The Violence of Video Games and the Effect It Have On Society In today world video games have come along way since the birth of game consoles, with such games as Pac Man, Donkey Kong, and Frogger. Not only have the graphics done a complete three hundred and sixty degrees turn but the violence has also on video games. There have been many people discussing on the topic of video games that have violence and the effect it has on kids. It brings out more aggression on kids that play those types of games than those who does not. Although some video games are considered harmful to society, we must find the necessary steps to improve on what we allow our children to play to fix this controversial conversation. In a recent research study teens played two different types of games for thirty minutes each. The one who played the violence games showed a higher level of amygdala which is involved in emotional arousal than the teen that did not. A research group at Indiana University Medical Center took a group of forty - four kids and split them up into two groups. While they randomly chose the kids to play Need For Speed and also Medal of Honor for thirty minute a piece. An MRI was given and it shows that the emotion of the adolescent whom played Medal of Honor was higher than the one who played Need for Speed. The only difference in the game was the content of the violence. The principal investigator of the study was hesitant to say. But said that “the parents should look more closely to the type of games their kids are playing” (Vince Mathews) (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16099971/) Although it not a proven fact, but some believe that the student from Virginia Tech, Cho Seung Hui who went on a killing spree, may have been... ... middle of paper ... ...ou will hear your fellow comrade being slaughtered by the monster. Then you will come up on their lifeless body only to find out you were too late. This game may have been the starting point to all the violent game we see in today world. (http://compactiongames.about.com/od/firstpersongamesbytitle/fr/doom3_rev.htm) The violence of video games may not have an effect on today’s society. Although studies show that it may affect some adolescent, it does not affect everyone that does play them. It is more the person that is playing the games, then the game that is being played. There will always be controversy over the violence of video games. We as an American society must do a better job in playing a part of what our children are playing. The video games will be continued to be made no matter what. It is our jobs to take control of what our children play.
In the book “Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy,” the authors relay the general information concerning the history of violence in video games as well as the beginning of the issue of violence in video games (Anderson, Gentile, and Buckley 2007). They state that it was “during the 1990s that violent games truly
The allegation that videogames cause violent behavior in children has been present as long as videogames themselves. Some researchers said that the Sandy Hook shooter, Adam Lanza, was one intense gamer. “Seung-Hui Cho, the Virginia Tech Shooter was seen by his roomates as odd because he never joined them in video games.”(Beresin) This debate will continue to go on in this country as long as there are horrific crimes that occur. There is much written in the research regarding this issue, and many differing views. The research that is presented in the next few paragraphs supports the theory that it is not the graphic video games that produce aggressive behavior, but other factors in a child’s life that create violent actions.
Since the 1970 video games have become more popular than ever before. Generating 11.7 billions of dollars of sells every year or more, the video game industry is considered one of the largest industries in this century. However, video games have been a topic of controversy. With the sales of violent video games going up and the increased violence in schools and teenagers, video games are always to blame. Many people speculate that video games are the cause on why many teenagers have developed aggressive and violent behavior, are desensitize to violence, and the increase violence in schools and public places. In contradiction, video games have little or no fault in teenagers’ violent behavior and shouldn’t always be blamed.
Now a day every video game has something violent going on. Such as in 2010 the top 20 games out in the market were violent related. When a kid sees in a video game that he can beat someone else up and get away with it they think they can do that in real life. This will increase bullying and kids are being taught not to bully. Every kid plays video games even if it’s a racing game or a shooting game. In 2008, 97% of kids from the age of 12-17 played video games. Most M rated games have sexual violence and when a kid sees that in a game and then beats the girl up. The crime rate for rape will increase as it has. A study in 2009 found that it only takes a child four minutes of playing a game to make him have aggressive and violent thoughts going through his head. The critics of violent video game has that bully has increase 32% because of violent video games. Also in the study when a child sees blood when beating up or killing someone in a game he will have more aggressive thoughts than normal.
Before the scholars had reached a conclusion, things seemed to get even worse. Several serious incidents of school violence happened in recent years. The perpetrator of the Virginia Tech massacre, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people and wounded 25 in two separate attacks before committing suicide (Nizza). Another school shooting also caught many eyes. On March 11, 2009, at a secondary school in Winnenden, southwestern Germany, 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer—who had graduated from the school one year earlier—took his father's gun and shot at his schoolmates, which resulted in 16 deaths (Pidd). Right after these three young shooters above were both identified as avid video gamers, video games were regarded, by scholars and the public, as a significant factor in ...
Most of the time violence is considered as the worst when it comes to the bad effects of video games. A scientific survey (Anderson & Bushman, 2001) has found a connection between aggressive behaviors and playing violent games where more the children play violent games, more tend be aggressive in behavior. Not only that but also they are more likely to have aggressive feelings and thoughts plus diminished aiding. It is said that the impact of playing violent games in children is compounded by the intuitive/interactive nature of the games. Children are remunerated for being more vicious or violent, most of the time in many games. The demonstration of violence is carried out over and again and the player is in control of the violence who encounters the brutality such as killing/stabbing in his own eyes. This first-hand experience in violence, being rewarded for it and the iteration of this process are compelling conditions for learning and developing violent behavior.
Since the time that video games have come out there has been many researches and experiments to publish their effects on the players of the games. Several psychosocial characteristics, such as hostility, anger, and being diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or Asperger syndrome, are suggested to be related to violent video games. The ones that are getting harmed most by these games are the children and young teens. These Violent games affect children’s minds in many harmful ways. There has been a research that has shown that some violent video games can result in the mental disorder known as schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that makes it hard to tell the difference between what is real and what is not real. It also makes it hard to think clearly, have normal emotional responses and also act correctly in social situations. Video games make it difficult for younger kids to understand the difference in real life and the game. There was a boy who went to daycare, he was 8 years old and very into video games. One morning he shot his mother as she laid in her bed. After doing so he called his grandmother and told her “something is wrong with mommy she’s not get...
In Sauer’s article “Violent Video Games: The Effects of Narrative Context and Reward Structure On In-Game and Postgame Aggression,” James, a gradate of phycology, goes in detail to why children choose violence or less violent games. Also, how the result of violent gaming affects the actions of the children shortly after the finish playing. Overviewing the work of physiological professor Helen Fisher, Sauer concludes that playing a mass variety of games can have different effects on a child. Documented by Sauer, “To the extent that this task is representative of real-world risk taking in a driving context, Fischer et al. found that racing games can have negative effects on traffic safety: increasing risk-taking behavior, risk-promoting cognitions, and positive attitudes toward reckless driving” (Sauer 206). A child does not have to shoot a gun in a game such as Call of Duty or rob a bank in GTA V, the end result is that the child would think these things are accepted in society. Most games today that children play depicted some type of violence. However, parents neglect that fact the games have warnings for violence, language, and even nudity. In my own personal experience, kids will ask for the most trending games at the time and parents will buy the game to satisfy the needs and
One article points out that video games have a big impact on children’s lives and that many of the games played are violent. Researchers have found that “nearly all children spend time playing video games” and studies have found that “8th graders spent an average of 17 hours per week playing video games” (Tamborini 336). Moreover, 68% of the most popular video games contain violence (Tamborini 336). So it is clear that many children have access to violent video games and they have a big impact on their lives simply because of the amount of time spent playing them.
At this day in age we bask in the luxury of having easy access to advanced technology at our disposal. From the World Wide Web, to cell phones, music, movies and video games the human race has thought of any and everything to keep us entertained. Over the years studies have shown reasonable concerns regarding the long-term effects of video games. These games can desensitize gamers to real life violence, which is usually seen in the younger crowd. The studies especially hit on the games containing player-on-player violence. Though these games are extremely entertaining and can get kids to settle down for a while, if not properly supervised, they can produce adverse effects. Other studies have shown that video games can be used as way to yield positive outcomes such as, good problem solving skills, cooperation in a group and the ability to flow. Although there has been psychological research on children learning through the actions of others some believe that children are automatically able to distinguish between what is just a game and what is reality. The longer they are allowed on their game system the more they become convinced that their games are real. Some researchers believe violent video games can channel the aggression of the child but the parents are to blame for what happens to the child after playing an excessive amount over a period of time. Children can become preoccupied with these violent video games which have been proven to be the cause of poor social skills, uncontrollable aggression and a false reality.
Over the past 30 years, playing video games has become one of the most popular hobbies worldwide. Not only has the video game industry become a multi-billion dollar industry, but it has attracted people from all age types. While video games today are played by both kids and adults, there are many issues being raised regarding the effects of video games. More particular, is the effect that violent video games may be having on children. Some critics argue that video games are direct indicators of child aggression while video game supporters argue that there is no direct link between child aggression and violent video games. While many people have their own personal stances, this issue is unique because it is unfolding everyday. Scientists and researchers all over the world are continuously doing research regarding the effects of video games on children. Even though this remains a field of uncertainty for researchers, parents should definitely be involved in being aware of what it is that they’re children are playing when they play video games.
“As video games have become more violent and more sophisticated and the sales of video games has skyrocketed in the last few decades, youth violence has plummeted,” Ferguson says, citing evidence compiled by various federal agencies (Adams 3). Violence in video games is not a new issue. It has been debated and argued since the release of the first violent video game. As time has progressed, so has the evolution of violence and strong language within video games. Ratings have become more relaxed, and the lines between T (Teen) and M (Mature) rated games has gotten closer together. Violent games are becoming the normal and accepted of all games, and are being demanded by the gaming industry more heavily. Parents have always shied away from these games for their children, regardless of age. However, kids are getting these games whether they are the correct age (17+) or not. Young kids, less than ten years of age are playing horribly violent games and parents are fearing the repercussions. But video games are not to be blamed for child violence. Violence in video games does not cause children to become violent people later on in life.
There is no question that there is violence in video games, but exactly how violent are these games? In the early age of gaming, violence was cartoonish. In games such as Wonder Boy and Space Invaders when you kill the enemy, they disappear in a cloud of smoke or a small explosion...
A survey of 1,102 adolescents found that 97 percent had played video games in the past day. Although most parents checked the censor’s rating before consenting their child to obtaining it, 50 percent of boys and 14 percent of girls favored games with an "M" (mature) or "AO" (adult-only) rating, which suggests a high degree of violence. Social scientists believed that children are more probable to mimic the actions of a character with whom they identify. In violent video games, players participate as a character, and even choose which weapons they’ll use while fighting other characters. Similarly, repetition increases learning. Video games involve a great deal of repetition. If the games are violent, then the effect is a behavioral preparation for violent activity. Violence in society is not solely caused by violent media. But research shows that continuous exposure to violent media causes people to believe that violence can be an acceptable, positive way to solve problems.
The American homes every year increasingly besieged by menacing of zombies and killing of aliens. It is the fact that these characters in popular violent video games being exist just on screen. Maybe parents are worried about limiting their children’s exposure to violence. The October issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter reports that worries about violence of video games, but also gives advice how parents save their children’s health.