The New Media of Violent Video Games
Mass shootings from Jonesboro, Arkansas in 1998 to Aurora, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut in 2012 have brought the issue of media effects (particularly violent video games) on young people to the forefront once again. Although discussion about the issue of media and their impact extends at least as far back as 1954, when the US Senate held formal hearings on whether media violence leads to juvenile delinquency, and encompasses thousands of research studies, reviews, and commentaries, conclusions remain elusive, particularly to policy makers and the media industry. While the majority of parents in the United States believe that there is a relationship between exposure to violent media and aggression, a substantial minority (48% disagrees or are not sure. By contrast, a recent survey of psychologists and pediatricians found that the majority agree that violent video games may have harmful effects (B. J. Bushman and C. Carlos, unpublished data, 2013) The past decade has given us excellent new theoretical models and sophisticated research on the effects (both positive and negative) of new technology on children and adolescents. Yet, in spite of these advances, there still exists "gaps" in our and it appears the public's knowledge and conclusions about the effects of some of these newer media technologies. Perhaps no area is more central and publicly debated then that of violent video games. This brief commentary will attempt to elucidate some of the problems and concerns in the current public debate but is not intended to be an exhaustive review of the literature.
Clinical pediatrics