Video Game Technology's Negative Effects on the Next Generation

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Video Game Technology's Negative Effects on the Next Generation Video Games made their first appearance in the 1970’s however did not develop popularity until the 1980’s. By the end of that decade, video games had become a preferred childhood leisure activity; psychologists urged many with the concerns of the ill effects of video games. “ Even The military has long been aware of some of the side effects of video games… Some of the best fighter pilots in the world grew up playing these games.” (Sullivan) Primitive video game research proved inconclusive on the overall effects of video games. Video games provide positive effects including a friendly method to introduce children to computers and may increase children’s hand-eye coordination and attention to detail. However, advancements in video game technology have had an extensive range of negative effects on the next generation including suggestive themes, physical problems and psychological disabilities. Many video games negatively utilize the advancements in video game technology in order to show more sexually explicit games and scenarios. “Those video games and many others have received very little attention from adults.” (Sullivan) The social content of video games may influence children’s attitudes towards gender roles. Hundreds of video games on the market have women depicted, helpless and unable to defend them selves, rather than initiating action. (Cesarone) One study found that the covers of the forty-seven most popular Nintendo games depicted 115 male and nine female characters; among these characters, twenty of the males played a dominant role while none of the females did. (Provenzo, 1992) women found themselves in need of rescue, in thirteen out of the... ... middle of paper ... ...rend toward increased violence and realism in electronic games in the 1980s through to today have prompted concern from parents and educators. Bibliography: Works Cited Cesarone, Bernard . "Video Games and Children." ERIC - EECE. Jan. 1994. 14 Jan. 2002 . "Effects of video game playing on children." Fact Sheets. 9 Aug. 2001. 2 Feb. 2002 http://www.mediaandthefamily.org/ research/fact/>. Sanders, Seth. "Video Games value, violence will be debated." Online posting. 18 Oct. 2001. 5 Feb. 2002 . Sullivan, Bruce. "Interactive Video games training teen killers?” Editorial. Conservative News Service 23 Apr. 1999. 14 Jan. 2002 . Valdemar, Setzer. Electronic games. 25 Apr. 2000. 14 Jan. 2002 . "Violent video games can increase aggression.” APA online. 23 Apr. 2000. 2 Feb. 2002 .

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