Video Games do Not Increase Teen Violence

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In this day and age it seems as if America's youth is becoming more violent. Concern for those aspects in our society which influence violent acts has become an issue since the tragedy at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Many feel one aspect of today's society affecting our nation's youth in a negative manner is video games. Is this form of entertainment really a factor in teen violence? I think not. Video games are not to blame for increased teen violence.

According to the article, "Video Games and Children," by Bernard Cesarone, ever since the 1970?s, parents have been placing their children in front of televisions and allowed them to waste away the hours playing video games (31). As technology and a national surge in violent entertainment grows, so does the onset of violent video games.

A major concern about violent video games comes from the innocence of a child. The media easily influences children and teenagers. Kids dream of becoming professional athletes from watching their favorite sports stars on TV. Ad agencies strengthen this desire with ads containing slogans such as, ?like Mike, if I could be like Mike,? referring of course to Michael Jordan. Yet there is no concern that they could get seriously hurt from having the dream to be an athlete. In fact, most youth are encouraged to go out and play, and practice to get what they want.

For some reason, though, video games are approached differently. This is not a real life situation, but Joshua Quittner, author of ?Are Video Games really so Bad?? states the idea of one?s child controlling an electronic character whose objective is to steal cars and kill police officers is socially dangerous. Studies have shown that kids do not actually have illusions of doing these things (52). Kids do know that killing is bad. We all have morals implanted genetically; they just need to be strengthened through parental guidance.

Many kids do, however, act out scenes from movies and fights on TV. Is it therefore safe to say that because two teenagers go into the backyard and begin to kickbox after watching a kickboxing movie or begin to backyard wrestle after watching ?Raw is War? that they are so easily influenced by video games?

Royal Van horn showed in his 1999 article, ?Violence and Video Games,? a large stance on the issue is not one of influencing kids actions....

... middle of paper ...

...iety if we have a generation of youths that are quick problem solvers and have increased hand-eye coordination in this computer age.

In conclusion, if you feel that video games are a problem for you or your children remember these rules given in an inset to Quittner's article by Claudia Wallis titled, "Learning to Love Zelda":

1. Know what you are playing, if necessary rent the game before you purchase it.

2. A new game is like a fever; it must run its course.

3. Set strict game play time limits.

4. Parents: if you can bear it, play with your children.

5. Begin to worry if the video game fever doesn't break. (54)

Works Cited

Cesarone, Bernard. Video Games and Children. Emergency Librarian 22.3: 31-32

Enders, Deborah. "Video Violence: Where does the Buck Stop?" Amusement Business 107.22 (20 Mar. 1995): 27-28

Quittner, Joshua, and Maryanne Murray Buechner, et al. ?Are Video Games Really so Bad?? Time South Pacific 19 (10 May 1999): 50-55

Schroeder, Ken. ?Halving Fun.? Education Digest 63.1: 73-74

Van Horn, Royal. ?Violence and Video Games.? Phi Delta Kappan 81.2: 173-174

Wallis, Claudia. ?Learning to Love Zelda? Time South Pacific 19 (10 May 1999): 55

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