The Effects of Video Games on Violence

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Recommended: Negative impact of violent video games at schools

Video game violence has remained a controversy for numerous years. With the advancement of technology, video games have progressed in its practicality and genres. Technology has allowed video games to become very sophisticated and lifelike. This development has brought video games to a multi-billion dollar industry. Nevertheless, with the level of practicality, there are also negative affects to humanity. Since the manufacture of violent video games, there has been a constant quarrel whether or not violent video games increase fierceness in the player. Studies display concerns about the effect of violent video games on young individuals who play videogames disproportionately. Although some individuals believe that violent video games have no effect on them, they can lead to violent behavior.

Violent video games can cause people to not live completely an ordinary life. “…students who played violent video games for 20 minutes at a time for three consecutive days showed increasingly higher levels of aggressive behavior each day they played” (Bushman 1). According to Brad Bushman, a professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University, his research shows that students that play violent video games consecutively have violent behavior. If a video game player does not immediately imitate particular violent acts found in video games, it does not mean the game will not have a long-term negative impact on that player’s views and behavior. “… Tested high exposure to violent video games and they increase physical aggression over time in both the U.S. and Japan…” (Anderson 1). Craig Anderson and his collogues did a study on young individuals that play video games in the U.S. and Japan. Their study revealed that playing violent...

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Anderson, Craig Alan, Douglas A. Gentile, and Katherine E. Buckley. Violent Video Game

Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy. Oxford: Oxford UP,

2007. Print.

Bushman, Brad, and The Opinions Expressed in This Commentary Are Solely Those of Brad

Bushman. "Do Violent Video Games Play a Role in Shootings?" CNN. Cable News Network, 01Jan. 1970. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.

Ferguson, Christopher, Drs. "In New Study, Video Games Not Tied to Violence in High-Risk

Youth | Psych Central News." Psych Central.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014.

Kutner, Lawrence, and Cheryl K. Olson. Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth about

Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do. New York: Simon &

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Ward, Michael R. "Shooting in the Dark." The New York Times. N.p., 12 Feb. 2013. Web.

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