I used to say that video games have zero impact on a person’s psyche. Then I started reading stories and even witnessing a case or two of video game addicition. Some people even joke that video games caused their divorce. That’s a little disturbing, but it doesn’t really turn your head and cause any long term contemplation about the negative effect of video games on society.

This, on the other hand, does:  A 17 year old boy from Ohio has been convicted of murdering his mother after she and his father took away his Halo 3 video game. In October 2007, the boy shot his mother and father, but the father managed to live. The boy ran away – supposedly with the copy of Halo 3 in hand.

As I look at my 3 month old daughter, I cannot imagine how a child makes it to that kind of state of mind. What happened? Was it some disorder this boy was born with? Was he mistreated in some way – maybe at home or at school? What caused him to go right over the edge and commit MURDER over something as simple as being punished by his parents?

While I acknowledge the fact that video games can be somewhat addictive (I currently play Fable 2 whenever I get a chance), I cannot think that the game itself is to blame for this boy’s behavior. Halo 3 is not even what I would consider a violent game. There’s no blood and gore or deviant behavior. It’s the video game equivalent of Star Wars, and what kid was messed up by seeing Star Wars?  None that I’m aware of.

Every time I see a story like this, it makes me wish I could have been a fly on the wall to see what went wrong with this young man, partly because I’m interested in the science of it and partly because I have a daughter that I hope stays just as perfect as she is now.

You can read the full story at CNET.

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