Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games Is Wrong

It seems like video games in general, and violent video games in particular, are blamed for everything these days. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, school shootings, childhood obesity, antisocial behavior, and societal problems have all been laid at the feet of the video game industry.

Moral Combat endeavors to set the record straight, exploring the media’s fascination with violent video games and how bad statistical analysis, bad psychology, and political agendas have led to recurring moral panics surrounding video games. Markey and Ferguson discredit disreputable sources, rebutting them with peer-reviewed research and pure common sense.

Whether you like violent video games or not, the work done by Markey and Ferguson here is hugely important, especially with regard to the frequently drawn connection between school shootings and video games. Which, as it turns out, is largely BS. And their work to correct the mountains of misinformation out there is an important first step toward getting the public’s attention focused on the actual issues, rather than the easy scapegoat.

Moral Combat is more than a clever play on words or even a defense of an entire industry. It’s an important reminder of the difference between fearmongering nonsense and proper research and reflection.