The dark and bright side of video game consumption: Effects of violent and prosocial video games

Abstract

Hundreds of studies have examined the interpersonal effects of video game consumption. This article provides a brief review of the relationship between violent and prosocial, respectively, video gaming and social behavior. Although some studies came to contradicting results, meta-analyses found that violent video game consumption increases aggression and decreases prosocial behavior, whereas prosocial video games have the opposite effects. Some evidence even suggests that video game consumption does not only influence the player, but also the player's social network. In terms of mediating mechanisms, cognitive and affective variables account for the effects of video game consumption on behavioral responses. Overall, whether video games have a negative or positive influence on others depends heavily on their content.

Keywords: Aggression; Helping; Video games.