New Study Says Violent Video Games Can Be Good for You: Believable or Bogus?

For years, people have argued that violent video games are bad for society because they can increase aggression and violence among youth. But, according to a new study by Keele University, playing violent games may actually help you by increasing your pain tolerance.

The study by Keele tested 40 volunteers and found that they had a higher threshold for pain after playing a first-person shooter game, as opposed to a non-violent golf game. Each group played for 10 minutes and had their pain tolerance tested by placing one hand in ice-cold water to see how long they could last without withdrawing. The study states that 65 percent of the participants kept their hands in ice water longer after playing the violent video game compared to the golf-playing group of volunteers.

So how does this work? Apparently, while playing violent video games your body goes into a form of 'fight or flight' mode. Your heart rate increases, awareness rises, and you are desensitized from at least some pain, since you are essentially playing a simulation of a dangerous and violent scenario one would realistically never want to be a part of in real life. As a result, the study suggests that violent video games may be a helpful way to cope with pain in the short term. Whether you believe the study's effectiveness or not, shooting game fans now have a new excuse to keep playing on.