Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!

Views On Violent Video Games

Activision Blizzard

Violent video games - do they create real-world violence? It's a question studied for years, and renewed in light of the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. Meanwhile, some in Congress are calling for an investigation into the effects of these games on children. As part of a three-day series looking at the conversation post-Newtown, we're examining the debate over video game violence.

Guests:

  • Brad Bushman, Professor of Communication and Psychology at Ohio State University, and a professor of communication science at the VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He studies the causes, consequences, and solutions to the problem of human aggression and violence. 
  • Cheryl Olson co-founded the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachussetts General Hospital. She was the principal investigator for a Harvard research project studying the effects of video games on young teens Based on that research, she coauthored a popular book, Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth about Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do.

Callouts:

  • Rona Zlokower– Executive Director of Media Power Youth, an organization based in Manchester that educates youth, parents, and professionals on issues of media literacy.
  • Jamin Warren – Co-founder of Kill Screen, a videogame arts and culture company interested in the intersection between games, play, and other seats of culture from art to music to design; he was previously a WSJ reporter.
Laura is well known in New Hampshire for her in-depth coverage of important issues and is widely regarded for her interviews with presidential hopefuls. Laura is a graduate of Keene High School in New Hampshire. Prior to hosting The Exchange, Laura worked in public radio in Washington, D.C. as a local reporter and announcer for WAMU and as a newscaster for NPR. Before her radio career, she was a researcher for USA Today's "Money" section, and a research assistant at the Institute for International Economics. Laura occasionally guest hosts national programs such as The Diane Rehm Show and Here and Now. In 2007 Laura was named New Hampshire Broadcaster of the Year by the New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters.
Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.