The video game world is full of wonders, fantasy worlds, and even real life scenarios that we see on television. There are games based off of television shows, popular movies, and even comic book universes. In David Perry’s speech and presentation, “Are Video Games Better Than Life?” he brought up a lot of points about gaming both from its humble beginnings to where we are today. However, he made it clear that the discussion was to be about the video game world. Are video games better than reality? This is a hard question with various and diverse answers. It is something that people from just about all walks of life have an opinion about. Through the use of a media presentation, he showed the diverse evolution of games; how since 2008, they started to become more realistic despite the fantasy storylines and worlds. Even in our world, video games have found a way to make things more realistic from the comfort of your home and television. Video games such as, NBA 2K8, The Matrix, Half Life, and Need for Speed: Underground show that reality is merging steadily with the video game universe. It was also a relevant factor that he showed the effect of more realistic games and their evolution on an actual person. It was stunning to see this person, Michael Highland, talk about how he went from an outgoing, energetic child to an almost reclusive person addicted to video games. Still, where does that lead the question of what the effects of video game violence? Is it a therapeutic outlet that gamers use to vent daily frustrations or is it something detrimental that is warping the minds of our youth to commit violent crimes?
This is an issue that can be taken from different perspectives. In Lance Ulanoff’s article in PC Magaz...
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...ever the purpose, video games will always be there.
Works Cited
Gershenfeld, Alan. “Mind Games.” Scientific American 310.2 (2014): 54-59. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
Jones, Gerard. "Violent Media Is Good for Kids." Mother Jones. 27 June 2000. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. Rpt. In Current Issues and Enduring Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking and Argument, with Readings. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. 195-99. Print.
Perry, David. “Are Video Games Better Than Life?” TED. Monterey, California. Feb. 2006. Web. 16 Feb 2014. Keynote Speech.
Ulanoff, Lance. “Violent Video Games: Our Responsibility, Not the Courts.” PC Magazine 29.12 (2010): 1. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
“Violent Video Games And Young People.” Harvard Mental Health Letter 27.4 (2010): 1-3. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
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.
Violent Media is Good for Kids, by Gerard Jones, is an article which makes many claims to support the argument that a controlled amount of violence could be beneficial for a young, developing child. Even though the topic of this article can be controversial, the claims serve to support the argument in many noteworthy ways. It is written in such a way that it tells a story, starting when the author was a child and working its way to adulthood. In this case, the author uses, what I believe to be just the correct amount of rhetorical strategy, and fulfills his goal of writing the article. This argument is interesting and, at the same time, effective.
In “Violent Media is Good for Kids” Gerard Jones introduces us to his fearful and lonesome childhood. He lived in a world where he was taught to be the violence fearing, and passive boy his parents wanted him to be. But, when one of his mother’s students gave him a Marvel comic book, his fearfulness was transformed into inspiration. He found a way to escape these discouraging feelings through the “stifled rage and desire for power” (Jones 285) that he had newly found. The popular comic book hero “The Hulk” freed him from his passive and lonely persona. Throughout the article he cites his testimonies and the testimonies of others as examples; and shows how they used violence as a positive realm for “overcoming powerlessness.” (Jones 287) Ultimately, Jones is trying to convey the message that violent media can provide kids with psychological tools for coping with the problems that they face as they grow. Although there are slight hints of biased evidence, “Violent Media is Good for Kids” should be considered for the top prize for persuasive essays.
"Do Violent Video Games Cause Behavior Problems?" The Premier Online Debate Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
Studies on the link between videogames and violent behaviors began in the late 1970’s. The first time a violent video game was introduced and raised some eyebrows about the amount of violence being displayed was with a certain racing video game. “The controversy dates all the way back to Death Race, a 1976 8-bit video game in which cars run over bad guys, turning them into tombstones” (Kelly, 1). The studies between videogames and violent behavior continued into the 1980’s. “In 1984, a study found that arcade games have a “calming effect” and that boys use them to blow off steam. Both studies relied on surveys and interviews asking boys and young men about their media consumption” (Kain, 2). As a result, the link between videogames and violent behavior has been studied for a long time.
FORD, WILLIAM K.1. "The Law And Science Of Video Game Violence: What Was Lost In Translation?." Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal 31.2 (2013): 297-356. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 27 Nov. 2013.
Strutter, John D. “Norway mass-shooting trial reopens debate on violent video games.” CNN. Cable News Network. Apr. 2012. Web. April 6, 2014
Malcolm, T. Teen Violence: Does Violent Media Make Violent Kids? National Catholic Reporter. May 28, 1999 v35 i30 p14.
Violent media, no matter the form, is largely viewed in a negative light among the general population, especially among parents and the political class. Politicians, showing their contempt for violent content, have conducted congressional hearings on violent video games and their supposed negative effects on America’s youth (Kohler, Chris). Going beyond theatrics, they have also proposed making the selling of ‘M’ rated games to minors a criminal offense; however, this proposal would later be struck down by the Supreme Court as being in violation of the First Amendment (Biskupic, Joan, and Mike Snider). Simply put, these actions show that politicians view violent media as serving no legitimate function, especially for children. Gerard Jones, a comic book writer and author of the essay, “Violent Media Is Good for Kids,” disavows such a belief and states that violent media can serve as a necessary emotional outlet for children to express common, but nonetheless suppressed emotions such as rage, fear, and loneliness (Jones, Gerard). In his essay, the author is mostly effective in arguing his claim because of the relatable, clear examples that he provides; however, what makes the essay less persuasive than it would be otherwise is the lack of credible scientific evidence.
Since the video games changed dramatically in 1990s, video games have become part of the mainstream of favorite entertainment for children and adults. The violence in video games has caused heated controversy for years over its potential impact on children. The most famous debate has come from the infamous “Grand Theft Auto” game series. In the Grand Auto Theft video game, the players have to kill the police to earn points and become a winner. In the article “Video game violence and our sons,” Rebecca Hagelin claims that the violence in video games contribute to the violent behavior in teenagers. On the other hand, Brandon Nadeau claims in his article “Video Games Do Not Cause Violence” that violent video games do not contribute to the violent behavior in gamers. Although I agree with Nadeau that not everyone who is addicted to play violent video games would become a violent person, I think that children should not be allowed to play violent video games because the violence in video games is strongly related to having more aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors on children.
Although violent video games are thought to encourage real world violence, they actually help to prevent it. I am focusing on violent video games and how they affect juveniles because I feel that this issue needs to be looked at in the criminal justice community. It is an unnecessary distraction to blame the actions of a disturbed youth on a form of entertainment that has been used by millions of people without incident. A review article published in The Psychiatric Quarterly found that many studies which claim to indicate an increase in aggression due to video games are, in fact, biased! Once the bias is taken into account, the studies no longer find any correlation between youths who play violent video games and youths who demonstrate aggression and violent behavior.
Video games have been a rapidly expanding industry since their inception in the 1970s. Along with their growth have come concerns about violent video games and their effects on aggression and violence in young people. The endless numbers of school shootings have pushed this issue to the forefront. These events brought about the question: do violent video games induce aggression in youth? That’s the question I set out to answer by looking at research. The research shows that there is a link between playing video games and increases in aggression in adolescents. What implications does this fact have ethically? It means that video game producers and distributors need to be held responsible for their releases and the way they end up in the hands of kids.
Due to the availability of news and media in today’s technologically advanced society, many people are aware of the violent acts that are committed every day all throughout the world. In addition, the technological advances of today’s society have continued to fuel one of the most successful industries of the present day: the video game industry. Many people have been eager to blame the video game industry for the violent acts that are committed throughout the world because the video game industry has continued to target an audience that seemingly craves an increasing amount of violence, and they criticize the video game industry for its complete lack of restrictions on the sale of violent video games to teenagers. However, although some experts believe that playing violent video games may perpetuate a violent disposition in a teenager, it has been demonstrated that
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...
“YOU SUCK!” “I killed him!” “Head shot!” These are just a few examples of dialogue spoken by children while they are playing violent video games. These video games might seem like harmless fun, but what if the violence in these games is affecting the behavior of young players interacting with others?