Violent Video Games

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Violent Video Games There is much persistent debate throughout culture these days concerning video games. Common questions asked are things like ?Where should the lines be drawn in terms of content? and What audience, if any, is this appropriate for? As lawyers fight, bizarre crimes are blamed on video games, constant studies take place, and technology continues to evolve, the video game world continues to thrive and be extremely profitable. While there is near-constant focus on the supposed ?negatives? of games like simulated killing, drug use, or sex, most people, especially those completely outside of gaming circles, fail to acknowledge that gaming of any kind can possibly have positive effects on players. While increased hand-eye coordination is a common benefit attributed to gaming, one particular study conducted revealed a mixed bag of possibly positive and negative effects. One study recently found that ?teens who play violent video games show increased activity in? emotional arousal and decreased responses in? self-control? (Study par. 1). The study was of 44 teenagers ranging in age from 13 to 17 years split playing two games, one a first person shooter, and one a car racing game. Those playing the shooter were reported to ?show more activation in the amygdala [in the brain], which is involved in emotional arousal, and less activation in the prefrontal portions of the brain associated with control, focus, and concentration than the teens who played the nonviolent [racing] game? (Study par. 4). This is understandable, as the situations presented in the games vary vastly. While in one the concept is to win a race, not a matter of life or death, in the other it is to defend yourself and country, presented in situations... ... middle of paper ... ... Grand Theft Auto since my early teens, and games like the original Doom and Duke Nukem back when I was real small, and don?t consider myself influenced by them. I look at games as more of a way to pass time and have fun with what they offer. I think that having people kill simulated people with a controller is far better than having them out on the streets aiming a gun at bystanders. If people do not have the logic to comprehend the right or wrong of situations in games, then I think it says more about the quality of person, not the content of the game. Works Cited ?Study: Violent Video Game Effects Linger in Brain.? CNN.com Technology. 2006: 1 pg. 29 November 2006. . ?Game Ratings & Descriptor Guide.? ESRB.org. 2006: 1 pg. .

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