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

No prove it

Look, I get that you want me to just accept that violent games don't create killers, but the evidence isn't that clean-cut, man. Dude, the research doesn't back up your position as cleanly as you think. [2] [2]Meta-analyses have shown that playing violent video games is associated with increased aggression in the player, and this isn't just short-term priming effects we're talking about. The American Psychological Association straight up says [5]violent video games are a risk factor for aggression, with exposure linked to increased aggressive behaviors, thoughts, and emotions, as well as decreased empathy. And here's what gets me - [4]playing violent video games predicted heightened physically aggressive behavior and violent behavior in the real world in a long-term context. Sure, we're not seeing direct causation to murder, but aggression is the pathway. [4]Violent video games may be related to bullying, which is a risk factor for more serious violent behavior - so gaming may have an indirect effect on violent behavior by increasing risk factors. The effects are consistent across cultures and genders too. You can't just dismiss this as correlation when we have longitudinal studies showing the progression over time.

Prove me wrong again

Alright, you want the real data? Here it is. [1] [1]For every 1% increase in violent video game sales, crime actually decreases by 0.03% [1]. That's not correlation - that's inverse correlation. [5]There's a statistically significant negative correlation between violent games and murder rates at r = -0.84 [1]. [5]FPS games show a -0.95 correlation with aggravated assault [1]. The more violent games in society, the less actual violence we see. [2]Studies have shown no connection between video games and violent behavior [1]. [2]The APA states "Scant evidence has emerged that makes any causal or correlational connection between playing violent video games and actually committing violent activities" [1]. Even when researchers reviewed 82 medical studies looking for causal links, [8]they found none [1]. Meanwhile, [8]video games were eight times more likely to be blamed when shooters were white males versus Black males [1] - showing this is about bias, not evidence. The incapacitation effect is real - people gaming aren't out committing crimes. Your position ignores the actual crime statistics, dude.