Here in the Philippines, video game discourse has once again crossed paths with that of juvenile gun violence. This is due to recent school shootings that have been happening nationwide, from the Tacloban school shooting in June to — just recently — the shooting in Ateneo de Zamboanga in August. Police investigations and the media have made it clear that many of the suspects play video games prominently featuring gun violence. The inevitable question engendered by this media highlight is one I attempt to give my answers to in this blog. Namely, did video games cause the shootings that have been terrifying the nation? Answering this question will require an understanding of the many factors that may lead to juvenile gun violence.
To get this out of the way, yes: violent media has been shown to cause increased aggressive behavior in adolescents, as studies have shown [1][2]. Certainly, violent gaming contributes to this aggression in behavior. We must note that similar results has also been shown for other kinds of violent media, like violent television [3]. Game censorship or bans will not prevent other such avenues of violence in media which has, as empirically shown, increased aggressive behavior and desensitization to violence. If the rationale for a ban on violent games is to prevent desensitization and aggression, then wisdom and a little inference may tell us that bans on other violent media may be necessary as well.
A more troubling issue to me is the lack of strict chat moderation (or any chat moderation) in games, which has been a problem in the industry ever since digital online interaction was a thing. As game development is expensive enough as is, development often doesn't place as much importance on cybersecurity and moderation, and when combined with the fact that games are populated largely by young adolescents, they become a hotspot for grooming and abuse. Investigations of the local school shootings have shown their possible ties to groomers and online violence groups [4]. This is the more pressing issue for me, because game developers, studios, and game companies should be held accountable for proliferating unsafe, and in our local cases, literally violent spaces. To think that games are entirely faultless for their lack of care in their formed social aspect, which for so long the industry has recklessly gotten away with, is part of the reason why terrorist and Satanic groups have become rampant worldwide. As someone who has been following the medium and industry for half my life so far, it is indeed making me no less than frustrated and vitriolic.
But beyond just the harmful effects that games have caused and may be rightly accused of, let's also not be blind to the fact that they are clearly being scapegoated for the bigger problems at hand. Let's not forget, for instance, the role that government corruption has played in gutting education budgets and making nationwide education utterly supportless. Schools have no security, no guidance offices, no support structures for struggling students, and no executive action with regards to bullying. If you can watch the stream of the Ateneo de Zamboanga school shooting (please do so at your own discretion, and stay safe), you will wonder how a child could walk around campus, for ten minutes, with a rifle in front of their chest. Mga kababayan: all of these things happening alongside rampant climate issues and political circus acts is no mere coincidence. Governance has failed; they, too, should be held accountable.
I must also not forget to mention the police and family institutions, guarded as they are in our society. Take note of the facts: the Tacloban shooter supposedly got his gun from his aunt policewoman whose locker was supposedly broken into by the suspect to take her gun [5]. Meanwhile, the suspect of the Ateneo de Zamboanga school shooting allegedly got his gun from his father, customs police officer, which the father had recklessly left inside their car (holy shit?!) [6]. And yet, mass media (especially social media) would almost always leave these details for last, if they would even be mentioned at all. These supposedly responsible adults, who in the first place had given weapon exposure to their children/young relatives, would less than likely receive penalty or due accountability, and if they did the people would probably not attribute the shootings to them. And if I had to guess why? Well, it's simple: mass media wouldn't blame the adults because they are family, and state-sanctioned media wouldn't blame them because they are police. And besides, some would argue, it's all because of Roblox, anyway.
So, are games at fault for the shootings? Yes, actually. That can't go unsaid. It is not surprising to me that years of unsupervised and unmoderated chats and the intrinsic media violence deeply embedded in the industry would eventually manifest in something like this. Reckless game companies and relevant entities should be held accountable. But we must also recognize the multitude of fucked up factors that have led us to where we are today. As always, we should stay vigilant; see not just what is being said, but what is not; what is being kept hidden; who has the best interests; why. For the failure and corruption of governance, along with the irresponsibility of gun-owning adults (especially of those in the police force), has had very direct effects on these awful situations. It is not merely that games have failed our children, though that is true. But really, the nation has failed our children, too.
*ADDENDUM: My friends and I discussed this issue as well, and one brought to my attention the possible effects of the years-long COVID pandemic that had, among other things, stunted the social growth of early adolescents during that time, and had also increased their exposure to violent media and possibly to groomers and violent groups online. I agree that this may have played some role in the recent incidents of violence, and though it's something that's less actionable today (we can't really hold the virus accountable), nevertheless it is something worth keeping in mind.
Inciting the continuance of this discussion, I recommend readers to comment or message me their own thoughts regarding the situation. I would appreciate hearing them.
SOURCES:
[1] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10802-015-9986-x
[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022103105000983
[3] https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1974-05085-001
[5] https://www.rappler.com/people/crimes/tacloban-shooting-minor-broke-into-aunt-house-obtain-gun/
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