Video Game Violence

There have been studies and much speculation on the impact of violent video games (and other media) on the minds of youth and those who partake in them. Undoubtedly, there are many, many games that depict heinous and reprehensible acts of senseless violence. The Grand Theft Auto series comes to mind.

It could be opined that video games that reward the player for killing (or otherwise maligning) others encourage the player to commit these acts in real life.

While there certainly are some people with developmental issues who have difficulty distinguishing between acceptable video game behavior and acceptable real life behavior, the issue is not that games portray such despicable acts but rather that some people may have difficulty determining how to act outside of their virtual entertainment. I suspect this difficulty may be caused by a few causes -- including natural neurological limitation, societal upbringing, or other psychological factors that may cause someone to intentionally do something most people would not.

Some people suggest that video games should be censored. Others suggest more strict limitations on who can purchase certain games. I'm against the first option, and not opposed to the second. The ideal scenario, however, would be some way of monitoring one's children/friends in an attempt to perceive whether they have difficulty differentiating between right and wrong or how to act in a socially accepted manner. While very difficult to do (perhaps impossible), this might allow a targeted treatment rather than far-reaching controls that impact people who are not likely to cause trouble.