Effects of a violent video game depend on whether you’re Superman or the Joker
After Aaron Alexis shot dead 12 people at the Navy Yard in Washington DC in September, media outlets were quick to highlight his reported enjoyment of violent video games. To many, this was just th…
The effects of violent video games have been the subject of debate for decades, but most discussions miss a key factor: the context of the violence. This write-up summaries a 2013 study finding that playing as a villainous character makes players more likely to perceive violence in neutral faces (suggesting an aggressive mindset) and less likely to return a planted lost letter than playing as a heroic character, even when both characters behave violently - and that these differences were magnified when players were prepped with articles on the characters' backstories that made them more sympathetic.
What we do in games may matter less than why we do it and who we are.