The French president Emmanuel blames riots on video games

The French president blames social media and video games for the riots that have swept the country after a 17-year-old delivery driver was killed by the police

In the midst of ongoing riots following the tragic death of a teenager during a traffic stop, French President Emmanuel Macron attended a crisis security meeting to control the situation. According to President Macron, playing video games has had a significant negative psychological impact on the rioters, driving them to lose their sense of reality and imitate violent behavior.

Additionally, Macron said that protests were being planned through social media platforms like Snapchat and TikTok. Macron claims that the identity of people who post rallying cries to prolong the protests on social media are being investigated by the French police. The French President also outlined measures to collaborate with digital firms to delete sensitive content from these apps.

Following several nights of violence in France and its overseas territories, French authorities have launched a crackdown, mobilizing more than 40,000 police personnel to patrol cities all around the nation. According to the data provided by the Interior Ministry, over 2,000 individuals have been detained since Tuesday and over 500 police and gendarmes have been hurt.

“It sometimes feels like some of them are reliving in the streets the video games that have intoxicated them,”  – Macron during the crisis security meeting.

Do violent video games actually contribute to the problem?

The alleged association between violent video games and real-world conflict has been making headlines since the 1970s, but there is no concrete evidence to support the claim. But, across many nations, video games have served as a convenient excuse for violent crimes from armed robbery to mass shootings. Fox News used video games as the reason behind the 2022 mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. The most recent instance of this was when Texas Senator Ted Cruz blamed mass shootings on video games last year. 

Even so, Macron’s comments are somewhat surprising, given that he has supported gaming and esports in the past. He pushed esports as a crucial component of France’s cultural export and a big component of the country’s global influence last year. The president met with several prominent French esports personalities, including Adrien “ZeratoR” Nougaret, Karmie Corp founders Amine “Prime” Mekri and Kamel “Kameto” Kebir, and broadcast host Laure Valée to discuss how esports can flourish in France.