In the last two decades, there has been a rapid increase in the use of technology. Whether it is for environmental discoveries, weapon construction, or the cell phones and internet used by everyday people, technology is everywhere. And through this technology, images of sex and violence are being channeled on the TV, on the Internet and on our phones. This means that violence and sex is everywhere. This literature review examines the problem: T.V. and video game industries have allowed a rapid increase of sex and violence exposure to teens. The paper discusses the issues caused by having so much violence and sex on technology that teens use every day and how it is changing the next generation of young people. The examination of sex and violence in T.V. and video games allows for the obvious to be pointed out: teens and children don’t need to be exposed to so much violence and sex in their everyday lives. This paper also suggests that more can be done to curb the prevalence of exposure. Can Turning Off the Violence and Sex on T.V. and Video Games Change Our Teens Today? A Review of the Literature A Harvard School of Public Health study found that 64 percent of video games contain intentional violence and 60 percent rewarded players for killing or causing harm to other characters (Pham, 2001). According to Washington Education, 2 in every 3 shows on television have some form of sexual content and 1 in every 10 shows has sexual intercourse depicted or implied (Teen Futures Media Network). These sexual and violent images are on games that teens play frequently and on some of the most watched television programs on today. Studies suggest that teens who watched television with strong sexual content were more likely to get involved ... ... middle of paper ... ...s “Sex and the Internet: Challenging the Myths” states that it is a myth that “we can teach teens…without using the word ‘sex’ or discussing risky sexual encounters”, but television flashing naked parts and sexual innuendos at teens faces is not the way to go about bring up sex(Willard, 2000). Parents and schools need to have those conversations with teens, not television shows. Teens should be able to watch television shows without sex popping up in every other scene. Teens should also be able to play good video games without being encouraged to kill people. Media companies need to tone down all this violence and sexual content for the sake of the next generation’s sanity and innocence. If companies don’t put higher regulations on what teens can watch a play, the next generation is going to have a whole lot more issues than who can get the new Call of Duty first.
In today’s society, highly addicting video games involving strong violence and language, explicit sexuality and crime often lead to inappropriate behaviors. Role playing games or RPGs allow us to step into a virtual world, cutting ourselves off from worldly distractions. Nowadays, the age range for people who play these extremely graphic games are anywhere from six to eighteen and are surprisingly hazardous to young children’s health. A study gave a group of players playing a violent video game the chance to blast a painful sound into their opponent's ear in order to get the upper advantage. They also gave another group playing non violent games, the same opportunity. The study showed that overall the gamers playing violent video games were more prone to inflict more pain on their enemies, unlike the other group who inflicted considerably less pain. Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D who did this study agrees, “violent video games desensitize players to violence, and makes them more violent in real life" (McGonigal). Young adults are exposed to these terrifying images, harming their mental health. In recent events, a young eight year old boy shot his grandmother after playing Grand Theft Auto. This game is the epitome of why young people should not be playing these games. It is comprised of murder, drug and alcohol abuse, criminal behavior, violence and general disrespect for women, and foul language. In summary, young people should not be playing these games in order to save their mental health. Furthermore, television contributes to desensitizing society with it’s ...
“In 2005, out of 68% of TV shows that showed steamy sexual content, only 15% discussed risk and responsibility. And it’s not just movies and TV: Music, video games, and the Internet are also filled with sexually explicit, often-degrading messages that can shape kids’ attitudes about sex.” (greatschools.org)
Today’s youth is heavily influenced by the media. Video games, television, and movies make up a large part of the lives of children in America. These easily accessible forms of entertainment are lightly regulated by parents and the government; children and adolescents are exposed to extremely violent media everyday. “By the time the average American child reaches seventh grade, he or she will have witnessed 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on television. Some people say so much violence on television makes American society- including its children- more violent” (“Causes of School Violence” 1). Among the violent media, video games are the current trend. Although video games are rated by ESRB (the entertainment sof...
Video games are widely popular as a form of entertainment for young children and teenagers in the United States, and many of these games contain forms of violence. Because this causes exposure to such graphic images for many children, there has been a concern that these violent forms of entertainment affect these children. Numerous studies conducted by groups of psychologists have been directed on this particular issue, leading to evidence both for and against this claim. This is an issue which parents should acknowledge, as it greatly impacts their children. Therefore, parents must become aware of the issue of violence in video games and monitor their children’s access to such games because history as well as numerous studies and statistics to have shown that they have negative effects on children, causing desensitization due to the exposure to such intense images.
One of the fastest growing sectors in the United States economy, with sales over six billion dollars in 2012 is the video gaming industry ("Games: Improving the Economy’). Technical innovation has given the video industry power to create exciting realistic worlds, turning video games into the vast entertainment business that it is today. Setting sales records, Violent Video Games (VVG) are now a common staple in many households. One of the most argued topics in media studies, investigation on the impact violence has on society from mass media continues to rage on. Parents look to the media for reliable studies to confirm or distinguish the effects VVG has on children. Even more menacing than violence on television or in movie theaters, VVG have created enticing graphic worlds created to slaughter fellow players. Modern video games allow players to take an active role within the game. Enticing players to engage in realistic assault scenes that are meant to be entertaining. Worthy playing is then rewarded with: trophies, bonus points and extra lives.
Violent video games are undoubtedly a legalized drug to children and teens, numbing their thoughts and reprogramming their minds. Like a drug, it desensitizes them, and makes them more prone to violence. This idea of violent video games was not a phenomenon until the later 20th century, and evolved from racing into enemies, to free-for-all drug abuse and sexual/physical violence that most youth know and play today. These games have a detrimental impact on teens, making them eat more, become more aggressive, and wash away their morality. Although some may try to argue with reality, countering that its helps them socially, similar to the idea of teens taking drugs, violent video games reduce their overall health and need to be taken care of.
"Watching Violent TV Or Video Games Desensitises Teenagers And May Promote More Aggressive Behaviour."M2presswire (2010): Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
In our society we have many issues that plague our youth. Problems such as substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, and verbal bullying are just a few of the issues. There is one issue that has been on the rise for many years, and is relatively new to the world; and that is violence due to exposure to violent video games. Research done by a panel of scientists led by Professor Rowell Huesmann found “Unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts” (qtd. in Anderson et al. 4). This research is very profound, but it does not state that a child will go to a school and shoot children because he played the game Call of Duty. While a child might not show major aggressive behavior because of violent video games, he will show minor increases in aggressive behavior because of the games he plays. These statistics are the same for adolescents as they are for children. Whether they realize it or not, everyone who plays a violent video game is effected in one way or another. Even though there is a rating system for games, that system is lacking in what they let younger children watch and do in these games. The question that must be asked is, “Why are these children being exposed to such violent content?”
The negative influence television has begun to have on children is unreal. Americans seem to ask themselves what brings on such things as the Columbine shootings, eleven-year-olds murdering toddlers, and an increase in teen rapes. Then, these same people allow their children and teenagers to watch movies like Saw, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Frailty. Irving Kristol is part of the American Enterprise Institute and in 1994 wrote an essay pointing out proof of these influences on teens and children. He used a report done in the United Kingdom on what they called "video nasties" (Kristol) and gave evidence of negative behavior in children who had watched such vulgar and violent shows. He again...
There are many controversies about video-games that vary from the idea that they lead to violence due to the graphic nature of some video-games, they are addictive, or they promote laziness and corpulence rather than going outside to be active. Contrary to belief there are many family friendly, educational, and fun games available if a person takes the time to look past all of the hype in the media about games such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty. “Nearly 60 percent of the almost 1,700 ratings we assigned last year were E for Everyone, which means there’s a huge selection of games available that are appropriate for all ages,” says the ESRB’s Patricia Vance. If parents would take the time to pay attention to what games their kids are playing, then there would not be such a large controversy over this topic. It is a parents job to know their kids maturity level and be able to tell if their child is capable of handling certain games without taking the games to the literal level. If a parent disagrees with the content of a video-game, then they have the right to tell their kids that they are not allowed to play it. Despite the skepticism that is passed around about the “violence and mature content” in many video-games, there are many benefits that come from them. They have been proven by many studies to stimulate education, increase brain function, and improve motor skills. They have been shown to provide relief to mental pain and depression by creating a distraction from the issues weighing on a persons mind. Not only can they provide mental pain relief, some instances have shown that they can provide relief to people with a chronic illness or constant physical pain. Video-games have been shown to encourage social skills and int...
When thinking of killing, drugs and nudity, I’m pretty sure not many people think of positive ideas. Electronics, such as television and computers, show these kinds of things regularly. Despite this explicit material, some people see the constantly improving technology as a wonderful addition to our lives. Yet as time passes, more and more people start to have doubts about what these developments in technology are leading to. Kids and teens should be playing and using their imaginations; instead they devote countless hours on various electronics ranging from tablets and computers to phones and TV’s. These inventions often show explicit and inappropriate material which corrupts children, and are slowly ruining society’s social skills.
Several studies display that video games with violent content are related to more hostile behavior in teens. This is a concern because most of the popular video games contain violence. Part of the upsurge in aggressive behavior is connected to the amount of time children are permitted
By the time a child reaches the age of one, they see about 200,000 acts of violence on television. (Nakaya, 3). The Media has been becoming more and more violent over the years. A poll in an issue of Times Magazine, from 2005, showed that 66 percent of Americans think that there is an abundant amount of graphic acts of violence on televisions (Nakaya, 18). People are exposed to thousands of acts of violence through video games, television, and movies. Many studies show that media violence increases violent behavior in in humans. Studies show, violent video games, and graphic television have physiological effects on children. The government has very few regulations on media violence. Some people believe the government shouldn’t limit content because others might be insulted by its material. Media violence is such a broad topic and has such a large presence in daily lives, so we cannot simple get rid of it. The Federal Communications Commission stipulates, “By the time most children begin the third grade, they will have spent the equivalent of three school years in front of a television set.” Even though the government shouldn’t censor the media, Media violence is becoming a serious issue because it is becoming more violent, it makes people behave violently, and it has little regulations.
Young people especially the teenagers are sensitive and receptive to learning new things. The media provides more than they can handle. Access to different programs, shows, and movies affect the manner that the teenagers behave. Today, it is unfortunate to say that the media is becoming more sexual and violent than the older days, resulting in similar behaviors among the teens (Craig, & Baucum, 2001). By watching programs intended for the adults, teenagers are drifting even further. They start behaving like adults without the prerequisites of becoming one. This means that they have contents that do not match with their ages. And then terrible things begin – increased college dropouts, teenage pregnancies, and increased cases of suicides. Some teenagers who had bright future ahead of them will
With the explosion of technology today, access to the media is at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere, and almost 24/7. Video games, movies, cartoons, daily news, websites, music videos, and even in commercials, violence is everywhere, and it becomes harder and harder to avoid. Violence in the media has been increasing and reaching dangerous proportions. According to Report of the Media Violence Commission, the effects are remarkably consistent regardless of type of medium, age, gender, or where the person lives in the world (336). Many studies and researches reveal the empirical evidence that links violence in movies and television shows to aggressive behavior in children, teenagers, and adults. Increasing aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence, and fear are three types of negative effects contributed to by violence in movies and television shows. The article, “The Influence of Media Violence on Youth” emphasizes that violent television shows, films, and music reveal unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood aggressive and violent behavior in both immediately, and in the long term (Anderson, Craig A., 81). Violence now has gone into the mainstream. The Hunger Games, one of the top grossing films in 2013 replete with blood, gore and violence. The Walking Dead was once voted highest-rated entertainment program on TV with horrific violent scenes, killing from stabbing into the heads, bloody corpses, and disturbing, haunting images shown in most of the scenes. CBS’ Criminal Minds is television show with series of scary scenarios showing the violent murders of psychopath people. Worst of all, Silence of the Lambs deals with a psychopath who ...