A study analyzing data from the world's ten largest video game markets found no significant correlation between video game spending per capita and gun-related homicides. This challenges the often-made assertion that violent video games contribute to real-world gun violence.
The study compared video game spending per capita with gun homicide rates in these ten countries. While acknowledging the simplification of assuming uniform video game markets across countries, the authors argue this is a reasonable approximation.
The United States stands out as having both high video game spending and an exceptionally high gun homicide rate compared to other developed nations in the study. This further suggests a lack of direct causation between video game consumption and gun violence.
The data, rather than showing an upward trend (high video game spending correlating with high gun violence), showed a slight downward trend, suggesting, if anything, a possible inverse relationship. However, the small sample size limits the strength of this conclusion.
The study concludes that available international data does not support a causal link between video game consumption and increased gun violence. The high gun homicide rate in the U.S. remains an outlier, requiring further investigation independent of video game consumption.