Every generation gets its villain. In 1979, it was Voltes V and other Japanese robot cartoons. Today, as the Philippines confronts fresh school shootings, the finger is pointing at Roblox.
The instinct is understandable.
When violence reaches a school, parents naturally ask what shaped a young person’s thinking. But if the answer is simply “the game,” we risk finding a convenient culprit instead of confronting a much harder problem.
A Senate hearing on Thursday examined public safety and child welfare following shootings at Ateneo de Zamboanga University and in Tacloban City, including concerns over Roblox and children’s exposure to online content.
The science offers neither a clean acquittal nor a guilty verdict.
In 1973, psychologist John Murray reviewed U.S. Surgeon General research and found that children exposed to televised violence were more likely to display aggressive behavior, both shortly after viewing and over time.
Research published in 1986 suggested the relationship could run both ways. Aggressive children may seek violent entertainment, while repeated exposure may reinforce aggressive tendencies.
Video games complicate the picture because children are not merely watching violence. They are participating in it.
A 2010 meta-analysis led by Craig Anderson, covering studies from Western countries and Japan, found links between violent video games and increased aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior, alongside reduced empathy and prosocial behavior. The researchers described violent-game exposure as a risk factor, not a recipe for violence.
Then comes an important reality check.
Christopher Ferguson’s 2011 prospective study—one that follows a group of subjects overtime—of 302 adolescents found that violent video games and television violence did not predict serious youth violence after other factors were considered. Depressive symptoms and antisocial traits were stronger predictors.
That distinction is crucial.
Ironically, the guns involved in the school shootings were not loose or unregistered. They were licensed firearms owned by authorities but allegedly left unattended, underscoring a basic problem no online safety measure can solve: a gun is only as secure as the person responsible for securing it. Officials have cited about 700,000 firearms in government hands and another 2 million with civilians.
A child does not become a shooter simply because he played Roblox. But neither should concerns about violent content be dismissed as another bout of moral panic.
Marcos’ 1979 ban on Voltes V now seems almost quaint. Back then, the alleged danger arrived on television at a scheduled hour. Today, children carry entire entertainment ecosystems in their pockets.
So regulate intelligently, not reflexively. Hold platforms accountable. Secure firearms. Watch for warning signs. Strengthen families, schools, and support systems.
When tragedy strikes, look beyond the screen. The game may be part of the picture. It is not the whole picture.
