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We read every message that readers submit to Science News for Kids, and we learn a lot from what you say. Two articles that really got you talking looked at video games. One story argued that video games can be good for you (see "What Video Games Can Teach Us"). The other argued that video games are bad for you (see "The Violent Side of Video Games").
These stories ran 3 years ago, and we're still hearing about them, almost weekly. In particular, those of you who enjoy killing people on screen disagree with research suggesting that your game- playing habits inspire you to act out.
"I have played the most violent games available on the market today," writes Matteo, 15. "I don't go killing people or stealing cars because I see it in a game. My parents say that, as long as I remember it's a game, I can play whatever I want."
Dylan, 14, agrees. "I love violent games," he writes. "And I haven't been in a fight since I was 12 years old."
Akemi, now 22, says that he's experienced no long-term effects in 14 years of gaming. "I have been playing the games since I was at least 7," he writes. "I have no criminal record. I have good grades and have often been caught playing well into the night (that is, 4 hours or more)."
Despite what these readers say, many scientific studies clearly show that violent video games make kids more likely to yell, push, and punch, says Brad Bushman. He's a psychologist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Bushman and his colleagues recently reviewed more than 300 studies of video media effects. Across the board, he says, the message is clear.
"We included every single study we could find on the topic," Bushman says. "Regardless of what kids say, violent video games are harmful."
TV watching
TV has been around a lot longer than video games, so researchers have more data on the long-term effects of violent TV shows on people than they do on the effects of violent video games.
In one study, scientists at the University of Michigan recorded the TV-watching habits of hundreds of first and third graders in 1977. Fifteen years...