Are Violent Video Games Actually That Harmful? - Michael Kasumovic - #643

About this episode

Michael Kasumovic is a professor of evolutionary biology at University of New South Wales, a researcher and an author. The influence of violent video games on human psychology has been contested for years. Does virtual violence translate to real world harm? Should we be worried about our friends and kids who play them? And just what makes these games so compelling? Expect to learn the evolutionary theory of why winners tend to win more and losers tend to lose more, whether video games skills translate to the real world, why status-seeking people are more interested in playing violent video games, whether men can grow beards for protection from punches, why men with high testosterone have superior immune systems, why women who play violent video games have higher self-esteem and much more... Sponsors: Get 10% discount on all Gymshark’s products at https://bit.ly/sharkwisdom (use code: MW10) Get 10% discount on Marek Health’s comprehensive blood panels at https://marekhealth.com/modernwisdom (use code: MODERNWISDOM) Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D and more from Athletic Greens at https://drinkag1.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (00:16) Why We Play Video Games (11:52) Video Games Are Hijacking Human Desires (15:45) Are Men Being Sedated? (24:04) Common Traits of Gamers (27:45) Socio-sexual Behaviour of Male Gamers (35:35) How Status Impacted Player Behaviour in Halo (40:28) What Happens When Women get Involved in Male Status Games? (52:04) Do Violent Video Games Improve Fighting Ability? (58:40) Why Does Status Respond to the Local Environment? (1:00:30) Do Bearded Men Win More Fights? (1:06:44) Different Types of Sexual Competition (1:15:20) What Basketball Can Teach Us About Male Performance (1:22:44) The Impact of a Masculine Face on Health (1:32:26) Where to Find Michael Extra Stuff: Check out Michael's website - https://www.michaelkasumovic.com/ Follow Michael on Twitter https://twitter.com/mkasumovic Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom - Episodes You Might Enjoy: This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠⁠ How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠⁠ The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠ Get in touch. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices