Parents are always cautious when it comes to their teen first getting behind the wheel. Adding to their worry, studies have now indicated that mature-rated, risk-glorifying video games may lead teens to drive recklessly. According to the APA's online journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture, teens who play such games have been found to have greater number of automobile accidents, police stops, and incidences of drinking and driving. In fact, there is a greater association between reckless driving and video game playing than between reckless driving and and parenting practices.
A longitudinal study, involving over 5,000 U.S. teenagers, gathered data on this matter based on self-report. Telephone interviews first asked teens if their parents allowed them to play mature-rated video games, such as Spider-Man 2, Manhunt, and Grand Theft Auto. Three more interviews were conducted over the next four years where the percentage of self-reports of sensation seeking, rebelliousness, and self-reported risky driving consistently increased. By the final interview, 90 percent of teens had reported that they had participated in a risky driving behavior such as speeding, tailgating, failling to yield, and running red lights.
Since these are correlational studies that utilized self-report, researchers cannot draw concrete conclusions. However, it is possible that mature-rated video games cause adolescents to develop rebellious, risk-seeking personalities that reflect the extreme personalities of the characters within the video games. This personality may lead to risky behavior in the future including reckless driving, smoking, and drinking. With recent findings indicating that motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of adolescent deaths, parents may now want to exercise greater caution with the video games they permit their children to play.
Reference: Bowen, Lisa in Monitor on Psychology Nov 2012.
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