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Psychologist Dr. Keith Ablow on whether violent video games have an impact on behavior.
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Vice President Biden meeting with representatives from the video game industry today is part of his task force on gun violence.
For more on a psychological impact of violent video games and movies.
And basically joined by psychiatrist and Fox News medical contributor doctor -- -- -- Doctor Keith thanks for joining us let me -- -- some research findings today through search firm.
And PDs sales firm.
That sales of video games and gaming systems L 22%.
In the month of December alone why do you think that is.
Well it might be because of all of these violent events I don't really know exactly why their sales would have fallen.
And here's the thing I don't think that we know.
That exposure to violent content is really the issue here it could well be.
That many things that remove people from reality including social media.
And television by the way are also.
Crushing our empathy and making us less likely to be able to relate to others emotional.
Yeah.
Came of this meeting -- the vice president at a cabinet officials.
On gun violence and video games I -- do you think that it's a step in the right direction or was it just politics.
Lot of work place.
I I think it's politics I think gun control as an issue is politics I think trying to lean on the video game industry is politics because.
The issue here.
Is not.
Big gun or the video game it's untreated mental illness.
These folks.
All of them were either under treated.
Or improperly treated or not treated for their mental illnesses and what we know we don't have to.
Posture as to whether video games might or might not be something that cause people to act violently in the real world.
We know that we have nothing like a proper mental health care system in this nation and that -- with the mentally ill child knows that the.
The question of how.
This desensitization.
And he sent.
Get this numbing if you will of going from the video game the social media to actually acting out re bought real yeah violence is happening.
Well well it does seem to be happening but listen if you take anything in isolation.
And you say listen we think that violent video games are causing people with the potential by the way this is a tiny slice of the population.
People with the potential for violence are made incendiary by these video games well you got to show me the data.
Take a thousand people at risk for violent show them video games we'd hate to find out wouldn't wait.
That the violent video games actually prevent them.
From acting out in the real world in some proportion and we don't even know what what we do know is that if you're sick and potentially violent you will not get.
You know dollars to -- you won't get that kind of care that will prevent your violence from this shattered shoddy.
Miserable mental health care system unless you have hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend is -- -- mortgage your house.
Have been desensitized to announce the word I was searching or why does it seem that he's -- -- -- our boys.
Not girls.
Well I think you know what I think there's probably some gender difference there maybe there's some insulation.
From you know things endocrine.
Whether it's the estrogen level or who knows what but listen that -- could change as we abandon.
Traditional stereotypes.
And we emboldened females to act more male.
And you know mall for equality but when you see YouTube videos.
Of girls.
Beating another girl on -- needs you do you are -- taken -- and say where I thought like girls don't do that.
Well now they do because we've.
Cross to kind of rubicon and we may find.
That violence becomes much more an equal opportunity employer in the future.
So is there a solution isn't.
Banning video game losing gaining systems do we need to put more emphasis on the role of parents.
Is their combination do we need more focus on.
Mental health treatments how do you bring all of these elements together.
The silver bullet here is mental health care treatment.
We don't have a reliable system to right the potential violently mentally ill.
Which is again that vast majority of folks suffering with a mental disorders.
To proper treatment we've Coram of the knowledge -- down such that we've let HMOs get away with murder.
We've -- insurance companies -- all psychiatric -- patients that they can.
To social workers and nurses as prescribe -- now I'm not talking down social workers and nurses but I think we could agree as a nation.
That them most seriously mentally ill among us.
Should be routed to psychiatrists.
But HMO's won't pay for that and what's more if you're admitted to a psychiatric unit because you're that sick that you might be violent.
You're gonna be somebody who the HMO is calling every day your clinical treatment team.
Pretending to want to be part of the team and when all they're going to be doing is urging that unit to get you out and throw you out.
And that's what we've permitted in this country as.
You -- insurance that you pay for monthly.
It is an important point this is a crisis thank you so much doctor -- -- monthly hedge prices.
Thank you thanks once again doctors -- so.
