Do video games cause violence? Feds want more research
Scientists and psychologists for years have debated whether there's a connection between video games and real-world violence. Do video games refine hand-eye coordination and spur creativity -- or instead turn you into a sociopath? That question has been raised to a fever pitch following national tragedies such as the one in Newtown, Conn.
And though studies, with the exception of a few, have pointed out that a connection between fantasy video game violence and real-world violence doesn't, in fact, exist, the Centers for Disease Control is stepping up its efforts to research a possible link between the two.
The CDC has asked the Institute of Medicine to put together a committee that will look at the influence of video games and other media on real-life violence. The IOM is part of the congressionally chartered and federally funded National Academy of Sciences.
