On Jun. 7, 2003, in Fayette, AL., 18-year-old Devin Moore was arrested on suspicion of stealing a car. After being taken to the police station, Moore, stole a gun from an officer and killed three of the officers on duty. He then stole a police car, leaving a bloody mess behind. According to the police report and an investigation by CBS News “60 Minutes”, after the young man was captured, he simply stated, “Life is like a video game. Everybody’s gotta die sometime.”
According to Attorney Jack Thompson, this young man’s violent rage was the result of hours of playing the popular video game, Grand Theft Auto. This video game, popular for its violence toward police officers, encourages players to go against law enforcement. Because of the violence in this particular game, Thompson filed a multimillion dollar lawsuit against the company’s makers and marketers stating that the game’s violence influenced Moore’s violent outburst.
Video games such as Grand Theft Auto, who practically put real life people in a seemingly real situation, can have a negative effect on its players. According to a study by the American Psychological Association, in 2003, violence in video games are associated with increased aggressive behavior and thoughts. Also, according to the same study, unreal situations in video games that still include violence can have the same affect on a student’s aggression.
On Sept. 27, 1993, Time Magazine reported that the characters in the video game Mortal Kombat favor violent moves and combinations to destroy their opponents. Although this study was done more than 10 years ago, the Mortal Kombat game has become more advanced in its violent moves, profanity, and realistic graphics.
According to an interview with Ed Boon, co-creator of Mortal Kombat, posted on Gamasutra.com, the Mortal Kombat team has meetings specifically to implement the goriest fatality moves into the game. If the ideas do not make the other team members cringe, they do not even consider it.
Students who spend hours playing video game can become socially estranged and eventually engage in violent behavior, according to a research report done by Bryn Mawr College.
These studies are alarming. It is as if the gaming industry supports the violence in the lives of students and caters to aggressive behavior.
