Literature Review

For many years, the videogame industry has been a target of both parents and critics alike due to the violent content of some of these games. Many arguments suggest that people who play violent videogames become aggressive as a result of obsessively playing a particular game.

A strong supporter of this view is disbarred attorney Jack Thompson, an anti-videogame activist, who believes that game series such as, most notably, Grand Theft Auto are “murder simulators” that “train (the players) to kill” (Bradley, 2005).

Anderson and Dill (2000) undertook two studies, with results showing that the playing of violent videogames showed a clear relationship to aggressive behaviour and delinquency, with the relationship being stronger for men, and individuals who are characteristically aggressive.

On the other hand, Prensky (2002) argues that videogames are a valuable learning tool, perhaps even the most powerful learning mechanism ever known. He believes that a great deal of useful learning goes on, despite or in addition to the game’s content, something that he feels is largely ignored by critics.

Ferguson (2009) of Texas A&M International University found “no significant relationship” between a school shooting and violent videogames. It was found through further research that youth violence is related to depression caused by delinquent parents. By contrast, exposure to violence in videogames and on television had little or nothing to do with youth violence.