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Violent video games and antisocial behavior
Violent video games and antisocial behavior
Negative effects of violent video games on behavior
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“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.
Video games have been a growing industry for about 30 years and has never been bigger. As a whole, the industry made around $66 billion last year, and is expected to make even more this coming year. Because of this growth, gamers have sought better graphics, better stories, and even more violence. Developers have satisfied this want with more M rated games that include heavier violence, stronger language, sexual themes, and intense blood and gore. Past acts and laws have been put in place to try and eliminate violence in video games. These laws have stiffled the industry's freedom of expression and caus...
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...stifled. Studies will continue to prove the benefits of video games and eliminate the misunderstandings that come from naivety and fear.
Works Cited
Adams, Jill U. Effects of Violent Video Games. The Los Angeles Times. May 3, 2010.
Engels, Rutger C.M.E., PhD, Granic, Isabela, PhD, and Lobel, Adam, PhD. The Benefits of Playing Video Games. Radbound University Nijmegen. Nijmegen, The Netherlands. November 25, 2013. idga.org. Pennsylvania's Fact-Finding Commission on Video Games and Violence Fails to Find Facts. January 28, 2014.
Jenkins, Henry, MIT Professor. Reality Bytes: Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked. PBS. 2003.
ProCon.org. Do Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth Violence?. April 16, 2008.
Shaw-Williams, Hannah. Study of 11,000 Children Shows no Correlation Between Video Games & Bad Behavior. Archives of Diseases in Childhood. November 18, 2013.
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.
psychcentral.com. 15 Nov 2013. “Violent video games are not so bad when players cooperate”. youthsciencejournal.com. 10 Dec 2013. “Growing Up With Media: Exposure to violent material”.
...f Violent Video Games on Aggression: Is it More Than Just the Violence? Aggression and Violent Behavior, 55-62.
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.
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
However, one of the worst results of violent video games is increased aggression levels. Professor Mark Griffith did a study, from which he commented "The s...
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.
Video games have evolved tremendously since they were released in the early 50’s. The 2D ping pong has evolved into 3D virtual realities that immerse us into another world. There are different genres of games, but the one we’re going to focus on is the action genre. These games are known for their violent content and graphic nature. These games promote harming other individuals to beat the game. Violent video games influence people to behave violently, desensitizes people to violence and makes them see the world as a violent place, and it causes people to act aggressively when interacting with others.
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.
“Contrary to the claims that violent video games are linked to aggressive assaults and homicides, no evidence was found to suggest that this medium was a major (or minor) contributing cause of violence in the United States.” (Markey, 290)
"Recent Murders Raise Questions on the Impact Violent Video Games Have on Young Minds." Calgary. Bell Media, 24 Jan. 2013. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.
“90% of pediatricians and 67% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that violent video games can increase aggressive behavior among children” ("Do Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth Violence?”). Pediatrics and parents are aware that kids that play violent video games see a change in their behavior. Many cases they see the kids with anger problems and causing them to do violent acts. Violent video games have been around for many years where some older titles, such as ‘Mortal Kombat’ and 'Grand Theft Auto’ both are some of the most controversial ones. The video game industry has been growing and with the large amounts of violent video games being produced. “Total US sales of video game hardware and software increased 204% from 1994 to
"Violent video games create unhealthy emotions." Washington Times [Washington, DC] 1 May 2013: C05. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
In the 2013 editorial The Impact of Video Games Adrea Norcia exposes the negative effects of violent video games on adolescents. Norcia writes to an audience interested in the effects of violent video games, while including both sides of the argument. The argument contains sufficient pathos creating a stir of emotions.
In 2008, the computer and video game industry has made $1.7 billion in revenue. Of this, 16% was made through the sale of violent video games (FYI: Video Game Statistics by the Entertainment Software Association | Critical Gaming Project). Many parents are concerned about these violent games because of how they can affect their children. Many think that these games are dangerous and should be banned. Others believe that the sale of these games should go unregulated. Whereas still others believe that there is a middle ground between these in restricting the sale or rental to minors.