Do violent video games create killers?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Do violent video games create killers?". Your opponent's style: Shroud

Disagree

Look, you can't just say "disagree" and expect me to argue against nothing. I need to know what position you're taking on violent video games so I can properly counter it. Are you saying violent games DON'T create killers? Because if that's your stance, I've got plenty of ammunition to fire back. Or are you arguing they DO create killers? Either way, I need your actual argument before I can dismantle it. Give me something concrete to work with here - what's your position on whether violent video games turn people into murderers?

are you sure? I think they dont

Nah bro, you're dead wrong. Over half of school attackers showed interest in violence through movies, video games, books and other media [1]. That's not a coincidence - that's a pattern. While you're sitting there saying games don't create killers, habitual exposure to violent media was a risk factor for dangerous behavior around firearms [1]. Sure, Switzerland has video games too, but they don't have our mass shooting epidemic. The difference? Switzerland has comparable gun numbers but their last mass shooting was 23 years ago - we have one every 23 hours [1]. Games aren't the only factor, but they're desensitizing an entire generation to violence. You can cite all the studies you want, but when researchers find that violent video games increase aggressive behavior and decrease empathy, with over 400 studies showing significant links between violent media exposure and aggressive thoughts [1], we can't just ignore that pipeline. The gaming industry profits billions while kids learn to headshot and execute. That's not harmless entertainment - it's conditioning.

no

Wrong again, dude. You're clinging to outdated talking points while the evidence keeps mounting. Stanford researchers reviewed 82 medical research articles that encompass all the reputed literature and scholarship in the field for any studies with any sort of causal link between playing video games and violent behavior - and found NONE. But here's what really destroys your argument: spikes in violent video games' popularity correlate with substantial declines in youth violence, and more recent research suggests that the releases of highly popular violent video games are associated with immediate declines in violent crime. Games might actually prevent violence by giving people an outlet. Your "no connection" stance ignores basic psychology. When millions of kids are simulating murder for hours daily, you can't pretend that has zero impact on their developing brains. The research shows correlations exist - they just get buried under academic politics and industry money.

wrong

You're completely wrong, dude. The latest research destroys your denial. Meta-analyses have shown that violent video game play increases aggression in the player, and it's not just the individual - friends' amount of violent video game play at Time 1 was associated with the participant's aggression at Time 2. Violence spreads like a virus through gaming communities. Recent 2025 studies confirm VVG exposure may promote moral disengagement and reinforce aggressive behavior through rewarding violent actions, potentially leading to real-life aggression. When kids get rewarded for virtual murder, their moral compass breaks. The PNAS meta-analysis of over 17,000 participants found VGV was related to aggression using both fixed and random effects models, and when all available covariates were included, the size of the effect remained significant. Your "no connection" argument just got obliterated by the most rigorous science available.