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Leave guns in the game.
LET'S START WITH THE OBVIOUS:
We know you know the difference between guns in gaming vs guns in real life.
With the stress of school, family stuff, and life in general, gaming can be a necessary and good break from it all. That’s part of why gaming is so popular – about half of 13-17-year-olds game every day. Most of the games teens play (about two-thirds, according to our research) include weapons or combat.
At the same time, gun violence in real life is something about half of young people worry about every week, and their fears are justified. Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teens in the US.Â
But the solve for gun violence isn’t more guns. Here’s why:
Homes w/ guns have 2x the risk of homicide as those w/o
Homes w/ guns have 3x the risk of suicide vs homes w/o
People carrying guns are 4x more likely to be shot per a recent study
So how does this relate to gaming? About a third of young people, including half of young men and teen boys, say that gaming influences how they think about guns. On average, men get their first firearm at 19, so what they learn about guns as teens can seriously impact their safety (and the safety of those around them) as young adults.
In some of the most popular games, guns can give you power. In real life, guns put you at greater risk. Shooting your intended target in a high-stress situation is incredibly difficult. In fact, studies have found that even police officers hit their intended target about half the time – at best.
So do what you want in the game. But in real life, gamers can help set the record straight. Guns just make things riskier.
If you’re a gaming content creator or involved in the gaming industry and want to get involved in this campaign, fill out the form below.
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If you or a loved one need help, call/text/chat 988 for free, anonymous support.
About Project Unloaded
Project Unloaded works to prevent gun violence by educating, engaging, and empowering teens through cultural campaigns and community partnerships that share a simple message: guns make us less safe. We sit at the intersection of public health, youth engagement, social marketing and culture. Through large-scale, data-backed social media campaigns that have reached a quarter of American teens, teen-facing local programs, and an inspiring youth council, we combine young people’s love of social media with a gun violence prevention message that can reduce gun use and save lives.