Violent electronic games are the preferred form of entertainment for people of all ages. In fact, one of the biggest challenges for parents and educators is knowing how to guide children and young people in the use of different media.

Something similar happened in the 1980s. At the time, parents were concerned about the long road to violence on television. Young people are the ones who consume the most games with a violent theme. I think we should pay close attention to this fact. The question is whether the growth in the practice of aggressive acts by young people is linked to this excessive consumption of games. In other words, do they or do they not enhance antisocial behaviors, and in particular violence?

Today, violence is so common that we spend less and less time and think about the problem. Of course, games are not the main cause. But it seems to me that they exalt selfishness as superior to altruistic values, thus fostering a culture of violence. Surely, you don’t see respect for people and life in that genre of games.

It does not seem good to feed the violent nature of some young people. Research published in 2018 by the United States National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) points to a correlation between the exposure of children and young people to violent games and an increased potential for physical aggression.

As a culture, we highly value entertainment. Far from being exposed to books and ideas, young people live close to consoles. The technology allows them to play simultaneously with other “players” over the Internet. Players believe that they are part of a global community. But their involvement is not as active as it seems. Playing violent electronic games is not a challenging activity. On the contrary, it is a repetitive, escapist, empty activity. Worse still is the disinterest of most parents, who need to rethink study and leisure activities with their children.

Activities that do not allow discussion of the ethical implications of the decisions made should be avoided. They should play other commercial game genres, which focus on understanding and solving complex problems. There are good commercial games that provide fun and cognitive growth at the same time.

Parents and educators must confront the culture that children experience. They need to create a dialogue with the children. Adults need to be aware of what influences younger people these days and offer guidance. It is essential to be aware of cultural effects on children. Parents and teachers should use the news as a vehicle to share their values.