According to a long-term study, “killer games” do not make you more aggressive

Researchers find no evidence of aggressive behavior in teenagers who have gambled the open-world shooter “Grand Theft Auto”.

So-called “killer games” were often mentioned in the past with a negative connotation. Be it the rampage in Emstetten or Winneden – the perpetrators have often sought connections to computer games. Such associations are often met with incomprehension among the more than 3 million active gamers worldwide. A long-term study by US researchers has now shown that brutal computer games do not trigger aggression in young people.

No long-term effects

Anyone who spends their entire teenage years playing violent computer games does not have to expect harmful psychological consequences. This is the conclusion of the study published in the journal “ Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking ” , in which US researchers observed a group of children and adolescents between the ages of ten and 23 for a total of ten years.

Action shooting games preferred by boys

The psychologist Laura Stockdale from Loyola University Chicago and the media and genealogist Sarah Coyne from Brigham Young University in Idaho analyzed the behavior of teenagers who played the computer game Grand Theft Auto in their 10-year long-term study. At first it became clear that boys prefer the game. The researchers also divided the study participants into three subgroups. Four percent had a preference for games that glorified violence; 23 percent had a moderate affinity for the game mentioned at the start of their studies. Furthermore, 73 percent of the participants preferred games with low brutality.

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Different behavioral characteristics

In the investigation, both researchers found no difference in prosocial – i.e. positive and helpful towards others – behavior. The moderate group showed the highest level of aggressive behavior. Overall, however, even after many years there was no connection between increased aggressiveness and brutal video games.