Five myths about video games

Maybe, maybe not. Researchers are sharply divided on the topic. Two leading researchers, Iowa State professors Douglas Gentile and Craig Anderson, citing 130 studies, found that violent games promote aggressive “thoughts, feelings … and behaviors.” Groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics believe that violent media, including video games, can impair school performance and lead to aggressive behavior and bullying, among other things. On the other hand, the US Supreme Court, ruling in a California case in 2010, found that studies trying to connect violent video games and actual violence “were not persuasive.” A study by Yale University scientists, also in 2010, said gaming appears to be harmless for a vast majority of kids. But it noted that the small number of youth who are addicted to gaming are more likely to smoke, use drugs, and get into serious fights.