Introduction Video game play is often reported as a cause of negative behavior in children and young adults. When these video games are violent, the discussion about their negative impact becomes more serious. Conversely, there are also reports linking video game play to positive outcomes and useful social skills. Studies on the connection between the use of video games and their effects indicate a relationship between gaming and "social interaction, success, immersion, emotional instability and aggression" (Kneer). As members of a global community operating in a technological age, video game play and its effects on individuals and society as a whole demand our attention. Unfortunately, technology makes video games of all levels of violence easily accessible to anyone with a computer. There are few among us who could not identify with the knowledge of an individual haunted by thoughts of violence or displaying violent behavior toward others, possibly, at least partially, as a result of regular interaction with violent video games. “It is important to know the long-term causal effects of violent video games, because so many young people play these games regularly,” according to Professor Brad Bushman of The Ohio State University (Suciu). According to an article published in The Journal of Social Psychology, evidence has accumulated that exposure to violent video games promotes aggressive thoughts, affects and behaviors” (Greitemeyer and Osswald). This makes violent video game play a social problem, not just an individual decision. However, if the connection between video game playing and aggressive behavior is minimal or secondary to another larger problem, such as some relationships s...... middle of paper ...... individual. Works Cited Bente, G., Kneer, J., & Glock, S. “Are Digital Games Perceived as Fun or Dangerous? Support and suppress different game-related concepts. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking, 15, 604-609. Katherine Kealty. “Study: Video Games, Unrelated Gun Violence.” News - Future of Central Florida. Peter Suciu. “Violent video games do not lead to a violent lifestyle”Technology News, redOrbit.Tamborini, R., Lachlan, K.A., & Smith, S.L. (). “Patterns of Aggressive Behavior: The Attributes of Violent Characters in Popular Video Games.” Communication Studies, 56, 313-329.Tobias Greitemeyer., Silvia Osswald. “Playing prosocial video games increases the accessibility of prosocial thoughts.” The Journal of Social Psychology, 152, 121-128.“Violent video games and youth.” Harvard Mental Health Letter, 27, 1-3.