Let’s talk about certain “stigmas” involving video games. From almost the moment they were created and enjoyed by large groups of people, there have been people who wondered just how “valuable” video games actually are. There are those who said they “rot your brains,” or “stop children from doing outdoor activities,” and that they “have no true value.” Except that’s a lie, and it’s been proven repeatedly, especially when the industry became incredibly successful, and thus, became a reliable career for many. However, with games like GTA 6, the biggest “stigma” that has ever been put on video games was exposed.
Specifically, that’s the stigma that “violent video games cause young kids and adults to do violent acts.” This was such a pervasive thing that there were full-on school assemblies dedicated to “educating” children on the “dangers of M-rated video games” like the ones that Rockstar Games would make with its beloved crime series.
When you’re a child, you can “see their logic” and think that this is a true fact. Once you grow old enough, though, you can see the flaws in the logic, and those flaws are shown in a big way through a new information chart.
Specifically, the one below highlights that certain major AAA releases, including what’s likely to happen with GTA 6, actually LOWER crime rates. How is that possible? Simple, because all the “criminals” that would go out and do various acts are actually at home playing video games! Go figure.
Now, granted, this is just one study that seems to indicate this, but it’s a fun one to point out nonetheless. After all, if this is accurate in its information, then the entire stigma that many have pushed for decades is a full-on fallacy. Games not only help children in various ways, but they can also reduce crime in various countries!
The reason this definitely applies to Rockstar’s upcoming title is that this is expected to be the biggest video game launch in history. That means that an incredible number of people will be inside playing the game instead of doing anything else, good or bad. People have been waiting for this title for almost a decade, so that makes sense in various ways.
Will this stop the stigma against video games? No. It won’t. Sadly, there are many who still campaign against video games today. However, if more charts like this come out and are shown around? Perhaps the stigma can be lowered and less used.
