Obama Asks Congress to Authorize Study on Impact of Violent Videogames

Obama will direct the Centers for Disease Control to “go ahead and study the best ways to reduce [violence] -- and Congress should fund research into the effects that violent videogames have on young minds,” he said. “We don’t benefit from ignorance. We don’t benefit from not knowing the science of this epidemic of violence.”

Vice President Joe Biden met with videogame and entertainment industry representatives last week to discuss policy proposals regarding violence (CD Jan 10 p3). The White House Gun Violence Commission concluded that the entertainment and videogame industries have a responsibility to give parents tools and choices about the movies and programs their children watch and the games their children play.

The Entertainment Software Association said the group agrees with the commission’s conclusions and said it would “continue to collaborate with the Administration and Congress as they examine the facts that inform meaningful solutions,” in a news release Wednesday: “The same entertainment is enjoyed across all cultures and nations, but tragic levels of gun violence remain unique to our country. Scientific research and international and domestic crime data all point toward the same conclusion: entertainment does not cause violent behavior in the real world.”

The International Game Developers Alliance (IGDA) said it, too, welcomes more evidence-based research into the effects of videogames. “We especially encourage the new research to explore all aspects of violence in media, including their potential benefits,” said IGDA Executive Director Kate Edwards in an email statement. “For example, recent research shows a steam valve effect in which violent video game play helps release stress and aggression before it can lead to violence.”

Media groups said they support the president’s goal of reducing gun violence, in a joint press release. “It is a complex problem, and as we have said, we stand ready to be part of the conversation and welcome further academic examination and consideration on these issues as the President has proposed.” The statement was authored by the Independent Film and Television Alliance, the Motion Picture Association of America, the National Association of Broadcasters and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association.

Rockefeller said “everyone can agree that the impact of violent content on our kids’ well-being is an important issue, and I'm glad this new plan will take a close look at it,” in a news release. “I am working hard in the Senate to make sure this type of research -- which I have strongly backed throughout my career -- is available to inform our work on gun violence.” Rockefeller’s forthcoming bill will reflect a proposal he tried to get passed in December but which failed to advance before the last Congress ended (CD Dec 20 p15), his spokesman said. The bill would direct the National Academy of Sciences to determine if violent programming and videogames have any harmful effects on children.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Wednesday that he’s “committed to ensuring that the Senate will consider legislation that addresses gun violence and other aspects of violence in our society early this year,” in a news release following the president’s speech. “The tragedy at Sandy Hook was just the latest sad reminder that we are not doing enough to protect our citizens -- especially our children -- from gun violence and a culture of violence, and all options should be on the table moving forward.” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said House Republicans will consider the recommendations of the task force but said, “We must ensure that any proposed solutions will actually be meaningful in preventing the taking of innocent life and that they do not trample on the rights of law-abiding citizens to exercise their Constitutionally-guaranteed rights.” Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said “we need to have a serious conversation about mental health, psychiatric drugs, and the potential impact violent videogames and movies have on our kids,” in a separate news release.

Consumer advocacy groups said they were unimpressed with the idea of authorizing another study about the connection between media violence and gun violence in America. Melissa Henson, director of communications and public education for the Parents Television Council, said she was unsure “what additional research would show that we don’t already know,” in an email. “We now have more than 50 years of research, more than 3,000 studies that have shown a positive relationship between exposure to violent media and aggression, including dozens of studies looking at violent video games specifically,” she said. “There is certainly sufficient evidence at this point that we can call on video game publishers to stop marketing M-rated video games to children and on retailers nationwide to stop selling M-rated video games to unaccompanied minors.”

Gabe Rottman, a legislative counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, said he too was troubled by the president’s call for a videogame study. “That suggests it’s a widespread public health issue when there’s no compelling evidence linking depictions of violence in media to use of firearms,” he told us via email. Rottman added that he thought it was a positive sign that the president didn’t explicitly call for content regulation.