Violent Video Games Lead to Violence

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In today’s day and age it has been suggested that teens are becoming more violent. Some worry that certain aspects of our technology, including the intenseness of violent video games, are affecting the violence among America’s youth, while others don’t see this as an issue at all. A study done in 2004, Factors Correlated with Violent Video Games Use by Adolescent Boys and Girls, reported that boys in grades seventh and eighth played violent video games to either release their anger or help them relax. According to the suggestion that video games act as a stress reliever, violence in video games should not be blamed for violent behavior. Even though many views about the effect of violent video games are negative, I argue that they don’t have any effect on the violent behavior preformed by today’s youth. Many studies, such as the one in 2004 involving factors correlating with violent video games used by adolescent boys and girls, have been done strengthening the theory that violent video games let people relieve their stress and anger. These games also give youth a way to learn about war and different events occurring throughout the world (Markoff). Since parents are generally the ones buying video games for their kids, it seems that they feel as though the violent games won’t have a long-term effect on their children. Researchers, like Gentile and Anderson, have displayed that violent games may increase aggression for a short time on the people playing them, but the aggression isn’t strong enough to create long-term effect. Markey, associate professor of psychology at Villanova University (2013), also mentioned, "What we find in our laboratory studies are very small effects affecting our thoughts, our cognitions, but not so much a... ... middle of paper ... ...iolent video games shouldn’t be the explanation for violence. Works Cited Ferguson, C. J. (2011). Video games and youth violence: A prospective analysis in adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 40(4), 377-377-391. Kutner, Lawrence, and Cheryl K. Olson. 2008. Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth about Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do. New York: Simon & Schuster Markoff, Steven C. "Do Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth Violence? - Video Games – ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Schaffer, Amanda. "Don't Shoot Why Video Games Really are Linked to Violence." Slate. 27 April 2007. 18 Apr. 2008. "Video Games ProCon.org. 12 July 2004." ProConorg Headlines. Steven C. Markoff, Web. 26 Sept. 2013. "Violent Video Games Can Spur Cooperation." USA Today Magazine Jan. 2013, 141st ed., sec. 2812: 7. Print.

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