More video game vilifying from scientists with political agendas. A University of California researcher is claiming that violent video games increase the likelihood of young men engaging in other risky behavior, like smoking pot and boozing.

100 undergrads between the ages of 18-21 were polled, making this a sample size so small as to indicate almost nothing at all. Half played Grand Theft Auto 3 and used baseball bats to beat up hookers; the other half played Simpsons: Hit and Run.

"The researchers found, young men who had played the violent game were less cooperative and more competitive in completing an assigned task with another person, compared to those who played the Simpsons game. They were also more likely to have permissive attitudes toward alcohol and marijuana use." Hey, what undergrad doesn't have permissive attitudes toward alcohol and marijuana use?

The article closes with this winning quote: "Brady urges parents to be aware of what sorts of video games their children are playing. And kids themselves, she adds, should understand that violent games can change the way they think."

Just like education, reading, writing, film, travel — a cornucopia of human experiences which expand our horizons and make us think differently about things. It's the old brainwash bogeyman. You may remember it from the way parents reacted to film, jazz, rock and comics, when those forms were nascent.

Violent video games linked to risky behaviors [Reuters]