Playing violent video games for long periods of time can hold back the "moral maturity" of teenagers, according to a study in Canada.
In-depth research into the behaviour of about 100 13- and 14-year-olds found over-exposure to violent games weakened empathy for others.
More than half were found to play video games every single day, with violent games the most common.
Researchers warned of adolescents losing a sense of "right and wrong".
Brock University academics studied the behaviour of pupils at seven schools in Ontario, trying to understand the relationship between the type of video games played, the length of time spent playing and how it might affect their attitudes.
Lack of empathy
The study found that playing video games was highly prevalent among this age group, usually between one and three hours a day - and playing violent games was very common.
"Violent" games were defined as those where players acted out the killing, maiming, decapitating or mutilating of other human characters.
Such was the widespread nature of violent video games that researcher Mirjana Bajovic said it might be unrealistic for parents to try to prevent their teenage children from seeing them.
Many teenagers could play these games without any evidence of a change in attitude. And non-violent games seemed to have no adverse effects on "moral reasoning", regardless of time spent.
But the problems arose with teenagers who spent more than three hours every day in front of a screen, continuously playing these violent games without any other real-life interaction.
'Right and wrong'
Empathy, trust and concern for others, which should develop as teenagers grow up, were found to be delayed.
It was the combination of the content of games and the amount of time that seemed to affect teenagers' attitudes.
The study said: "Spending too much time within the virtual world of violence may prevent [gamers] from getting involved in different positive social experiences in real life, and in developing a positive sense of what is right and wrong."
For these screen-obsessed teenagers, the researchers say that parents should try to put them in social situations where they have to see other people's perspectives or needs, such as charity work.
During the Cold War, American children played with spy toys like those on the television show Man from U.N.C.L.E., and talked to each other on walkie-talkies. Today, they play video games that allow them to blast away at terrorists.
More Americans have been embracing home and hearth since the Sept. 11 attacks, and retailers are reporting that videotapes, televisions and video games are flying out of stores. But parents are wondering whether the violent combat and destruction that are the staples of today's video games are a little too close to reality for their children.
Some of the video games allow children to stalk and kill bad guys on the screen, and even fly a plane into an image of the World Trade Center. A new game that can be downloaded off the Internet allows users to take virtual whacks at a cartoon figure of Osama bin Laden.
Echoing those concerns, some video game manufacturers appear to be backing away from scenes of violence that used to seem like pure fantasy, one toy industry expert said.
"I think that the major changes you're going to see in games are going to be cosmetic in terms of removing images of the [World Trade Center] towers, but they're also going to be storyline in terms of focusing on rescue or heroism," said toy analyst Chris Byrne.
Microsoft is changing its popular Flight Simulator game, removing depictions of the twin towers. Activision's yet-to-be released Spiderman 2: Enter Electro is being redesigned for the same reason. French company Ubi Soft Entertainment postponed its planned October release of Tom Clancy's Rogue Spear: Black Thorn to modify the game's content, which originally let players combat terrorism.
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