Relationship between Violent Video Game Playing and Social Interaction

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Introduction
The playing of video games is often reported as a cause of negative behavior in children and young adults. When these video games are violent, the discussion of their negative impact becomes more serious. On the contrary, reports also exist that connect video game playing to positive achievement and worthwhile social skills. Studies of the connection between playing video games and their effects indicate a relationship between game play and “social interaction, achievement, immersion, emotional instability, and aggression” (Kneer). As members of a global community that operates in a technological age, video game play and its results on individuals and on the larger society demands our attention. Unfortunately, technology makes video games of all levels of violence easily accessible to anyone with a computer. There are few among us who could not relate to knowing an individual who is either obsessed with thoughts of violence or exhibits violent behavior toward others possibly, at least partially, as a result of interacting with violent video games on a regular basis. “It is important to know the long-term causal effects of violent video games, because so many young people regularly play these games” according to Professor Brad Bushman at Ohio State University (Suciu). According to an article published in The Journal of Social Psychology, there has been accumulating evidence that exposure to violent video games promotes aggressive thoughts, affect, and behavior” (Greitemeyer and Osswald). This makes violent video game playing a social problem, not just an individual decision. However, if the connection between video game playing and aggressive behavior is minimal or secondary to another greater issue, as some reports s...

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Works Cited

Bente, G., Kneer, J., & Glock, S. “Are Digital Games Perceived as Fun or Danger? Supporting and Suppressing Different Game-Related Concepts.” Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15, 604-609.
Katherine Kealty. “Study: Video games, gun violence not related”.
News- Central Florida Future.
Peter Suciu. “ Violent Video Games Do Not Lead To Violent Lifestyle”
Technology News, redOrbit.
Tamborini, R., Lachlan, K. A., & Smith, S. L. (). “Models For Aggressive Behavior: The Attributes Of Violent Characters In Popular Video Games.” Communication Studies, 56, 313-329.
Tobias Greitemeyer., Silvia Osswald. “Playing Prosocial Video Games Increases the Accessibility of Prosocial Thoughts”. The Journal of Social Psychology, 152, 121-128.
“Violent video games and young people”. Harvard Mental Health Letter, 27, 1-3.

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