Do violent video games cause behavior problems?

From many extensive studies, there is really no evidence for this assertion. There are some correlations between children who exhibit violent behavior and children who play violent video-games, however, it is not fair to assert that violent video-games cause this. It is just as easy, and far more logically accurate to take the corollary position and say that people with propensities for violent behavior are drawn to violent video-games, more so than to say that violent video-games cause violent behavior. These claims are really just a product of scapegoat tactics and generic fear campaigns by politicians to rally votes during political campaigns or during national tragedies or crises.

Millions of people all over the world play violent video-games every day, and there is not nearly a comparable number of "violent people." That's not to say that video-games can't inspire some kind of creative violent acts in people who act violently, but so can television, the internet, books, artwork, and any other kind of creative medium. Video-games are not much different from any of these other media, at least with regards to violence and one's propensity for it.

I'd say that video-games don't cause, but may foster, isolationary, sedentary, and individualistic tendencies, but that depends on the game and the person. Multiplayer games, especially massively multiplayer ones, may actually increase social interaction, and therefore would not be isolationary and individualistic. Although, these types of social interactions would still be superficial which is definitely not good, however, so is most of the interpersonal communications people have nowadays, such as email, text messaging, twitter, facebook, and other such things. Not even direct one-on-one conversation is devoid of superficiality nowadays, since because of these superficial communicative media being the foundation of post-modern interpersonal connections, this superficiality obviously carries over to all facets of society. Really, modernism is what causes this extreme degree of isolationism, individualism, and superficiality which plagues the world today. I mean, even Soseki in his book Kokoro [published in 1914 in response to the death of Meiji (1912)] hints at all these issues. Video-games, just propagate it the same as all other communication and culture today, except video-games at least provide a little escape from things as well, which is nice.

Really, the only real negative behaviors that can be attributed to video-games are sedentary behavior, though many full-body motion video-games are rectifying that nowadays [such as the wii, kinect, and move], and perhaps vision issues from excessive play, though computers and TV can both share these criticisms.

I've been playing video games for the vast majority of my life and most of them were indeed violent but I have not yet committed a crime, I don't smoke nor have I shot anyone yet. These people have already been like this before they started playing video games, although not all the time. Sometimes video games are a factor but it's a rare case

I have often wondered if video game cause behavior problems myself. For starters, I am a parent but no expert in this field so you know where I am coming from. My kids have played action games, dancing games, shooting games, etc. and I have not seen any bad behavior or behavioral problems stemming from their activity. However, I do sensor what we buy for them to buy. Some video games have grown up content in them and some are a bit violent. My kids seem to have balance so I would have to report no issues with us.

Maybe in children with learning handicaps. Personally, I know kids who play kill on Halo, thug on GTA, and vaporize on Metroid but are really good people in person. I think you're right.

No