Doom Eternal

The debate about whether or not violent video games contribute to violent behaviour is one that has raged for decades, but The American Psychological Association has recently reaffirmed its stance that there is no causal link between violent video games and the behaviour of those who are exposed to them.

While its updated resolution on the matter admits there is a slight link between video games and "aggressive outcomes" like pushing and raised voices, it states that the updated paper "should not be misinterpreted or misused by attributing violence, such as mass shootings, to violent video game use."

Mass-shootings in the US have often been blamed on violent video games – a sign of how massive the industry has become more than anything else – but APA president Sandra Shullman says that policymakers should be looking at other reasons for these tragic events:

Violence is a complex social problem that likely stems from many factors that warrant attention from researchers, policymakers and the public. Attributing violence to video gaming is not scientifically sound and draws attention away from other factors, such as a history of violence, which we know from the research is a major predictor of future violence.

[source gamesindustry.biz]