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ESA To Highlight Positive Effects Of Video Games In Supreme Court Case
A few weeks ago California submitted its case to the U.S. Supreme Court for why the sale of violent video games should be prohibited to minors. The underlying argument, which is supported by politicians like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Leland Yee, is that violent video games have a harmful effect on children and society as a whole. It's a debate that has been around since the earliest days of gaming - one the Entertainment Software Association hopes to quash once and for all. How does the ESA plan to overcome such an entrenched stigma? By presenting to the Supreme Court the myriad positive effects that video games can have on players, as outlined by two recent research studies.
The studies are the work of Dr. Christopher Ferguson of Texas A&M University. The first study, entitled "Blazing Angels or Resident Evil? Can Violent Video Games be a Force for Good?" analyzes the existing, and often flawed, research that has been conducting on the potential link between violent video games and aggressive behavior. The lack of causal evidence -- combined with the fact that as video games rise exponentially in popularity, violent crime has continued to drop steadily -- led Ferguson to suggest "the violent video game issue is a crusade in search of a crisis."
Ferguson's second research paper, "The Hitman Study: Violent Video Game Exposure Effects on Aggressive Behavior, Hostile Feelings and Depression," studied a group of young adults who were given a "frustration task" to complete. The study found that participants who had played violent video games weren't any more aggressive than those who hadn't, and that violent video games may "reduce depression and hostile feelings in players through mood management."
The ESA says Ferguson's work is just one example in a growing body of evidence that debunks the link between violent video games and real life violence. The association will make its full case to the Supreme Court this fall. For more information on this landmark case, check out the ESA's website.
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