Video games, violent ones to be precise, have earned a bad reputation. They have been criticized for influencing the behavior of today's teenagers by making our children lazy, insubordinate, or supposedly prone to violence. The attempt to link violent video games to aggressive behavior has been ongoing for decades, with the first controversy occurring in 1982. However, just because violent video games have been associated with real-life violence, does that mean violent games are the cause? Are these violent video games shaping the young minds of this generation towards a more problematic or even aggressive side? Research suggests that's not the case, and video game players are growing tired of defending their hobby to analysts. There are many factors to consider in this topic, such as the accuracy of these studies, what reliable studies actually show, and how video games and real-life events are generally unrelated. These factors together show that violent video games do not cause behavioral problems in adolescents. .Popularity and Study FlawsVideo games are one of the most popular forms of entertainment around the world today. They provide a way for people to interact with each other, both through the Internet and side by side, and provide a variety of genres ranging from board games, role-playing, racing, strategy and first-person shooters, but most importantly their main purpose is to entertain. Due to popularity, it has cost governments well over $10 million to study this link between video games and violence, and as quoted by researcher Chris Ferguson: “There are over 100 studies at this point that in one way or another they draw on video game violence and violence.” aggression. Most of them are horrible....... middle of paper......D 03 DECEMBER 2013]. PLAYING HIGHLY COMPETITIVE VIDEO GAMES CAN LEAD TO AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. 2013. PLAYING HIGHLY COMPETITIVE VIDEO GAMES CAN LEAD TO AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT: HTTP://WWW.APA.ORG/NEWS/PRESS/RELEASES/2011/08/VIDEO-GAMES.ASPX. [ACCESSED DECEMBER 3, 2013]. FROM HALO TO HOT SAUCE: WHAT 25 YEARS OF RESEARCH ON VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES LOOKS LIKE. 2013. FROM HALO TO HOT SAUCE: WHAT 25 YEARS OF RESEARCH ON VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES LOOKS LIKE. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT: HTTP://KOTAKU.COM/5976733/DO-VIDEO-GAMES-MAKE-YOU-VIOLENT-AN-IN+DEPTH-LOOK-AT-EVERYTHING-WE-KNOW-TODAY. [ACCESSED DECEMBER 3, 2013].10 YEARS LATER, THE TRUE STORY BEHIND COLUMBINE - USATODAY.COM. 2014. 10 YEARS LATER, THE TRUE STORY BEHIND COLUMBINE - USATODAY.COM. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT: HTTP://USATODAY30.USATODAY.COM/NEWS/NATION/2009-04-13-COLUMBINE-MYTHS_N.HTM. [ACCESSED 04 FEBRUARY 2014].