Do violent games teach people to become shooters in real life?

Lindsay Grace wrote an editorial in CNN claiming that violent video games don't cause people to commit violent acts like mass shootings. She supports her claim by noting the differences between using a real gun and a gun in a game "games don't teach the essentials of a real gun. Players don't learn about the mechanics of safeties or a gun's weight. Players don't learn how to load a gun, to unbox bullets, to specify ammunition or how to purchase a weapon. Players don't learn how to adjust for a weapon's recoil, nor do they demonstrate the heat of a gun, or the maintenance of it." In addition, Grace's intended audience is not only video games users, but also parents that have teens who play video games. I agree with Grace, virtual reality and actual reality are two different things. I believe video game users are aware that it's just a video game and once that machine is off they will be back to real life. Although Grace doesn't provide facts and data, she does have some persuasive points, plus she gives her personal experience. Apparently, she was really good at playing race car video games, but that didn't mean she was going to be a pro race car driver in real life. In conclusion, Grace made a convincing argument that I agree with and I would have been more convinced with if she made any logical appeal using data and statistics. Other than that I thought her thoughts were well organized and psychologically accurate.

Citation: Grace, Lindsay. “Video Games Do Not Teach People to Become Shooters in Real Life.” CNN, Cable News Network, 9 Mar. 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/03/09/opinions/video-games-do-not-teach-people-to-become-shooters-grace/index.html.