki2004]

MS is more known for shooters being played by kids

[Arty84]

Personally games have me wanting a tank

[MasterCornholio]

#Minecraft Kills

:P

[Smokehouse]

I wonder how much tax dollars were wasted on that grant.

[Brave_Losers_Unite]

Better then "Why eating too much sugar from soda is bad"

[Smokehouse]

Barely lol

[jeki]

They probably spent more on loot box and pay-to-win analysis. Unless they did no studies on that at all?

[Prince-Ali]

Why are these studies ALWAYS done in USA looool!? a country where wild shizz is a norm! What's it like for the rest of us where mass shootings and gun availability isnt the damn norm!? But with this being said what's the excuse for all the heightened aggression through the ages before video games...?

[rainslacker]

Mass shootings aren't a norm here in the us. They're horrific for sure, but gun crime is actually down in the US.

[Prince-Ali]

so..? loool gun crime is down in the US...? So loool

[rainslacker]

So, Ali, it means that despite the increase in violent media which usually features guns, that actual gun violence is down, which is counter to the ideas that get thrown out that this media somehow is correlative to violence in society.

[yomfweeee]

All this study proves is that if you expose a child to anything, regardless of source (game, movie, real life)... they'll have an increased chance at wanting to recreate it.

I bet if you played a cooking game and each version of the game was cooking something different... then you ask them to cook something in real life... they'll probably try to cook the same thing they did in the game.

[cell989]

This is true

[NecrumOddBoy]

In other words, parents are the ones who are ultimately responsible for their children.

[Razzer]

Yeah.....we should make kids give up video games so they watch all the wholesome content in TV and cartoons.

Such as....
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[bluefox755]

This again? Really? How many times does this have to be debunked before people let it go?

[2pacalypsenow]

Nothing wrong with an interest in firearms.

[rainslacker]

I dont own any, but I find such things fascinating. I do have a bow however. Guess we can blame games like tomb raider or horizon for making me have an interest in archery. I used to have a pistol when I hunted in my youth. I dont know if I had an opinion on if I wanted either way. It was just a practical necessity in case my arrow didn't hit true. Although, a knife would have been just as effective I suppose.

I can say in all these years, I've never felt like shooting a person with a bow. Deer, targets, and a brief stint testing my skills on rabbits, which broke more arrows than I could buy rabbit meat for.

[Cobra951]

I shot an arrow once at a rabbit, fully expecting to miss, and I did. But the arrow bounced flat on the hard ground, and skewered the poor thing. I felt horrible. It's the last time I've hunted anything, and that was 49 years ago. (Good God! That math was painful.)

[rainslacker]

My bow is pretty heavy, and too powerful for hunting rabbits. When I hunted them, I'm not sure it was the best thing to use, as a direct strike would throw them pretty hard....which isn't good when you go to clean them as it can break bones.

Arrows do usually bounce unless it's a direct hit. They're actually pretty flexible, with a lot of inertia behind them, which causes a sudden amount of torque when not striking directly. Rabbits are close to the ground, and they tend to stay in places around rocks, so my arrows would sometimes break against those when striking dead on.

I was exaggerating the number of arrows broken. I just found the exercise rather unproductive, and generally not worth the effort.

[ufo8mycat]

Sigh. Not this nonsense again.
How about PROPER PARENTING, putting your foot down and stop buying games that are not meant for children?

Just like you train your child, while they are growing up, about good behaviour, politeness and stuff like that, how about talking with your child about the differences between video games and reality, that maybe their young adolescent mind might not yet understand.

Enough with this “study shows” nonsense. Time for proper parenting. By the way, you don’t see every kid that plays games, go out and shoot someone. Why? Because they know the difference, because they were brought up properly by their parents and/or they don’t have an underlining psychological issue, which is a problem, not the games.

[raWfodog]

Here's the main problem I have with this 'study':

"The study paired off 220 kids aged eight to twelve. The children were exposed to three different versions of Minecraft. All three versions had varying degrees of violence. One had no violence, the other had sword violence, and the last version had gun violence. Each child then played for 20 minutes, then was walked into a room with toys as well as a cabinet with disabled, real, handguns."

I don't care how old you are, or what kind of games you play, the majority of kids are going to be interested in checking out a real handgun which will definitely stand out when surrounded by toys. That's just natural curiosity.

Also, this study is far from conclusive using such a small group and not in ideal testing conditions.

Also..."There have been many tests done on the effects of violent video games on children. Many studies similar to this have found results that have conflicted with one another. Thus making it hard to come to a consensus on the topic."

[DaDrunkenJester]

I bet you do that with any adult and they will check out the guns as well. Remove the video games all together... the kids would still gravitate to the guns. It's something they have never probably seen or held so of course they would be interested in it.

[GrimReaperGamer]

Played GTA 3 starting at the age of 11. I've never shot a gun and have never killed anyone.

Fuck your study.

[Shikoku]

Yeah this classifies as a study about as well as that bullshit one that tried to claim women make up 51% of gaming several years ago. They are making this bullshit claim off a group of 220 kids who played 3 different version of "MINECRAFT" for 20 mins.....yeah junk study used for click bait.

[rainslacker]

Women do account for about 51% of players though. Just us here in the community tend to not think gamers are just someone who happens to play a game, but rather, plays certain kinds of games.

This study, it's just like the rest. Takes two pieces of data and connects them, disregarding any correlative data that exists. Mainly how guns are promoted by the media, how it's becoming an gid given American right, violent media in general increasing, and the increase in the number of people who feel feel unsafe daily.

Can also say that someone drawn to violence, or owning a gun may be drawn more to games that feature.such things. Playing NHL hockey didn't make me a hockey fan, rather, I play NHL hockey because I'm a hockey fan. Chances are, if someone is drawn to guns, they're going to want to play games that feature guns.

Studies like this dont take other explanations into account. But empirical data from other sources seems to show that the increase in violent media isnt correlative to an increase in violence, because violence in general has decreased. About the only violence that has seen an increase is terrorist acts, which is probably why more people may feel they need a gun

[Shikoku]

No they don't make up 51% of gaming they didn't when the cherry picked data was presented as fact and they don't now. Stop making bullshit assertions with no evidence to back it up I've seen you do this several times on different articles. This study is bogus, the previous study I mentioned was bogus and so is your assertion.

[rainslacker]

"Stop making bullshit assertions with no evidence to back it up"

You mean like you did in your original comment?

What cherry picking was there? The studies on the make up of gamers are people who play games, and those who don't, couple with their gender. There was yet another about who provides the most revenue for games across the industry, and it was women as well.

You assert that the gender study is irrelevant, because of how you define "gamer". The study refers to them as people who play games a set amount of time per week, or another one just anyone who plays a game. Or it measures it by revenue. In the two major studies that have made the most press on the topic, they were both done in a way that explicitly cited their metrics, and there was nothing wrong with those two metrics. How the media, and some gamers interpreted it, coupled with the whole Gamergate thing going on at the time making it more a heightened issue, is what made people redefine what the studies reported. Thus, it's others who made the assertions. I'm just clarifying the conclusion of the actual study.

This article's study, I agree is bogus, but that doesn't make other studies bogus. If you want to say that the conclusions formed from some people outside the study, which didn't place any kind of spin on what the numbers meant, was bogus, that's fine, but if you're going to cite something, at least make it equitable to the topic at hand, such as gun violence statistics. It fluctuates year over year, and homicides are up from 10 years ago, but down from 20 years ago. Overall gun related violence, not resulting in homicides, is down. Suicides by guns are up. So, gun deaths are up, gun violence is down.

Women make up more than 50% of the people who play games. If you want to talk about the "hardcore" gaming make up, then they on't make up that much. Last study I saw some years ago was around 15-16%, and that was for console gamers only. PC gamers is hard to measure as accurately, because there is every kind of game on there, many of which are common among casuals or women.

I don't care how many times you've seen me do something. You are the one that said the study was BS, so if you want to disprove me, don't turn the impetus on me for proof. Back up your own claims, so i don't have a leg to respond on. I don't mind being wrong, but I need more than you throwing a tantrum as if you are smarter than me to make me care to look further into it.

[victorMaje]

Blame video games, blame movies, blame the devil's music, blame any form of imitation of life but by all means never blame the circumstances, never the cause, never try to understand why, never blame those who were supposed to be the guides to what's to come.

Can we now see the same study with absent V/S present adult supervision?

[Sgt_Slaughter]

I have met zero people, those of which played CoD or Battlefield or Black or Perfect Dark or GoldenEye or DOOM etc., that have suddenly had the sudden draw to guns, let alone use one.

Video games have been attacked since the 80s, this is nothing new nor something that is going away for whatever reason. There's a parental guide/ratings system in place, after that it's on the parents. If they have a problem with it, they can *uck off and actually parent their kids instead of buying 8 year old Billy GTA V and wondering how it happened or why he suddenly can hijack a car and C4 everyone in his path.

[raWfodog]

"...they can *uck off and actually parent their kids instead of buying 8 year old Billy GTA V and wondering how it happened or why he suddenly can hijack a car and C4 everyone in his path."

But even that comment implies that these types of games induce violence tendencies/behavior in children which I totally disagree with. I believe there are just people who are genetically predisposed to violent tendencies and, no matter how much love, attention, or stability they receive at home, they will still go on to perform violent acts. The vast majority of us can be exposed to violent media and video games all day long and still have no desire to go out there and hurt people. I, myself, love Kratos and all the violent stuff he does in his games, and I love watching gory movies and violent action films but I can't bring myself to watch videos of actual killings, dismemberments, or bones breaking. I get squeamish at those :)

[Donnie81]

I’ve been around guns my whole life. I’ve played video games for as long as I can remember. I own hundreds of firearms and never go anywhere without one. There’s nothing wrong with being a responsible gun owner. I have never shot anyone as a civilian. Being a gun owner doesn’t make you a waco

[chrono1205]

Study Shows That Kids Who I Given Art Supplies Are More Likely to Drawn.

A study was preformed by gaving 4 kids color pencils and paper. After only a few seconds 3 out of 4 began to draw.

[rainslacker]

The fourth sniffed or ate the paint?

[ger2396]

"There have been many tests done on the effects of violent video games on children. Many studies similar to this have found results that have conflicted with one another. Thus making it hard to come to a consensus on the topic."

[GoodnessGreatness]

Played counter strike, half life, quake, etc when I was 10 and I don't have any interest in owning a gun unless I need to.

[Razzer]

Studies show that kids who are subjected to studies are more likely to not study.

[Bleucrunch]

Utter nonsense, I am a 90's kid and I remember when Mortal Kombat first came out they thought it was going to be end of civilization. Here is why that did not happen, I had parents who raised me to know that I cannot say "Finish Him" like in the game and think I can uppercut someone and their head will come off their head. Just like I know I cannot walk around with guns and just start shooting things.

When will the parents take responsibility for what they are teaching their children while raising them. The kid that thinks because spider-man can walk on walls, they can too speak to a larger problem of differentiating reality from fantasy....

[kayoss]

Dont blame the game, blame the parents who allow their kids to play these type of games. There are ratings just like in movies.

[Tross]

Do researchers understand what a confounding variable is? Clearly not, despite that being covered in a 200 level undergraduate social research class.

It is clear as day that those with an interest in guns and gun culture are more likely to enjoy media, including videogames with guns in them. Those who are “aggressive” may also be more likely have a fondness for violent media too. Note that liking guns and being a violent individual are also two different things, so that too is a confounding variable.

[Phantom68]

For every study that claims something, there will be an opposite study that claims the contrary.

[bamillington]

rubbish

[nyctophilia13]

Been playing violent games since the 80s. I hate guns.

[xPaYDaYx]

Study shows that parents who let their kids play violent video games results in children that are more attracted to guns.*
Fixed your title.

[CrimsonWing69]

I’m sure the same could be said about watching action movies or listening to gangster rap.

[ChronoJoe]

The study demonstrates that children who are familiar with guns in games, are more likely to touch them in-real life when they are left unattended.

However, this scenario is rather artificial. If you have unsecured firearms in your house... then the issue is that, you have unsecured firearms in your house. Not that your kids might watch a TV show and then hold your firearm for longer.

In all cases, children were very likely to exhibit dangerous behaviour if they found an unsecured handgun. More likely, if they had just played a violent video game, but not so much so that those who hadn't played the game would be considered safe.

Guns and gun safety are the problem, not the kids, not the games.
Getting kids to take a gun safety class doesn't fix the problem (as the article suggests), not having access to the gun in the first place, fixes the problem.

[l33t_haxx0r]

Age rating exists for a reason

[Psychotica]

Kids who eat steak are more likely to be drawn to knives..

[Flewid638]

I've loved violent video games for over 30 years and I have no interest in guns.

[BadElf]

Study shows that studies arent always right.

And whats wrong with guns?

[Jayszen]

I am a child of the 60s and 70s and I can assure you we were exposed to stuff that parents would not let kids view these days and I am not even talking about stuff we watched on the Six Million Dollar Man and then tried to do ourselves like jumping from a two storey building (guilty). I had toy machine gun, rifles and six-shooters with these firework caps that sounded alarmingly real and with which we would pretend to kill each other. As an old man now, I am definitely not a serial killer nor have any liking for mass killing or any kind of killing. In fact my passion is cooking. Go figure that.

[jeki]

It won't be long before the US federal government tries to ban violent video games.

If the argument can be made that children need to be protected from loot boxes and pay-to-win games, the argument against violent games will be a lot easier to make.

Just think, The Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act will actually make many video games illegal. Illegal video games. One more time: illegal video games.

[SinisterKieran]

Oh well

[BoneMagnus]

Mankind was not violent until video games were invented. Video games were to blame for: the guillotine, crucifixion, the Iron Maiden, draw and quartering, tar and feathering and stoning.

It’s a little known fact that Vlad the Impaler was an avid player of Unreal Tournament back in the day.

Yep, without those darn video games, we’d be a people free from any violent impulse or act!

(SARCASM!!!)

[zodiac909]

Me: *Sees article title*
"Ahh shit, here we go again."

[NicSage]

Yeah, My son nor daughter show any interest in the guns we have. I think some kids/people are just more prone to violence than others. I think the deal with guns in one aspect is that wow factor how cool. We took that away by taking them shooting and if they ever wanted to see the guns just come to us and we will handle them together. They asked once through the first week we had them and nothing after that.

By showing the power of the weapon we also had the chance to explain that it is not a toy although it can be fun there are dire consequences that come with a weapon if ever used improperly.

[AK91]

What a load of bullsh*t, I’ve been playing violent video games since I was a kid and the idea of even looking at a gun feels uncomfortable to me.

[Zenbaby369]

Studies show that kids that are drawn to guns, are more likely to play violent video games.

[gtxgamer2]

Yeah because stealing cars and killing strippers in GTA will definitely lead to a violent lifestyle..

/s

[GameStallion]

Because guns are awesome. Just like when I play a jet simulator game it makes me want to get my pilots license. Does it mean I want to Kamikaze a plane into a bunch of people, no!

In other news, studies show news outlets who write articles about guns have nothing new or relevant to add to public discourse.

[sprinterboy]

Been gaming since 1982, never owned or wanted to own a gun, never been in trouble with the police but have certainly lived a wild life.

[XxINFERNUSxX]

I already have a bad temper and aggressive without violent games. That's just how I am ^_^

[LandoCalrissiano]

That's like saying people who enjoy cooking are more likely to be drawn towards fire.

[WelkinCole]

And they now say white meat is just as bad as red meat in terms of cholesterol.

[JokerBoy422]

They might even... oh it's too horrible to say... they might, they might.... join the military! OH GOD THE HUMANITY!!!!!!!!!!!

[ThatDudeMunkee]

First books, then music, then movies, and now games. Please, explain to me how these issues don't correlate to a different underlying mental problem such as bad parenting, mental diseases such as bipolar disorder/autism/borderline personality disorder, and not as a result of video games? It's been proven time and time again that games do not cause violent behaviour, but rather, an underlying illness does.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

My dragon dad Igneel told me not guns because they can hurt ppl, but use it with care like my magic and guess what? I have protected my guildmates and bae lucy from danger. Btw Off-topic; Big bro Zeref I'm ready for my battle.

[xX1NORM1Xx]

i can see how they would be drawn to guns i was, im from the UK and i'm anti gun but i was very interested in them and how they worked as a kid thanks to call of duty and an early obsession with action man (kinda like barbie but with guns and attack dogs in the UK not sure in america had a similar thing).

Fortnite and Nerf teamed up to make Fortnite guns into Nerf guns... as you could have probably guessed but its not just games that are promoting guns to kids we have had water guns and dart guns for decades not to mention the TV and Movies are always showing guns as something "cool" and the fact that we vilify guns makes kids want to pursue them.

If you sit your kid down and tell them about guns and how they aren't toys in their real form and that they are weapons of war not just playthings or props i think its fine to have all the above mentioned things as alternatives to real weaponry.

It's all about understanding like drugs, cigarettes and alcohol as long as they understand the dangers and risks involved and we don't try to hide them from our children they won't be as drawn to them at least that's why i don't take drugs smoke or drink because I've seen what they CAN lead too so i decided they weren't for me if you decide the opposite then that's fair enough as long as you understood the risks.

TL;DR Information is key, don't hide stuff you dislike from your children because it just makes them more interested.

[EricLane]

Study shows people who aren't drawn to guns are instead drawn to wiener.

[Veneno]

Guns are a part of the real world 🌎. People are interested in them whether they are in games or not. So what? I hope this was a privately funded study and no taxpayer money went to this garbage.

[GtPawnSacrifices]

Personally I’d say it’s the other way around:
Kids who draw guns are more likely to play violent games.

[AngelicToucH]

If i saw a movie where they eat mc donalds and then i would be walked around a room with salad, chips and mc donalds..i can assure you i will choose McDonalds. Just because a kid is drawn to a gun ..doens't mean it's closely related to the game as it's the feeling of power for a tiny human being and imagination. This study is the most retarded ive ever seen.

[Angyobangyo]

Studies show that studies linking aggression and violence to games are nonsense.

[psuedo]

Boys before video games were attracted to cowboy Indians, guns, cars. Girls dolls and dress up and whatever girls stuff. Who would of thought it. Also boys who play racing games are more attracted to racing stuff who.....would of......thought it. People who play sports games are they attracted to sports stuff?

[Chexs1990]

I played violent video games when I was a kid, I love guns... Nothing wrong with that, doesn't mean I'm gonna shoot somebody

[conanlifts]

Or kids that are more aggressive and like guns are more likely to be drawn to violent video games.
The other take away from this study is you gave the children a weapon in a game and then exposed them to a weapon directly afterwards. Repeat the study and get the ones using the guns to play a non violent version. Then see how the percentages alter. It is poor design as you already planted the idea in the children's head. Get them to play a driving game then expose them to a toy room with cars. What do you think they will pick up!

[carcarias]

Could 'potentially'? So nothing conclusive then?

Also, is it that strange for someone to have an increased interest in something they've seen and had fun with in fiction/entertainment?

'Kids playing tennis, hockey and football video games could potentially lead to an interest in sport'. Not so strange put like that is it? And no, it isn't different. Developing an interest in guns doesn't mean you've developed an interest in mass murder.

[GruntboxWizard]

I'm torn on this. I live in the UK and I love the idea of owning a gun and taking it to the shooting range and stuff. I'm going to take up archery instead and I'm not sure if video games have influenced me or not. That said I'm not aggressive at all.

[Orionsangel]

Actually most are drawn to guns because their old man introduced them to guns at the age of 3. Because Dad shoots guns and wants to pass it on to his kids.

[Dom_Estos]

No. Living in a fucked up society that promotes guns is more likely to draw kids to guns.

[shadowraiserx]

The same thing could be said about violent movies...

[Soybetaboy]

Makes sense and this sets a bad presidency for gaming

[Lividgravy]

Could is the key word.

[Lividgravy]

Its click bait

[CrystalFantasy3]

It's called being republican

[Deadsinister]

Yes I was drawn to the needler from halo 2, my friends wonder why I’m a great hunter I come home with more deer then them lol cheers.

[thepluggy]

So i guess the 10 year study by the British Journal of medicine, stating that violence in video games does not lead to real life violence is obsolete now!?

[saint_seya]

Funny thing is, when i was a kid i thought guns and hunting was cool, and had no games (at least not violent ones), and when i grow up a bit i started to hate guns/hunting and i started to play games like Counter Strike, Quake, Unreal..

First: if a child that is underage goes crazy for playing violent games, then the ones responsable are parents. What kind of parents expose childs to things that they shouldnt have access ? why dont you let em watch porn when you are it right?.

Second: Some people have problems and will always have, there has been with issues always, some try to make it as the enviroment fault instead of a problem of the individual. Sadly that exist and will always exists. Normal/good parents with crazy kids, crazy parents with normal kids.

[Vanfernal]

A study based on a 20 minute play session... Good to see the scientific method is live and kicking. Smh.

[RizBiz]

I can't believe people actually get paid to do this sh!t.

[KillBill]

Remember when the push was to demonize toy guns and those green little plastic army men. why? Because everyone thinks they know why kids grow up to do harmful things. I tell you... it is the white bread. :P

[ChristopherJack]

As an Aussie, obviously pro gun control, that doesn't mean an outright ban and I'd still like to go to firing range and handle one.
My interest in guns definitely stems from games and movies, no point arguing that, but I'm the least aggressive person that I've ever met, perhaps because I use games as an outlet.

[demonicale]

It's an American issue. If you don't agree then you're American or you can't accept the truth.

[BuildTheWall]

Does this mean that RDR is going to create Cowboys & Native American? If games draw people to guns , then movies create Native Americans. Wait tv does create Native Americans or maybe just fake ones , hell it could be that doing acid makes you think that you may be Native American. Well Elizabeth Warren is 1/1024 Native American at most , so something made her think she was Native American , wait she did know that being Native American can make it easier to get into college & she knew damn well she wasn't Native American & still she used the lie about being Native American to cheat her way into college

[BuildTheWall]

People here cry about firearms in the U.S. & mass shootings. The mass shooting in Virginia has something in common with over 98% of all other mass shootings , it occurred in a gun free zone. Funny how those of us in areas that allow open carry / concealed carry don't really have much of an issue with mass shootings. The buying guns online & anyone can buy a gun at a gun show without a background check are lies. The closest you can get to buying a gun online are custom gun shops & they run a background check on you before you have a gun built & the gun is then required by law to be shipped to a gun store & they then run a background check on you at the gun store , oh & on any attempted firearms purchase at a gunshow they run a background check on the individual attempting to purchase a firearm. The assault rifle/ machine gun thing that the DemocRATS use all the time is a lie , automatic firearms / assault rifles cannot be purchased stores & have pretty much been banned since the 1930's

[BuildTheWall]

This article makes me want to buy a gun.

[mastershredder]

Holy crap there are some insecure little boys in this thread! Way to man up my dudes. xD

[bumsick]

But these same kids have never watched a violent movie in their lives...... Society glamorises violence, it comes from various factors, but hey, its totally video games!

[Max_Eckhardt]

The evidence is clear. Now, let us destroy every xbox console so that our youth cannot be further corrupted by Microsoft.

[syphon32]

Living in a world with a bunch of fucking idiots can cause the same reaction

[thegamerjp84]

Im a 35 yr old military master at arms [law enforcement specialist] veteran went to war 4 years spent 8 years in military. I hunt, go to gun ranges,teach my kids to be safe and smart around guns and how to fight. I play nerf gun games with kids laser tag too. Ive played every violent video game since i was 5 till now and still play COD an MK11 with my kids. I dont even own a gun. my kids are great and have kid fun while still having A's and high B's in school with out ever getting in trouble or causing scenes because not only do i play with them.. . I talk to them and i whoop dat ass every single time they have needed it. Parents stop being lazy dumb whispering eyes and do your dam jobs so these idiots with the bull shit test can stop talking shit.

[Starman69]

Ban guns then ffs 🤣

[meep316]

could it be that kids who like guns, like guns both in real life and in video games?

[Shinkus]

My earliest gaming memories were when I was 3 watching my brothers play Doom and mortal Kombat. Here I am 23 years later and I've never owned a gun or been in even a fist fight.

[Sieden]

Have you ever seen what happens when someone's favorite sports team loses? I think "heightened aggression" would fit there too.