United States Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has introduced that the Nationwide Institutes of Well being are trying into a variety of points because it pertains to what could contribute to gun violence in the US. He additionally cited video video games as a potential reason behind real-world violence.
“The firearms query is a posh query, and it is not a simple query,” he mentioned in response to a question from PBS about if the federal government is trying into psychological well being in terms of gun violence.
He referred to as out a wide range of elements that might contribute to an uptick in real-world violence, together with “dependence on psychiatric medicine,” together with video video games and social media. “We’re initiating research now that take a look at the correlation and the potential connection between over-medicating our youngsters and this violence.” He didn’t elaborate on video video games, nevertheless.
This comes not lengthy after RFK Jr. appeared in a tense Washington listening to during which senators questioned him about his views on vaccines and numerous other claims he has made through the years. Many have referred to as for his resignation, including his own family members, whereas some CDC staff walked out in protest.
What some research have already discovered
For years, individuals have maintained there may be completely a connection between violent video video games and will increase in aggressive habits. A 2019 study from Tobias Greitemeyer, a Division of Psychology professor a the College of Innsbruck in Austria, prompt that point spent enjoying violent video video games “will increase aggression within the participant.” The analysis additionally prompt that “violent online game play additionally impacts people with whom the participant is linked.”
Another study discovered that, “Publicity to violent media, particularly violent video video games, could trigger desensitization to real-life violence.” One further study discovered that online game violence “ought to be thought of a threat issue for aggression, as in different violent media, because it gives a social reinforcement of aggressive habits and observational studying of aggressive fashions.”
A examine from Oxford found no link between aggressive habits in youngsters and the period of time they spent enjoying violent video video games. “Our findings counsel that researcher biases may need influenced earlier research on this matter, and have distorted our understanding of the results of video video games,” co-author Dr Netta Weinstein from Cardiff College mentioned.
This examine got here after years of revealed, vetted analysis that confirmed there isn’t a connection between violent video video games and enhance in violent crimes.
What has Trump mentioned about video video games?
RFK Jr.’s boss, US president Donald Trump has beforehand spoken out about violence in video video games.
“We should cease the glorification of violence in our society,” the president mentioned in 2019 following mass shootings in America. “This consists of the ugly and grisly video video games that at the moment are commonplace. It’s too simple at the moment for troubled youth to encompass themselves with a tradition that celebrates violence. We should cease or considerably scale back this, and it has to start instantly.”
The Leisure Software program Affiliation (ESA), which lobbies on behalf of the online game business and seeks to keep away from authorities regulation, mentioned “quite a few scientific research have established that there isn’t a causal connection between video video games and violence.”
This has been a speaking level for a while
The talk about violent video video games and what impact there could or might not be on real-world violence has been happening for many years. Some could recall how then US Senator Hillary Clinton said in 2005 violent video video games are a significant drawback and research have proven they’re unhealthy for youngsters. She additionally mentioned violent video video games ought to be regulated like alcohol and tobacco.
“Violent video video games enhance aggressive habits as a lot as lead publicity decreases youngsters’s IQ scores,” Clinton mentioned. “We have to deal with violent video video games the best way we deal with tobacco, alcohol, and pornography. We all know these merchandise are damaging to youngsters and we ned to present mother and father the instruments to maintain them out of youngsters’ fingers.”
RFK Jr. is, or was, invested in video video games
In 2024, RFK Jr. revealed that he invested $24,000 into GameStop as a way to point out assist for retail buyers over institutional buyers following the 2021 GameStop short-squeeze scenario. RFK Jr. mentioned he invested in GameStop after Keith Gill AKA Roaring Kitty resurfaced in Could 2024–when GameStop’s shares have been buying and selling round $17–and reignited the GameStop inventory phenomenon. After Roaring Kitty started posting once more, GameStop’s inventory worth surged, and the inventory worth stays above $23. We do not know if RFK Jr. nonetheless holds a place in GameStop.