How Violent Video Games Can Be Good for You
In the aftermath of mass shootings in Ohio and Texas, President Donald Trump blamed violence in video games for the "glorification of violence in our society." It's an old refrain, and gamers and their allies typically respond by pointing to the facts. We lack evidence that supports a causal relationship between video games and violence, and though some studies have found links between violent video games and aggression, which is distinct from criminal violence, the effect is small.
But while research matters, this line of argument misses an important point. Though some video games are casually, thoughtlessly violent, many others explore violence with nuance, placing it in social context and giving players a hands-on opportunity to explore moral conundrums they would never face in real life.
Similar to many other forms of art, gaming is a story-telling medium that reflects upon and critiques the society in which we live. Its unique strength lies in the deeply immersive experience that it offers relative to other media by giving players the ability to impact the world around them directly.
Sometimes that means exploring the various settings, characters and reasoning that give rise to violence with deliberation and nuance - a standard that our national dialogue has yet to reach. In the wildly popular Grand Theft Auto IV, recent immigrant Niko Bellic is gradually roped into working as a hired gun despite having escaped a similar life in Europe. If that wasn't powerful social commentary in and of itself, the tragedy of his criminal involvement eventually culminates in the death of either his cousin or his romantic interest, depending on a choice made by the player.
The Uncharted series critiques treasure hunter Nathan Drake's increasingly destructive obsession with his legacy and inability to extricate himself from a profession that endangers him and his loved ones. In Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, players are placed squarely in the midst of Drake's internal conflict,
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