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ESA Refutes Trump's Claims That Video Games Are To Blame For Mass Shootings

by Joe Juba on Aug 05, 2019 at 04:51 PM

In the wake of two mass shootings this weekend, President Donald Trump made comments today once again blaming video games for violent behavior. The Electronic Software Association – the organization that represents many game publishers and developers within the industry – has issued a statement refuting these claims. The ESA's full statement follows:

As we shared at the White House video game meeting in March 2018, numerous scientific studies have established that there is no causal connection between video games and violence. More than 165 million Americans enjoy video games, and billions of people play video games worldwide. Yet other societies, where video games are played as avidly, do not contend with the tragic levels of violence that occur in the U.S.

Video games positively contribute to society, from new medical therapies and advancements, educational tools, business innovation, and more. Video games help players connect with family and friends, relieve stress, and have fun. We encourage parents who have concerns about age-appropriate video game content to visit ParentalTools.org to learn more how to control what games are played in their homes.

This isn't the first time President Trump's administration has blamed games for violence, nor the first time the ESA has fought against those arguments with data.

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