Grand Theft Childhood? Making Sense of Teenagers’ Responses to Violent Videogames

Lawrence Kutner

Fri., June 12, 2:00–3:00, Great Hall (4th floor, Central)

Despite the media hype and political posturing, new, federally funded research on violent videogames and teenagers indicates that the politicians and even some health professionals may have it all wrong!

In 2004, Drs. Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl K. Olson, co-founders and directors of the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, began a $1.5 million study funded by the U.S. Department of Justice on the effects of videogames on young teenagers. In contrast to previous research, they studied real children and families in real situations.

What they found surprised, encouraged, and sometimes disturbed them.

Coming to the project with no agenda except to conduct sound, responsible research, their findings conform neither to the views of the alarmists nor of the videogame industry. Their work untangles the web of politics, marketing, advocacy, and flawed or misconstrued studies that until now have shaped parents’ concerns.

This presentation will explore the results of that study and its implications for parents and for the videogame industry.