Are Video Games and Phones Helping to Reduce Crime?

Crime plummeted in the US in 2025 after a steady but less-precipitous decline in 2024. Not only is the scary rise in violence that began early in the Covid-19 pandemic now receding in the rearview mirror, but population-adjusted rates of some crimes — murder and burglary, notably — are approaching levels not seen in more than half a century, if ever.

Yes, the historical view on murder is less impressive when you consider the vast improvement in medical care over the decades. Burglars and perpetrators of other traditional property crimes are to some extent just being supplanted by online crooks. And it’s hard to get too excited about recent declines in shoplifting given that the deodorant is now behind lock and key at the local Walgreen’s. But overall, the crime drop is pretty great. If only we knew why it was happening.