More than 90% of kids play video games, and more than 90% of games rated E10+ or above contain violence (Healthline).  What effect does violent video games have on today’s youth?  April 16, 2007, April 20, 1999, and December 14, 2012: these dates listed are mass shootings provoked by violent video games.  Children should not play violent video games because of the outcomes of Columbine, Sandy Hook, and Virginia Tech, children that play violent video games experience an increase in physiological (phys·i·o·log·i·cal) signs of aggression, and experience an increase in aggressive actions.

Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Sandy Hook are all mass shootings provoked because of violent video games.  April 20, 1999: Columbine, was one of the first major mass shootings.  Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were responsible for the shooting, they murdered 13, took their own lives, and injured 24.  Both Eric and Dylan played a lot of violent video games, including Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Mortal Kombat (Biography).  April 16, 2007: Virginia Tech.  According to NBC News 32 were killed by Seung-Hui Cho in the end he also took his own life.  Cho liked to play Counter-Strike, a massively popular team-based tactical shooting game that puts players in the heavily armed boots of either a counter-terrorist or terrorist (NBC News).  Recently, December 14, 2012: Sandy Hook, 26 dead.  The 26 killed were murdered by Adam Lanza, committing suicide afterwards he was obsessed with Combat Arms where he had 83,000 online kills including 22,000 'head shots' using violent games to train himself for his massacre, he was also captivated with Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto (CNN).  Though mass shootings involving violent video games is a large reason kids should not play violent video games it is not the only reason.

Along with these appalling tragedies, children that play violent video games experience an increase in physiological (phys·i·o·log·i·cal) signs of aggression.  According to the authors behind the meta-analysis, when young people are playing a violent video game, their blood pressure and heart rate increases, and "fight or flight" hormones like adrenaline flood the brain.  The same thing happens when people are in an actual, physical fight. One study even showed a difference in physical awakening between a bloody version of Mortal Kombat and a version with the blood turned off (Julia Layton). Though another major reason people should stop playing violent video games this is not the only effect the human body endures because of violent video games. 

Along with mass shootings, and increase of signs of physiological aggression, children who play violent video games also experience an increase in aggressive actions.  Julia Layton reports a 2000 study involving college students yielded interesting results. The study had two components: a session of video-game play, in which half the students played a violent video game and half played a nonviolent video game, and then a simple reaction-time test that put two of the students in head-to-head competition. Whoever won the reaction-time test got to punish the loser with an audio blast. Of the students who won the reaction-time test, the ones who'd been playing a violent video game delivered longer and  louder audio bursts to their opponents.  Violent games also directly reward violent behavior, such as by awarding points or by allowing players to advance to the next game level. In some games, players are rewarded through verbal praise, such as hearing the words "Nice shot!" after killing an enemy.  It is well-known that rewarding behavior increases its frequency (Psychology Today). 

There are cases when violent video games have positive effects on children.  A 2013 study found that playing shooter video games improved a player’s capacity to think about objects in three dimensions, just as well as academic courses to enhance these same skills, according to the review paper. Numerous small studies suggest that volunteers recruited to learn a violent shooting game for the first time developed better attention to detail, visual processing skills, and abilities to mentally rotate objects than those randomly assigned to learn other types of video games (Kotz).  But, violent video games have more negative effects than positive. To find out, scientists ran longitudinal studies, tracking how children’s video game use changed over time, and with it, measures of aggression. One study tracked more than 3,000 kids for three years and found that playing violent video games increased their impulsiveness. In a vicious cycle, higher base levels of impulsiveness increased their video game use (Healthline).

All in all, children should not play violent video games because of the outcomes of mass shootings provoked by violent video games, children that play violent video games experience an increase in physiological and physical signs of aggression.  Rewarding a child for violence in a video games is the same as promoting violence outside of a video game.  Studies show that violent video games increase children's impulsiveness and anger. Maybe parents should do a better job of choosing what games are right for their kids, instead of buying them games just to keep them busy.  Do you want your child to be the next mass murderer?  If you answered no than stop letting your child play violent video games. 

Works Cited
Bushman, Brad J., Ph.D. "Do Violent Video Games Increase Aggression?" Psychology Today. N.p., 27 Jan. 2012. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.
"Eric Harris Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.
Kotz, Deborah. "Do Violent Video Games Have an Upside for Kids? - Boston.com." Boston.com. The New York Times, 29 Nov. 2013. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.
Layton, Julia. "Do Violent Video Games Lead To Real Violence." Do Violent Video Games Lead to Real Violence? (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.
"Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting: What Happened?" CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.
Stebner, Beth. "Adam Lanza." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 15 Dec. 2012. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.
"Worst U.S. Shooting Ever Kills 33 on Va. Campus." Msnbc.com. N.p., 17 Apr. 2007. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.