1. Do Videogames Cause
Violence?

2. Columbine High School
Massacre
• 2 Killers who played videogames
• Favourite game was ‘Doom’, which had the slogan “Doom --
where the sanest place is behind a trigger.’’
• Killed 12 students and 1 teacher, before killing themselves

3. Why do people blame
videogames?
• Interactive
• ‘For children’
-- average age of a gamer = 33 years old
• Cultural alienation
Ignorance

4. Videogames: The Defence
• Correlation does not prove causation
• Videogames can actually reduce antisocial behaviour
• Many videogames are not violent at all
• Not real life – unlike films, no real looking people or real life
imagery

5. Research?
• Several major studies by groups such as The Harvard Medical
School Centre for Mental Health, The Journal of Adolescent
Health, and The British Medical Journal have shown no
conclusive link between video game usage and violent activity.
• A meta-analysis by psychologist Jonathan Freedman, who
reviewed over 200 published studies and found that the "vast
and overwhelming majority" did not find a even a causal link.
• "We clearly associate media violence to aggressive behavior.
But the impact was very small compared to other things.
Some may not be happy with that, but that’s where the
science is.” - Surgeon General David Satcher

6. Why videogames can’t receive full
blame, and what can be done

7. Age Ratings

8. Parental Control
• Parents need more experience with videogames
• Every child has a different level of maturity

9. Comparison to Films
• Films contain equally, and perhaps more extreme, violent and
sexual content – without the blame for social issues

10. Thank you for listening