...Do video games make children and teens violent? Many feel that violent video games are affecting our children and teens. Are video games really a factor in children and teen violence? I think not. Video games are definitely not to blame for children and teen violence. A factor that could cause violence is poor parenting. Violence is the expression of physical or verbal force against self or other. It is also a form of control that includes emotional abuse (Oxford Dictionary). Violence goes back to ancient times. In Roman times a popular form of entertainment was gladiatorial combats. Gladiators fought either to the death, or to first blood, with different weapons. They also used animals, where they combined them with gladiatorial combat. Video games first came about in the 1970s, but it was during the 1990’s that violent games truly came of age. Starting in the 1980s video game producers experimented with what the public would accept in video games. It became clear that games sold better if they contained more violence. In the mid 1980s, children averaged about 4 hours a week playing video games, (Media Violence-Opposing Viewpoints Series) including time spent playing at home and in arcades. By the early 1990s, home video game use had increased and arcade play had decreased. While some studies claim that violent entertainment may be linked in some way to violent behavior, many other studies contradict that assertion. There have been approximately 200...
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...| Violent Video Games | | | | Violent Video Games INTRODUCTION: Concerns over the effect of violent video games on today’s youth have been debated since the late 1970’s. School shootings, criminal behavior, bullying, and violence towards woman have all been blamed on violent video games. Electronic media plays an important role in the emotional development, social behavior and intellectual functioning of children and youth. Many video games are very helpful for children to facilitate medical treatment, increase learning, and promote pro-social behavior. However, there are also video games that include aggression, violence and sexualized violence that have a negative impact on children. After the 1993 release of Mortal Combat, Congress contemplated regulating the sale of video games. The video game industry responded by voluntarily establishing the ESRB, (Entertainment Software Rating Board) to create a ratings system. The rating system was based on the content of the video game. The controversy over violent video games resurfaced following the Columbine High School shooting in Jefferson County, Colorado on April 20, 1999 (procon.org). According to procon.org, in 2008, 298.2 million video games were sold in the US, totaling $11.7 billion in revenue. Six of the top ten best-selling video games included violence, with four of the games carrying a "mature" rating recommended for persons aged 17 and older. AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR: Video games often reward...
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...Video Games and Violence Video games have attracted the attention of teens ever since arcade games where first popular. Video games have become very sophisticated, high tech, and realistic they are also becoming violent, which is becoming a problem in many homes. The amount of time that teenagers spend playing these violent video games can change their behavior; they are becoming too aggressive with others, and some are even mimicking the violence that goes on in the games. Parents that have teenagers that play these violent video games may see a change in their attitude and behavior. They may get angry over thing that are not relevant, and may begin to get angry with the game, and start slamming and breaking controllers, also they may get angry at siblings and friends that they play the games with. Video games and violence can have a detrimental effect on teens; they can be addictive, cause aggressive behavior, and have an effect on school performance. Video games started out to be a fun type of entertainment for teens, but as Norcia, M.A. (2014) noted there’s about 97% of teens who play these video games, and with this about of teens playing these games, they will have some type of effect on them, such as addiction. Teen’s that play video games on a regular basis can become addicted to them, because the graphics on video games are very appealing, they look real, so real to that they want to become part of the game. As Ridgefield (2010) noted there are studies that show because...
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...mberly Mason UNV 104 5/20/2012 Lexi Video Games And Violence Video games and the violence in them have a large impact on children’s behavior. Video games can be addicting, making a child aggressive, which could lead children to do terrible things. They love to play video games because they are fun and exciting. Some parents allow them to play these games because they are fun and exciting. They are also allowed to play these games because it keeps them quiet or out of the way, not realizing that some of these video games are causing more bad than they are good. Video games can turn into an addiction. If a video game consumes most of a child’s time then they could easily forget to shower, excessive junk food eating begins, and attendance to school decreases. The addiction to video games has negative consequences, the same as a drug or any other addiction. It gives a game player a high. It is hard to quit playing video games when there are others around you that are continuing to play such as family, or friends. A person will need to seek help at this point because game playing is in control. Video games have an impact on children. Games that contain violent content usually cause aggression in children. This aggression is caused by the amount of time kids are allowed to play video games, studies showed by Walsh (2000), teens were honest and told the truth that their parents do not...
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...Violence and Video Games Aaron Kanoski Strayer University CIS 324: Computer Ethics July 24, 2012 Professor Rebecca Stephens Abstract This paper will discuss the different theories of links between violence and video games. Those who try to censor video games or make them illegal point to the theories and studies that show a tenuous link. Those in the video game industry and activists for free speech and artistic freedom out right refute or offer other reasons for the supposed link. Violence and Video Games There is no solid evidence that a link between violence and video games exit. Video games have been blamed for school shootings, violence toward women, excessive bulling, and just about any violent massacre by a young person. Critics say that violent video games desensitize children to violence, rewards them for stimulating violence, and that violence is an acceptable response to conflict. Advocates for video games say that a majority of the research is deeply flawed and that causal relationship between violent video games and social violence has not been found. Once considered just a fad of the 1970s, video games are now a 40-year-old media powerhouse that has entered the cultural mainstream. Video games are no longer considered just a children’s toy. They have become a major cultural force and artistic medium. Video games are now played in form or another, on or off line, by a majority of people around the world. In the US alone, during 2008, 97% of all twelve...
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...Violence in Video Games National American University Composition 1I Judy Lujan May 9, 2012 Abstract There is much speculation in respect to the effects of playing violent video games. This paper will describe the components of some violent video games and the possible effects they may have on game players. In addition it has been hypothesized that at least one video game, Grand Theft Auto may have been the driving force behind a triple homicide. Although extensive research has not been compiled to prove this theory is substantiated, there is supposition that for those individuals who spend countless hours playing video games will ultimately result in aggressive thoughts and behavior, anger, physical and sociological perspective. Violence in Video Games As technology evolves the interactive nature of violent video games has worsened the effect on players, especially children. Video games have potentially harmful impact on the player’s ability to separate fantasy from reality. The learned behavior from these games may impact the player’s health, social skills and possibly their outlook on life in general. Violent activities such as shooting, stabbing and burning are behaviors commonly portrayed by the villains in the game. Weapons used to perform these violent acts include a variety of firearms (hand guns, rifles, machine guns, and laser guns), knives, explosives (Molotov cocktails, bombs, hand grenades, rocket-propelled grenades), swords and even vehicles....
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...Video Game Violence The objective of the study described in the article was to measure how much video game violence could influence aggressive behavior. In the first Pilot Study, a violent and nonviolent video game were selected and compared on their level of competitiveness, difficulty, and pace of action. Participants played the games and the effect of each game on aggressive behavior was then compared using another sub-experiment in which they were then asked to make some hot sauce for someone who isn’t fond of spicy things. In the second Pilot Study, competitiveness was isolated categorized based on the difficulty and pace of gameplay, and then strategically controlling for violence. The effect of video game competition on aggressive behavior was then examined in the same sub-experiment as the first Pilot Study. The article addresses that perhaps competitiveness is the real reason and characteristic that has an effect on aggression when researching the correlations between video games and real violence. This is according to recent research by the APA. Research has been found to support that video game violence alone did not increase the aggressive behavior. The experiments featured video games that were categorized by competitiveness, the pace of action, and difficulty of the game. What was significant about these experiments was that the more competitive the game was, the more aggressive the behavior. It didn’t matter the level of violence that was in the game...
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...UNV - 104 August 11, 2013 Video Games and Violence Video games and violence have different effects on children according to the type of video games that is being watched It is important to understand the world of video games. All video games do not prevent violence in children. Parents should take into consideration in monitoring their child while choosing video games. Depending on the video game that is chosen, does not mean the child will result in violent behavior later on in life. There are many types of video games that may promote either positive or negative effects in children. As there are many types of video games that are being played by children for different pleasures. To name a few, there are adventure, puzzle, platform, educational, and so on. When choosing the right video game for your child, or anyone’s child. Keep in mind the reason and purpose of that video game. What do you want the child to gain from playing the game? For this reason parents should research video game tips for parents. As a parent of three children, I have experienced myself purchasing video games for my seven year old. I would stick to the educational games. Parents should take control of their child’s video game use. Parents should always supervise how long their child plays a game and when to take a break. Negative effects on children with video games can be the most harmful on any child. Due to the child becoming aggressive, confusing, not knowing reality from...
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...machine gun. The sense of euphoria of a victory so tangible, you’re just a single kill away from winning it all. The sweet rush of victory! This small satisfaction video gamers crave is often portrayed as dangerous to the safety of a community. The joy video gamers feel as they kill one victim after another is often thought to manifest into actual acts of violence. It’s commonly believed that violent video game exposure can lead to aggressive thinking, and a decrease in social behavior, as well as actual displays of violent behavior such as shootings. However, there is no substantial evidence confirming this theory. Violent video games are often portrayed as having the ability to brainwash young players, turning them into vicious wrongdoers. The media seems to include possible video game violence as a root of aggressive behavior anytime there is a serious crime committed, whether it is a shooting rampage or a case of domestic violence. People looking for someone or something to blame for any intolerable act of cruelty will often point to the aggressive nature of some of the video games currently on the market. It appears that blaming video games for violent acts has become second nature to many. This tendency has overshadowed the core issues of poor impulse control, bad judgment, and mental illness. Video games can be a positive pastime. Not only do players grasp that they are, in fact, playing a virtual game where no one is actually harmed, but it provides a way for...
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...Another video showed in class illustrates that when people suffered gun violence at a young age it will impact how they have interactions with people from their own communities, they will live with fear and most importantly they distrust their surroundings. As an example, this guy on the video talked about how he was shot at the age of eight and until this day he lives with the idea that at any time someone will come and shoot him. Also, he pointed out that he has to watch his” back” all the time. For example, he described that when he goes to a restaurant he doesn’t sit and turn his back to people, he would rather sit in a place that he sees the door and everybody who enters and leaves the restaurant. This example illustrates that once a person...
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...Mental Destruction: Video Games Video games have a detrimental effect on the minds of our youth. Individuals should limit their use of video games to ensure that they have the mental capacity to succeed in life outside of a virtual world. The effect of these visual stimulations goes further than the standard aggressive behavior due to the violent content in some of these games. Additionally it affects the mental levels that hinder a child's mind from benefitting from academic activities such as reading a novel or studying for an exam. Some say that these games offer children a safe release; a world to cause destruction where no one is being harmed. The truth is they are harming themselves severely. The gaming content is a huge factor that influences adolescents to commit violent crimes. Although violence isn’t the most common outcome, the quick satisfaction in the game play causes children to become unfocused on one subject for more than a few minutes. This is one of the more long term effects that video games have on an individual. Games such as Saints Row, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto promote themes of violence, resulting in the answers to their problems. The player must make decisions that affect the fate of the characters in the game, usually involving killing the character as an option, which, usually, is the more favorable decision within the game. For some, the decisions that players make can transcend into real life. There are numerous news reports...
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...Steele Video Games and Violence The video game industry has become a very lucrative industry since their humble start thirty plus years ago. Today a large amount of people are devoting countless amounts of time playing video games with violent storylines. Research shows that spending vast amounts of time playing video games that contain a large quantity of violence intensifies aggressive behavior, attitudes, thoughts and affects. Video game violence correlates directly to aggressive attitudes and behaviors of the people who are exposed to violent stimuli, whether meditated or not. 1972 was the introduction to what we know as the multi-million dollar video game industry. The history of the video games spans over three eras (1977-1985) the Atari Era, (1985-1995) the Nintendo Era, and (1995-present) the Play Station Era. Video games during the Atari era contained little violence and that violence was quite intangible. With the advancement of computers it enabled development of more complex and violent video games during the Nintendo era, resulting in the popular game Mortal Kombat that was the first fight game that involved player interaction. We are currently in the third era the Play Station era and it has been significantly enriched by the advancement in computer technology and the switch from game cartridges to CD-ROM. Video games substance has radically changed since the Atari era. According to Carnagey & Anderson (2004) “content analyses of video games show...
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...Daniyar Sarzhanov Lacie Meier ENC 1102 5 April 2015 Are Violent Video Games Killing Children? It is a misconception that video games make people violent. One might not usually think of the positive sides of playing video games. However, many examples prove that video games can be beneficial. A lot of people are led to believe that video games make people violent and cause crimes. Even though millions of people are playing violent video games, mass killings are still a statistical anomaly. Politicians and the media utilize the controversy of violent video games for their own interests rather than those of the public. Video games are a form of creative expression and should not be demonized or used as a scapegoat for our population’s deeper mental traumas. Video games have positive effects. A study conducted by Shawn Green & Daphne Bavelier from Center Visual Science, University of Rochester, show that people who play a lot of action video games benefit from improved “hand-eye coordination and visuo-motor skills, such as resistance to distraction, sensitivity to information in the peripheral vision and ability to count briefly presented objects, than non-players” (“Action video game modifies visual selective attention”). Video games that incorporate advanced motion detection, such as Microsoft’s Kinect or Sony’s PlayStation Move, provide both physical and mental exercise. Furthermore, a study conducted by Doctor Cheryl K. Olson, co-director of the Center for Mental Health...
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...^ "Effects of Video Games on Aggression". Personalityresearch.org. Retrieved 2011-07-12. This article explains that in past research there was no correlation between violence in video games and different age demographics. It also offers suggestions of future researches that include how video games improve hand and eye coordination as well as therapy. It is also hard to determine what is actually considered a “violent game”. Some age groups consider certain games to be fun and exciting, but not violent, while others think the opposite. This article also explains that video games have a positive effect on child behavior, such as stress relief. ^ Freedman, Jonathan. "No Real Evidence for TV Violence Causing Real Violence" First Amendment Centre. 2007, online Available: http://web.archive.org/web/20100209001052/http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/commentary.aspx?id=18490 [2007, October 17.]. In this article it discusses the research done by FCC that proves that there are other factors in the media that have more of an effect on youth today then videogames. It shows the research that violence in the movies and television have more of an impact than videogames. Gonzalez, Lauren. "When Two Tribes Go to War: A History of Video Game Controversy". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-08-03. In here the this article states that since videos games have started there has been violence with them. Pinball with people hitting the machine to move the balls the right way. This also stated that the lack...
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... ENG 101-001 04-09-2014 Violent Video Games and Their Alleged Effect Douglas A. Gentile writes that there are positive and negative aspects of video games. If you take video games that do not involve violence, but education instead, you find a positive outcome. Video games could very well be the new form of education to a certain degree. Things like coordination skills, memorization, and even learning a foreign language could be possible outcomes. Violent games on the other hand are a different story in and of themselves. Violent video games are defined as, any game where players can self- inflict harm on something (or someone) in the game. Time is also a huge factor. Putting a school aged kid in front of a violent video game, and allowing him to play for hours a day, will most likely decrease their ability to fulfill academic goals. The answer to this problem is to just limit the amount of time in front of a screen to one or two hours a day (non-academic). Also, limit the amount of violent games and encourage the more educational ones. “The conclusion I draw from the accumulated research is that the question of whether video games are “good” or “bad” for children is oversimplified” (Gentile). The discussion on whether video game play affects sociable behavior could be a matter of dialogue. Several argue that aggression and violence are plagued by video game play, whereas this stance is debatable by others...
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