After brain-scanning kids who frequently play the games, researchers at the Indiana State University School of Medicine have found an increase in emotional arousal, and a decrease of activity in the area of the brain involved in self-control.
Dr. Karl Benzio with the Christian Medical Association isn’t surprised by the study results. He told Family News in Focus the brain’s response to violent video games is similar to not exercising -- if you don’t, your muscles atrophy.
"(With violent video games) not only are some parts atrophying -- the parts that should be responding accurately to the situations -- but we're getting misfiring in the brain and it’s sort of short-circuiting or bypassing the impulse control areas of the brain," he said.
Bob Hoose, associate editor of Plugged In magazine, reviews popular video games.
"The bottom line (for many games) is that you’re supposed to essentially kill anybody and anything that gets in your way," Hoose said. "There is so much violence in there. I think, just . . . being hit with it over and over and over, really, truly has to desensitize you."
Al Menconi, whose ministry tracks hundreds of studies reporting negative effects of violent video games, wonders how many more it will take before parents take the hint.
"We don’t need another study to figure out if the sun is going to come up tomorrow," he said. "Violent games lead to violent and negative behavior."
Hoose, meanwhile, said not all studies condemn video games, but enough do to give parents concern about what their kids are playing.
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Focus on the Family's Plugged In magazine offers parents and others a look at the media and popular culture that face kids every day.
