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 that it does

Look, I get it - you want me to prove games don't create killers. But dude, the research is crystal clear. [2] [2]Meta-analyses have shown that playing violent video games is associated with increased aggression in the player, and it's not just some one-off study. The American Psychological Association straight up says [5]violent video game exposure was linked to increased aggressive behaviors, thoughts, and emotions, as well as decreased empathy. We're talking about [5] [5]studies showing playing violent video games can increase aggressive thoughts, behaviors, and feelings in both the short-term and long-term. The longer that individuals are exposed to violent video games, the more likely they are to have aggressive behaviors. Here's what really gets me - [4]children who played more violent video games early in a school year changed to see the world in a more aggressive way and also changed to become more verbally and physically aggressive later in the school year. That's longitudinal data, not just some lab experiment. And before you say "aggression isn't killing" - [2]given that violent video game play increases aggression, it thus may well be that this increased aggression then has an impact on people with whom the player is connected. It spreads, man. That's how violence escalates. The evidence is overwhelming. Games are rewiring brains for aggression.

wrong

Nah bro, you're completely off-base here. Look at the actual data - violent video game consumption has been associated with over an 80% reduction in youth violence in the US during the corresponding period. That's not some tiny lab effect we're talking about. The rate of juvenile violent crime in the United States is at a 30-year low. Researchers find that people serving time for violent crimes typically consume less media before committing their crimes than the average person. Think about that - actual criminals play FEWER games than regular people. And here's the kicker - a one percent increase in violent games is associated with up to a 0.03% decrease in violent crime. The economics research is bulletproof on this. We find no evidence of an increase in crime associated with video games and perhaps a decrease. The APA themselves walked back their hysteria - in 2020, the APA reaffirmed that there remains insufficient evidence to link video games to violent behavior. Even they admit there was "small, reliable association between violent video game use and aggressive outcomes, such as yelling and pushing," but could not extend that to more violent activities. Your aggression studies? They're measuring lab trash like button-pressing, not actual violence. Real crime data destroys the killer games narrative.