James Kavanagh
Is playing violent video games like Grand Theft Auto 4 a harmless hobby or a contributing factor to violence and aggression? This is a question that has been raised in light of many recent mass shootings. In my opinion, video games are not linked to violent actions in the average person. The average gamer can differentiate between reality and fantasy and is therefore not likely to be driven to violence after playing video games.
It is true that many of the perpetrators of recent mass shootings were players of violent video games; however, the anti-video game crowd seems to ignore the fact that these alleged criminals suffered from mental illness. Instead of blaming video games as the only reason a person resorts to acts of mass violence, why not make the connection between mental illnesses and video games?