An overall analysis of the results of a survey of more than 21,000 young people worldwide shows that video games are not prone to violence or aggression.

The researchers, led by Aaron Dramondia of the University of Messi, re-examined the results of 28 studies conducted over the years using meta-analysis, most of which sought to link aggression to video games.

A new study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science says that the combined results between video game play and aggressive behavior, although indicative of a statistically significant positive correlation, are so small that they cause a “small effect”. Can not be considered.

“Thus, according to current research, it is impossible to support the widespread hypothesis that violent video games have a significant and lasting impact on the aggressive behavior of young people,” the study said.

Several results from these studies conducted in 2008 indicate different impacts. A quarter of them show a small positive correlation between video games and violent behavior, while the rest do not reach a final conclusion. However, the 2011 survey also found a negative correlation.

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One of the common misconceptions about video games is that small amounts of damage accumulate over time: if a player ends up playing in a more aggressive mood every time, then after a long time, it can lead to a more significant change in character. However, according to the meta-analysis, there is no evidence to support this view. Moreover, the results even point to the opposite.

Studies consistently show that “the impact of violent video games on the aggressive behavior of young people over a long period of time is zero,” the report said.

“We have invited both individual researchers and members of professional associations such as the American Psychological Association to have very specific results on the extremely small link between long-term research on video games and aggressive behavior in young people,” the authors said.

Despite the small correlation established between these two data, other studies indicate the influence of video games on general emotional behavior. According to a 2018 study by the University of New South Wales, people who frequently play violent video games are more indifferent to scenes of violence in a different context. The study author called this phenomenon “emotion-induced blindness.”