10 Stupid Arguments About Grand Theft Auto That Make No Sense

10. GTA Is A "Murder Simulator" That Causes Violent Behaviour

The Argument: Anyone who plays the GTA games is essentially being trained to commit mass murder and acts of wanton destruction. Playing for an extended period of time is likely to heighten aggression and contribute towards collective social ills, regardless of your age. Why It Makes No Sense: For starters, anyone who tries to link pressing the R2 button with pulling the trigger on a gun is already starting off on a weak stance. GTA makes absolutely no effort to prepare people for the physical and psychological realities of killing someone: it doesn't tell you how to obtain, clean, load or fire a gun in any way whatsoever. As for increased aggression, no significant studies have managed to provide a causal link between the two, and the moral panic mostly stems from reaction right-wing media outlets looking for something to blame other than bad parenting or loose gun control laws. If someone acted violently and happened to play GTA in their spare time, there's a good chance they already had violent tendencies. Most well-adjusted people use these games as an outlet to blow off steam and relieve stress because, of course, 99.999% of gamers don't hurt people in real life.