Positive Effects of Violent Video Games Contrary to popular belief, violent video game actually has a lot of positive effects. According to studies done about the relationship of violent of video games and violent crime, this form of popular media has reduced the amount of violent crime. As stated in the journal written by Benjamin Engelslatter, “… video game play is generally associated with reductions in the violent nature of the crimes commited. ” (Engelslatter). Also, based on information from the FBI, the rate of youth concerned with atrocities is continually going down (Winegarner).
As violent video games are becoming more and more popular, crimes done by teenagers who play this form of media are decreasing . One reason for this is the “incapacitation” effect of violent video games. Instead of doing violent things in real life, they act out these tendencies in games such as ‘Grand Theft Auto. ’ As indicated by a study done by Kutner and Olson a pair of Harvard researchers, young adults are merely trying to relax when they spend their time playing mature rated or even more violent video games.
The psychologist used a different approach in their research and had conversations with their tests subjects who have just finished playing violent video games for a long time (Cheung). Playing violent video games serves as outlets wherein people are able to unleash their violent tendencies. As emphasized by Michael R. Ward, the reactions of people in real life are comparable to those from playing violent video games. These people refer to this as more “socially acceptable” and so they decide to interact with this form of media (Ward). In addition to this, an experiment made by Dr.
Christopher J. Ferguson of Texas A&M International University suggests that, “… violent video games reduce depression and hostile feelings in people through mood management” (Ferguson). Some notable cases which support the engagement in video games in general are from the undergraduates of South Ridge University in the USA who find it as a relevant activity because of its social nature which strengthens their friendships. For them, it is not a grave deterrent to their studies because unlike other forms of leisure such as drinking, it does not have notable side effects.
It simply serves as an escape from all the work, studying and other strenuous responsibilities of real life (Grabon). Although all of these may be true, a lot of researchers still disagree with certain evidences and provide further studies which seek to disprove violent video games as a healthy form of entertainment. Negative Effects of Violent Video Games Media violence in general is prevalent on the youth coming in many forms but according to analysts, the “booming” industry of video games has the most widespread impact in modern society.
According to studies, violent video games make gamers more aggressive towards other people. In a November publication of Journal Pediatrics, children in the United States and Japan are observed to have inhibited a more hostile attitude after playing violent video games. Their counterparts on the other hand showed little or no increase at all of their aggressive behavior after a subsequent length of time. They stated that, “This was true even after the researchers took into account how aggressive the children were at the beginning of the study, a strong predictor of future bad behavior. (Harding). Another notable observation is how being engaged in violent video games instead of merely acting as a third party lets the players experience sensations similar to the real world. This “physiological arousal” led to the development of more intense and violent thoughts in the minds of the participants in an experiment where test subjects were requested to engage in a game called ‘Dactyl Nightmare’, a vehement virtual reality game. (Anders, et al. ) As children spend more time playing violent video games, they are shown to be more prone to engage in physical fights.
Exposure to this form of media on a regular basis serves as a grounds of absorbing negative values and attitudes. These inherently hostile actions are also attributed to the understanding that we are living in an equally unpleasant world. Violent video games are becoming a routine behavior among young adolescents, they develop a thin line of perception between what is virtual and what is reality This frequency results in the loss of emotional impact of violence. As mentioned by Dr.
Husmann, who has been studying violence in media and behavior for more than 30 years, “When you’re exposed to violence day in and day out, it loses its emotional impact on you. ” (Harding). What is disturbing to parents and other people is that their children are learning to ignore issues on violence. Viewing the world as a hostile places leaves the gamers with no choice but to adapt to the situation and develop a lack of concern to others around them. In worse cases, young adolescents are etting the idea that it is socially justifiable to harm other people an outcome due to their lack of consideration. This improper outlook results to a “culture of disrespect” among the ones exposed to violent video games. (Walsh) The Ban of Violent Video Games As a resolution to this social concern, several countries are pushing forward to ban the sale of significantly violent video games. In the 2010 alone, Australia approved the ban of violent video games and on July of 2011 approved the rating of M18+ or adult only on certain games. Grubb, Moses) Other countries such Germany, Switzerland and communist China have also pushed forward, seeking to protect the welfare and integrity of their people based on data and evidences done by researchers on violent video games. Their laws prohibits the sale of video games that promote explicit illegal activity. Although many of these games are mainly banned for violent and sexual content. A lot of consequences concerning this issue has been coming to light. One such controversial aspect is the limiting of freedom and choice among their citizens.
They are rationalizing the idea of banning explicit thoughts expressed in video games to protect their people. However, not all countries share the same ideologies. An example of this is the Supreme Court in the United States which disapproved a law which aims to prevent the distribution of violent video games to young adolescents in California. Other states which have appealed to do the same ended up with the same conclusion. Labels on products which indicates the level of violence are enough to enforce and help parents discern video games that are viable to their children.
Aside from that, several laws such as the First Amendment would have been violated for the incursion of certain rights as pointed out by the Supreme Court (Mears). Anderson, Craig, et al. “The Influence of Media Violence on Youth. ” Psychological Science in the Public Interest 27 December (2003): 34- 38 . The authors are assessing scientific findings about how violent video games affect young people and ways to mitigate the adverse effects. They use and summarize current scientific knowledge to evaluate its effects and how to counteract these.
The focus is on the characteristics and short term and long term relation on violent behavior. This is useful because it correlates the effects of video game violence on the behavior of those who partake in this form of media. The limitation is that it is only about how violent media affects the viewer’s aggression. The authors conclude that playing violent video games cause increases in aggressive thoughts and other aspects of negative behavior. The concrete research data will serve as a guide about how violent video games affects the aggressiveness of gamers.
Uhlmann, Eric and Swanson, Jane. “Exposure to Violent Video Games ‘ Increases Automatic Aggressiveness. ” Journal of Adolescence 27 (2004): 41-52 . The authors examine the relationship between exposure to violent video games and automatic self-concept with aggression. Data is gained through an experiment where in 121 students are exposed to a violent video game on an interactive level. The research focuses on self-reported aggressiveness and those reported by other people to assess the effects of violent video games. It is useful because it gives concrete data gained through experiments.
The limitation is that the participants could have already been exposed to violent video games in the past. They conclude that exposure to violent video games increase aggressive behavior but further study is required on its “changes in automatic associations with the self. ” The concrete research data will serve as a base about how exposure to violent video games affect gamers. Grabon, Erica. “Students Turn to Video Games for Low-energy Stress Relief. ” The Blue Banner. 27 Feb. 2008. College Media Network. 9 July. 2011 . The author suggests that violent video games is a good way to relieve stress.
Data is gained from students who played violent video games in South Ridge Hall, a college in America. The article focuses on the impact of video games on the lives of college students. It is useful because it suggests that violent video games may also be used as stress-relievers. The limitation is that there was no valid research done, only interviews with the college students. Thus the author indicates that playing violent video games is a better outlet for students to have fun and relieve stress. This article will be a useful supplementary material about how not all the effects of violent video games are negative.
Harding, Anne. “Violent Video Games Linked to Child Aggression. ” CNN Health. 16 July. 2011. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. 3 Nov. 2008 . The author reviews a journal which says that children who played violent video games had more aggressive behavior later in life. Data gained from a group of children along with their peers rated their aggressive behavior months after being exposed to violent video games. The focus is on reviewing the effects of violent video games made by journals and experts on the field. It is useful because it gives concrete evidence about the effects of violent video games.
The limitation is that the survey sample was restricted to U. S. and Japanese children. The author indicates that there is sufficient evidence that violent video games do indeed cause aggressive behavior. It will be useful supplementary data about the effects of violent video games on gamers. Imus, Deidre and Wiehl, Lis. “Should Violent Video Games be Banned? ” Fox. 3 Nov. 2010 < http://www. foxnews. com/search-results/ search? q=violent+video+games&submit=Search>. The interviewees are talking about their opinion on a case in the supreme court about whether violent games should be banned because of its negative effects.
They use their own personal experiences as data for the argument. The focus is the effects of violent video games on their children. This is useful because it exemplifies the negative effects of violent video games on a more personal level. The limitation is there are no actual data about the effects on children. They conclude that violent video games should be banned because these are making their children more violent. It lacks sufficient data however it will be supplementary information about how parents are experiencing the effects of violent video games on their children.
