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

**Chris Williamson** (0:00)
Hello, friends. Welcome back to the show. My guest today is Michael Kasumovic. He's a Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the 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 game 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. Saying that this conversation is just about violent video games undersells it so much. Michael's stuff is phenomenal. He is so interesting. And the number of studies that this guy has been involved in are just beyond fascinating. This is classic, straight up, pure, uncut Modern Wisdom stuff, human nature and biases and psychological insights. It's so good. You're really, really gonna love this one. And I hope that you take tons away from it. If you do, hit the subscribe button. Come on. If you're listening, you might not have hit subscribe. It means that you're going to miss episodes when they go live. I've got this huge shoot in Stewart, Florida happening at the end of this week with an absolutely ginormous guest and it supports the show and makes me happy. So go to Apple podcasts or Spotify and press subscribe, please. I thank you. In other news, this episode is brought to you by Gymshark. Whether you're a bodybuilder, a yogi, beginning at the gym or an ultra runner, whether you're looking for the best shorts to run your 5K marathon in or the most comfy sweats to do brunch with your friends, Gymshark is the place to go. I'm absolutely in love with their studio shorts. They are the best men's training shorts that I've ever found. Dusty Maroon, Willow Green and Onyx Grey are my favorite colors. And they've got this crest hoodie thing that I travel in all the time and the Geo Seamless T-shirt as well, which helps to make me not just wear black, gray and white all of the time. I'm a massive fan of all of their pieces and girls that are listening or guys that have got girls who they need to buy gifts for. It's a very easy win if you need to apologize or get someone a birthday present. Gymshark has got everything that you need, including accessories and everything else. Plus they have 30 day money back guarantee with free returns worldwide. And you can get 10% off everything site-wide if you go to bit.ly slash shark wisdom and use the code MW10 at checkout. That's bit.ly slash shark wisdom and MW10 at checkout. In other other news, this episode is brought to you by Marek Health. Health optimization is a common phrase in the fitness space. The issue is it's incredibly individualized. For one person it could be lifestyle changes and over the counter supplementation. Some even need hormone optimization to look and feel better. Whether you're looking to know where your blood markers are or receive treatment forms like HRT, TRT, sexual health medication, hair loss treatment, gaining muscle, losing fat or anything else, all you need to do is check out Marek Health. You go to any LabCorp center around the entire United States, they will take your bloods, they will mail them into Marek Health and everything else is sorted from there. Head to marekhealth.com/modernwisdom to get a 10% discount off everything with the code Modern Wisdom. A checkout, that's M-A-R-E-K health.com/modernwisdom and Modern Wisdom, a checkout. And in final news, this episode is brought to you by AG1. I have used AG1 every single day for nearly three years now. I take it on the road with me in their little travel pouches. It is the basis for my supplementation and it's foundational nutrition that supports whole body health. It's a science driven formulation, vitamins, probiotics and whole food source nutrients. AG1 delivers comprehensive support for the brain, gut and immune system. When I stop taking it, I definitely notice. And this is why it's been supported by Lex Friedman and Joe Rogan and Andrew Huberman and Dr. David Sinclair, the Longevity Guy. Everybody loves it because it is the best out there. Since 2010, they've improved the formula 52 times in the pursuit of making the best foundational nutrition supplement possible. Also there is a 90 day money back guarantee, which means that you can buy it and try it for 89 days and if you do not like it for any reason, they'll give you your money back. Head to drinkag1.com/modernwisdom to get a year's free supply of vitamin D, 5 free travel packs, free pots, shakers and that 90 day money back guarantee. That's drinkag1.com/modernwisdom.