Social science's curious war with pop culture and how it was lost: The media violence debate and the risks it holds for social science

•Research on media violence has become increasingly inconsistent and contentious.•No consensus among scholars exists regarding media violence effects.•Policy statements by professional groups provide misleading evidence on media effects.•Misleading policy statements harm scientific integrity.

For nearly half a century, psychologists, pediatricians and psychiatrists have studied the potential impact of media violence on aggression and societal violence, particularly among youth. Despite hundreds of studies, scholars have failed to find consensus on potential effects. Nonetheless, professional organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Psychological Association have released policy statements conclusively linking violent media to societal concerns. In reaction, some scholars have accused these professional groups of distorting evidence and failing to inform the public of the inconsistent nature of studies in this field. The current paper reviews recent research on media violence. It concludes that caution is recommended in public statements regarding media effects and that professional groups risk serious reputation damage with policy statements calling for behavioral change without clear reflection of the current evidence-base of the research. Recommendations are provided for practitioners and for science policy.