Videogames: unhealthy and dangerous

A new study from the University of Michigan has concluded that violence depicted on television, in movies and in videogames poses "a serious threat to public health" that is second only to smoking.

"Exposure to violent electronic media has a larger effect than all but one other well known threat to public health. The only effect slightly larger than the effect of media violence on aggression is that of cigarette smoking on lung cancer," said the report.

The research, carried out by L Rowell Huesmann and Brad Bushman, and detailed by Reuters, links a child's exposure to violence with an increased likelihood of actual violence in adulthood, for both males and females.

"Children are also spending an increasingly large amount of time playing video games, most of which contain violence⦠The research clearly shows that exposure to virtual violence increases the risk that both children and adults will behave aggressively."

The report did admit that not every child exposed to violence will show evidence of increased aggression, but concluded that more controls were needed from parents and society on what children are exposed to.