Violent Video Games Effects on Children and Adolescents

There are lots of opinions about violent video games and their effects, but which ones are supported by the science?  In this talk, Dr. Douglas Gentile, BA '86, will describe the scientific evidence for both positive and negative effects of violent video games on children and adolescents, and what parents can do to maximize the benefits of media while minimizing potential harms.

About Douglas Gentile
Dr. Douglas Gentile is an award-winning research scientist, educator, author, and is professor of psychology at Iowa State University.  His research primarily focuses on how children's media use influences health and wellness. He is the editor of the book Media Violence and Children (2 editions; Praeger Press), and co-author of the book Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy (2007, Oxford University Press) and the book Game On!  Sensible Answers about Video Games and Media Violence.  He has authored over 140 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles, including studies on the positive and negative effects of mass media on children in several countries, video game "addiction," and mindfulness practices for reducing anxiety and increasing happiness.  He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and he was named one of the Top 300 Professors in the United States by the Princeton Review.