Researchers find no reputable link between video games and gun violence

The following report contains details that some readers may find distressing.

Researchers at Stanford Brainstorm Lab have found no reputable link between playing video games and real life gun violence.

According to the Gun Violence Archive (via BBC), there have been 200 mass shootings across the US so far in 2023. Across the last three years, there have been more than 600 mass shootings on average per year. That’s roughly two per day, resulting in a tragic and catastrophic loss of life. The deadliest attack in recent years took place in Las Vegas in 2017, when a gunman opened fire on the crowd attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival, killing 50 people with around 500 wounded.

Over the years, some have attributed real life gun violence to playing ‘violent video games’. As reported by Fortune, Republican Speaker for the House Kevin McCarthy is one such figure who’s made this accusation, saying, “But the idea of these video games that dehumanise individuals to have a game of shooting individuals and others - I’ve always felt that is a problem for future generations and others. We’ve watched from studies shown before of what it does to individuals.”

Stanford researchers have now carried out such a study, finding no causal link between video games and real life gun violence. Fortune adds that playing violent video games does have an association with “aggression” but not violence. In the study, aggression is measured by self-reported surveys rather than recorded actions. Violence was defined as an act of physical harm - but no link was recorded.

The study then looked at the tracked change in violent crime alongside the tracked release of so-called ‘violent’ video games. Researchers used the FBI’s annual aggregated crime reports but once again, found no link between the two. In fact, it was reported that there was a mild decrease in real life crime following the rise in popularity of video games - with the suggestion by researchers that video games may serve as an outlet for forms of aggression.

The research also went on to point out the positive benefits of playing video games, emphasising that they can be beneficial to your mental health and world outlook. Those who played video games had better problem-solving skills, improved self-esteem and cognitive abilities. Researchers also found a decrease in depression, stress, and loneliness among video game players.