Been playing " postal - postal 2 - an postal 3 for YEARS! what the REAL story behind this video games are evil and violent strategy is this: With the advent of better graphics and better game play, and more developers using more true to life simulations and situations - players nowadays are becoming better acquainted with military tactics and weapons, and honing their skills and learning things such as evade and escape concepts, tactical operations, - CQB or ( close quarters battle or stacking up ) drills ( etc ) and this frightens some quarters of those in power because essentially? - they would have a much greater chance of translating what they have learned " in game " and be more able to apply it to the real world if it all went pair shaped. An this frightens some in government and the military. there are a few articles about it out there on the net.

It can influence behavior yes, we are all simply products of our environment. Too much of the same input can affect the way you act. Video games are no different.

Not to the extent expressed by the extreme left or right.

Children need to play outside , when their on the TV learning violence for eight hours it’s wrong. Children need to be taught the freedom of outdoors hiking skating running, bikes, there’s so much Mother Earth has to offer!

I don’t think so, but staying inside and not socializing with others for extended periods of time cannot be healthy, however it manifests

No. Bugs Bunny is the reason for violence. Especially that f...n Road Runner!

I suspect the answer is, "Yes". But with a qualifier. If adults are also engaged in teaching the children that video games are only games and make it clear that the violent behavior in the video games is not acceptable in real life the games will be less likely to determine the child's behavior. After all we used to run around playing cops n robbers and shooting each other with toy guns - and we were well aware that it was a game. We turned out OK. However, if kids see adults engaging in violence (even verbal) for real and they also play a lot of video games they may not be able to separate the real from the unreal. I personally have no use for such forms of "entertainment" and am glad I raised my kids before the games were invented!

No, not convinced they do.

Parents that spare the rod perhaps may be a bigger cause

Or parents that plain ignore their kids