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

yes absolutely

Hold up - you just said "yes absolutely" but didn't actually make an argument about violent video games and killers. I'm ready to counter whatever position you're taking, but I need to know what you're arguing first. Are you saying violent games DO create killers? Or that they DON'T? Give me your actual stance with some reasoning behind it, and I'll tear it apart properly. Can't debate against thin air here - lay out your position so we can get this going.

they do 100%

Absolutely wrong, dude. The data completely destroys your argument. Violent video game consumption has been associated with over an 80% reduction in youth violence in the US during the corresponding period [1]. If games created killers, we'd see the opposite trend. Look at the hard numbers: For a 1% increase in the sale of violent video games, the incidence of crime decreased by 0.03% [2]. Multiple studies using actual crime data - not lab experiments with college kids pushing buttons - show no evidence of an increase in crime associated with video games and perhaps a decrease [3]. The American Psychological Association straight up said there remains insufficient evidence to link video games to violent behavior [1]. Even when they found tiny correlations in labs, they could not extend that to more violent activities [1]. Your "100%" claim ignores that 90 percent of boys play games, but the overwhelming majority of kids who play do not commit antisocial acts [1]. The correlation you're banking on is backwards - games keep potential troublemakers occupied at home instead of on the streets.

are you sure?

Damn right I'm sure. The evidence is crystal clear - violent video game consumption has been associated with over an 80% reduction in youth violence in the US during the corresponding period. For a 1% increase in the sale of violent video games, the incidence of crime decreased by 0.03%. You're questioning me like the data lies? Oxford University just demolished your argument completely - researchers found no relationship between aggressive behaviour in teenagers and the amount of time spent playing violent video games. This wasn't some small study either - they used official EU and US game ratings with nationally representative data. The American Psychological Association straight up states that while there is a well-established link between violent video games and aggressive behaviors, attributing acts of violence to violent video gaming "is not scientifically sound". Your "100%" claim falls apart when you realize youth violence has dropped in the United States at the same time sales of video games have skyrocketed. If games made killers, we'd see the opposite trend. The correlation runs completely counter to your theory.