A new study suggests paranoia may have something to do with violent gaming
Doom was partially blamed for the carnage that Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris unleashed at Columbine High School, according to cynics and various child advocacy. In another example of video games being blamed for society's problems, kids that go out and commit auto thefts and assault have blamed the Grand Theft Auto, and even sued the publisher, Rockstar Games. Can these games accurately be blamed for violence? Researchers are trying to find the answer. Dr. Sonya Brady, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, and Professor Karen Matthews, from the University of Pittsburgh, conducted a study of 100 undergraduate males between the ages of 18 to 21.
The undergraduate participants in the study had to play either Grand Theft Auto III or The Simpsons: Hit and Run. In GTA III, gamers were instructed by the mafia to beat up a drug dealer with a baseball bat. In the other game, the players had to hastily deliver Lisa Simpson's science project before it was late. According to the research, blood pressure began to rise in the players that were playing Grand Theft Auto. Brady also shows evidence that people who played violent video games are also more likely to be less cooperative and more paranoid. Reuters Health reports:
"Parents have been told the message that violent video games and violent media in general can influence the likelihood that their kids will be aggressive," Dr. Sonya S. Brady, now at the University of California, San Francisco, told Reuters Health. "What this study suggests is that they might increase any type of risk-taking behavior."
Along with potentially being more violent, young men are also allegedly more likely to believe it is acceptable to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana after playing video violent games.
"DailyTech is the best kept secret on the Internet." -- Larry Barber
|
Most Popular Articles(complete holding)Fresh Install from Windows 7 Upgrade is Pirating According to Microsoft November 2, 2009, 9:02 AM Return of the King: AMD HD 5970 Leaks, Looks Poised to Seize Performance Crown November 3, 2009, 4:25 PM Update: T-Mobile Surprises, Shocks Customers, Showing Them "Boobs" and Porn November 5, 2009, 9:04 AM Evolution is Favoring Shorter, Heavier Women, Study Says November 2, 2009, 2:50 PM NVIDIA Uses Cartoons to Harass Intel November 5, 2009, 11:12 PM
|