Effect of Violent Video Games on Teenagers

Video games have become very influential on children and adults (Stafford, 1999). With violent video games humans are more prone to act aggressively, to have aggressive thoughts and become numb towards violence (Harding, 2009). Apart from these they are

Video games already have a bad reputation when it comes to the teenage generation. The video games that are being released in the past ten years have caused some speculation if they are suitable for kids to play. Some states have even tried getting involved with the issue by banning the distribution of offensive video games to minors. First-person shooting games have increased in popularity, and some experts say it is also increases violent behavior in the adolescents that are playing it. The increase of games that are more realistic, engaging, and increasingly violent will lead to more violent behavior in teenagers in the upcoming years.

Over the past few centuries,video games have become a great leisure and hobby among kids of all ages and cultures. With the advancement of technology, video games have advanced highly in its realism and genres. This high type of advancement brought the video game industry to a multi-billion dollar industry. However, with realism, comes negative effects as well. Ever since the creation of violent or “mature” video games, there has been a constant debate on whether it will increase violence in the player. Although, not all video games are violent, and just increase skills in a player such as hand-eye coordination. Nevertheless, there is research going on for the link between violent video games and youth violence. The question is which event happens first in the sequence, do violent video games aggravate a person’s violent behavior, or does a person get rid of their anger through playing violent video games? Either way, violent video games are not beneficial to our society.

Video game effects are relatively new in modern society. Even though these games are often entertaining, the content of the game has been increasingly more and more violent as technology becomes more prevalent. The popularity of violent video games has caused an increase in controversy. Parents and experts feel that some games are just too violent and they demand the government to regulate the sales of these games. However, violent video games do not cause an increase in aggression, in adolescents. The forceful plan by the government is caused by an exaggeration of the effects of violent video games and this plan are indeed pointless.

Rebellious, violent behavior in youth is often treated simplistically – whether Elvis Presley’s latest hits, the programs airing on Saturday night television, or the newest film playing in theaters were popular amongst children and young adults, the blame for unfavorable behavior has always had its scapegoat. One of the most recent additions to society’s scapegoats is video gaming.

Due to the recent shooting in Newton, Connecticut at Sandy Hook elementary school, a nation question arises. That question is why the shooting occurred in the first place. One of the leading causes on why the killing-spree happened in the first lace is violent video games. As more violent video games are being distributed, the worse this problem is going to get. This problem may even get to a point which can cause another shooting which appears on national news again. Violent video games cause aggression, murder, and bullying.

It is agreeable that there are some correlation between teenagers playing video games and how it affects the youth mentally. Heavy consumption of violence video games does indeed stimulate a change reaction in the brain waves, but there is no hard evidence stating that those changes causes teenagers to act aggressively and violently. On the contrary, it is a popular beliefs that violence video games does indeed causes teenagers to displayed unpleasant behaviors and actions because that is what they learned and observed from the games. Therefore, parents should limit and regulate the amount of time their teenagers are playing violence video games so that they can protect their children from negative behaviors.

Violent video games are undoubtedly a legalized drug to children and teens, numbing their thoughts and reprogramming their minds. Like a drug, it desensitizes them, and makes them more prone to violence. This idea of violent video games was not a phenomenon until the later 20th century, and evolved from racing into enemies, to free-for-all drug abuse and sexual/physical violence that most youth know and play today. These games have a detrimental impact on teens, making them eat more, become more aggressive, and wash away their morality. Although some may try to argue with reality, countering that its helps them socially, similar to the idea of teens taking drugs, violent video games reduce their overall health and need to be taken care

A video game is “an electronic game in which players control images on a television or computer screen” (Merriam-Webster). Video games have been entertaining and challenging gamers since the Game Boy to modern console games. Despite the simplicity of the definition of video games, a video game, especially ones containing violence can have a large effect on the gamer. Because of the realism and advancements in the video game industry, video games can influence the player, and can make the gamer more aggressive, even if the game is not a violent video game. Even though video games have grown in popularity over the past decade, some have not been too popular with parents, for the reason that they are too violent. Violent video games affect

video game violence is a hot topic in the American society, with many incidents of shootings at schools lately it has revive the controversy of how video game violence has affect the way of thinking of the video gamers. this investigation has the purpose of analyze how video games violence contribute to a increase in violence in the youth of this country. the games that are more blame for actual violence are war games like call of duty and gear of war, and the just kill for fun like grand theft auto. But is it fair to blame the increase on violence related to this kind of video games or are parent not educating their children to learn about respect. The purpose of this investigation is try to find the real consequences of young kids learning

Since 1992 , (55) school shootings have happened in the US, more than anywhere else in the world (School shooting statistics, n.d.). The increase of aggression could be pinpointed to the 1993 release date of Moral Combat one of the first, highly violent video games, its popularity and others like it catapulted the gaming markets into a 23.5 billion dollar industry it is today. Because of the increase in violent games on the market, a game rating system was instilled to alleviate the access of small children to these games, but it only curtailed the actual purchase, these games continue to be accessed by young children. According to a national survey of 12-17 years 99% of the boys and 94% of girls play video games (Kassin,

Because the sale of video games with violent content have risen through the years, while the rate of crime committed by youths has decline. Along with that the number of high school students participating in fights has also decline from 43% to 25% within the span of 22 years. Because of violent video games the younger generation are occupied playing videos games to go commit or participate in any violent crimes.

A violent video game is defined as a video game where the range of options available to a player includes killing, maiming, dismembering, or sexually assaulting an image of a human being (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2010). For many years there has been increasing concern by the general public, policy makers and social scientists as to whether or not violent video games have a negative influence on the behaviour of youth. With the popularity of the gaming culture growing dramatically amongst children and adolescences; the marketing of violent video games to youth has become increasingly successful, allowing such games to become more easily obtainable regardless of age (Anderson et al 2007). Consequently, the increase has raised the question of exactly what impact exposure to these highly graphic games has on the younger generation; resulting in a range of research and studies to continue to take place on the subject. It has become the norm in most modern societies to associate violent video games as a considerable cause to the violent and aggressive outbursts of youth (Ferguson 2010). Some even go as far as connecting some crimes committed by young people as a result of their exposure to violent video games. While others claim there is no link between violent video games and negative youth behaviour; some suggesting that violent video games have a positive impact on the behaviour of youth.

For years, the media, teachers and various types of scientists have made the topic video games and the possible influence it has on child and teen aggression. The spark up of the controversy all started with the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. Since then, most, if not all instances similar to that have thought to be linked to videogame violence, which in turn has led to numerous studies about this topic.But be that as it may the link between violent video games and adolescent aggression is far from being proven fact, however we cannot jump to the conclusion that violent video games build adolescent aggression.

As video game images become increasingly more realistic and graphic. Therefore, is there any link between the violence depicted in those games and violence in real life? Students are the main group people who played violent video games very often. Also, losing a game causes many people to have a negative impact. Last, the attitudes on violent game and antisocial. Games are everywhere around us, such as cellphones, televisions, or computers, but violent games are the most popular type of game. The scene inside the game may lead to real things happen, especially for children, who are eager to experience it. Therefore, violent games may cause many impact, such as crimes, antisocial, and negative effects.