Grand Theft Auto has the power to change society for the worse

Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is one of the most popular video games in the country. The fifth edition of the game, Grand Theft Auto V, was released in August 2013 and racked up more than 33.8 million players by November 2014. The incredible numbers earned the game the title of ‘best-selling game of 2013’. The catch? It’s also one of the most violent and aggressive video games in the market.

GTA’s wild popularity and extreme content is concerning for more than just the obvious reason of gun violence. While gun violence shouldn’t be so easily dismissed, there are less obvious – yet equally important – consequences from the game’s plot. For one, the entire concept

is to break the law as much as possible. From actual grand theft auto, to torturing innocent people and killing police officers, the game rewards its players for engaging in any level of criminal behavior.

Secondly, it contributes to the objectification of women in society through both violent and nonviolent actions. The sole purpose of the woman in GTA is sex, as they are mainly portrayed as strippers and prostitutes. The player is also encouraged to sexually assault, rape, and kill women.

The nature of GTA has the potential to lead to disastrous consequences for the younger generation and society as a whole in years to come. According to a Vanderbilt study about video game engagement in America, 81% of youths play video games at least once a month and 8.5% of them are addicted. The same study examined multiple experiments about student behavioral changes before and after playing violent video games and concluded that students more aggressive patterns did occur after playing a violent video game. Violent video games have been proven to lead to other individual consequences such as addiction and ADHD.

The high percentage of youth playing video games and GTA’s record-breaking popularity suggests that youth are playing the extremely violent game. Perhaps more importantly, the findings of the Vanderbilt study implies youth playing GTA are internalizing both the obvious and subliminal messages in the game. Unfortunately, this could lead to an increase in individual problems as well as societal delinquency.