This study was done by Douglas A. Gentile, Paul J. Lynch, Jennifer Ruh Linder, and David A. Walsh and was published in the Journal of Adolescents. This study’s research topic was to document the patterns and video game habits of adolescents, as well as to draw a connection from violent exposure in games to violent tendencies in life, such as arguments with teachers and parents, playground fights, and performance in school. The study also chose to focus on the efficacy of mediation tactics derived from the video game habits. There were 607 8th and 9th grade students from four different schools interviewed for this process. The results of the data showed that students who were more interested in violent video games were also more often prone to violence and aggression in school, as well as lower educational performance. According to those who carried out the study, the results of the study supported the general aggression model.

This study was particularly interesting because it focused on the age group I am also interested in for my proposal. What I didn’t like about this study was that it linked the idea, that violent video games cause violence, to an already suspect age group. Though it’s true that these students may have been linked to violet video games, I think it is unfair to assume that already obstinate teenagers are made that way due to video games. 8th graders have been annoying and violent way before video games existed. All I think this study proved was that video games may be a symptom, but hardly the cause.