Intelligence Squared US Debates: Will video games make us smarter?

Airs Sunday, June 25, 2017, at 6 p.m. As video games gain prominence, some game creators are turning to global issues, such as poverty alleviation, international diplomacy, and combating climate change, for inspiration. Playing these socially minded games, they argue, allows users to build tangible skills in combating crisis and solving critical problems. But others see the multibillion-dollar gaming industry, dominated by portrayals of crime and war, as a threat that desensitizes its users to violence and encourages anti-social behavior. The debaters are Daphne Bavelier, Elias Aboujaoude, Asi Burak, and Walter R. Boot.