ABOUT THIS EPISODE
"Parents can be worried about all the other million things that we're worried about for our kids. But violent video games in and of themselves should not be at the top of that list."
- Dr. Rachel Kowert
Host Patricia Cangas sits down with Dr. Rachel Kowert, a psychologist and game researcher whose work has appeared in The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Dr. Kowert founded the Psychgeist YouTube channel and podcast to make game science accessible to the public. She tackles the persistent myth linking violent games to real-world violence, explaining how decades of research show no direct connection. "We've done this research, we've put millions of dollars of research funding into this to look at those links and we just don't see them," she explains. Parents learn practical ways to evaluate games beyond ratings and foster healthy gaming conversations with their kids.
In This Episode:
- (00:00) Intro and why this topic stays in the headlines
- (02:19) The plot twist: what the evidence actually shows
- (05:15) Population trends vs crime: why correlation claims fall apart
- (10:18) Beyond ratings: how parents can vet games in the real world
- (15:35) Bro talk, gamer culture, and house rules
- (18:08) Why social context matters more than pixel violence
- (19:28) Why we play: motivations and social pull
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About the Show
Patricia Cangas Rumeu, a seasoned expert in digital literacy and educational technology, hosts Pixel Parenting - where she empowers busy parents to navigate their kids' tech use with confidence and science-based insights. This bi-weekly podcast cuts through digital parenting confusion by exploring everything from screen time strategies to educational apps with expert guests and practical tools. Patricia combines her background as both a mother and technology educator to help families build healthy digital habits that work for real life, creating a community where parents can learn what being "tech-savvy" really means for kids today.
Resources:
- Dr. Rachel Kowert:
- Dr. Rachel Kowert Website: https://rkowert.com
- Psychgeist Podcast: https://rkowert.com/psychgeist/#podcast
- Psychgeist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/psychgeist
- Games We Talked About (With Links!) These are some of the games the guest mentioned, along with links so you can explore them:
- Mortal Kombat – Fighting game series known for realistic violence and fatalities:https://www.mortalkombat.com/
- Grand Theft Auto (GTA) – Open-world action game series: https://www.rockstargames.com/gta-v
- Call of Duty – Military first-person shooter series: https://www.callofduty.com/
- Brawl Stars – Cartoonish multiplayer battle game: https://supercell.com/en/games/brawlstars/
- Civilization – Strategy game series involving building empires: https://civilization.com/
- Pixel Parenting:
- Pixel Parenting Digital Resources: https://pixelparenting.org/digital-education-resources/
- ESRB Ratings Guide (what ratings/descriptors mean): https://www.esrb.org/ratings-guide
- Pixel Parenting Podcast: https://pixelparenting.org/podcast/
- Pixel Parenting Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553247026258
- Pixel Parenting IG: https://www.instagram.com/pixelparentingtips/
