Video games remain the scapegoat

It’s 2024, and for the life of me, I cannot understand why video games are still frequently brought up by the news media in relation to violent crimes. When someone does something ‘bad enough’, if they play video games, it’s mentioned— at the very least, in passing— whether or not it has any bearing on the situation or people involved. For years, tenuous links have been drawn between violent acts and the act of the playing (often, violent) video games. It’s hard for me at this point not to see these conclusions as, well, frankly lazy and irresponsible.

Billions of people worldwide play video games, and tens (if not hundreds) of millions play violent ones. Yet, despite the fact that other media or influence plays into heinous or violent acts, video games frequently seem to creep into the discussion. People have contended for years, despite a lack of evidence, that video games make people violent. Even now, articles coming out about Luigi Mangione mention his video gaming habits in headlines.

People do what they do for a variety of reasons, and some people who commit violent acts are indeed influenced by the media they consume, but the reduction of identity when video games become involved seems absurd. It feels like an avoidance of seeing the whole picture. Like an increasingly absurd scapegoat— or perhaps our human tendency to find reason when we don’t understand why something has happened. With billions of players around the world, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who has done ‘something bad’ that has not played video games at some point or another.

But, right now, I feel like that’s all beside the point.

I’ve never been, and never will be, someone considered part of the news media fold, yet I’m still embarrassed to see Among Us cited as though it’s a contributing factor in the murder of Brian Thompson, the late CEO of UnitedHealthcare. It’s worth mentioning that UnitedHealthcare is responsible for the highest number of health insurance claim denials in the United States. In 2024, annual premiums for health insurance are nearly $9000 for individuals, and more than $25,000 for families. Even with all of the money spent on insurance, far too many people are stuck with the short end of the stick— or the larger portion of the bill, to be more accurate. The amount of denials and anecdotes of people going without necessary medical care already paints a bleak picture. Just as concerning is the fact that we don’t have solid data about how often claims are denied, and just how much money people are shoveling out for what their insurance refuses to cover. We don’t know how many people have seen their health rapidly decline, or, frankly, die, because the costs for what they needed were too high, and their insurance wouldn’t pay out. I fear that with the incoming presidency of Donald Trump, that things will only get worse. I expect costs to rise, coverage to drop, and the people who most need insurance to be left in a lurch, paying exorbitant costs for life-saving care. For now though, I’m going to put that thought aside.

I believe people should be forced to live with the horrible things they’ve done, and the damage they’ve caused. At the same time, I can see why acts of violence, such as that allegedly committed by Luigi Mangione happen. The costs are still projected to grow, and there’s little we can do about it. The anger is and has been growing. There’s much we can do about it, and the anger isn’t going to go away— especially not from those struggling with healthcare costs, or in the worst cases, their own impending death or that of loved ones, due to those costs.

But sure.

Blame the video games.