People are asking, “Do video games cause violent behavior?”
The shooting at the Madden 19 qualifiers in Jacksonville has brought the controversial topic to light again.
I don’t have PHDs but I am certain there will never be a definitive answer.
There are too many variables in a person’s life. There are of course triggers, but it’ll never be clear if just one thing will lead a person to commit a crime. In David Katz’s case, it may have contributed to it, but you cannot conclude that his childhood, family background, social environment and all of the above were not contributing factors. In Katz’s case, it was also reported he had a mental illness.
Video games can be very addictive. It can cause aggressive behavior. But so can just about everything else under the sun.
Of course, I will never let my toddler play ultra-violent video games. But it’s for the same reasons I would not let him watch R-rated movies.
Ultimately, it’s a lack of self-control that leads to addiction and violence. And that lack of self-control is not caused by video games. It’s your environment, your parents, and perhaps some genetics are involved as well.
People want things to blame, especially after a tragedy.
But the root causes of violent behavior — childhood, home & social life, etc. — may never be controllable. In any society, violence can never be fully stopped. What we can control is the impact that such violent behavior.
There’s a big difference between a violent person with a gun and a violent person with a knife.