Pros And Cons Of Violence In Video Games

Since video games have been introduced, video games have been accused of contributing too many atrocities, and acts of violence. News outlets paint video games as being a source of which some acts of violence happen. Yes, violent video games have become more popular, meanwhile becoming controversial, but still there exist no links between aggression and video games. The University of Bologna says that “owning videogames does not in fact seem to have negative effects on aggressive human behavior” (Koffler par.7). Meanwhile, news outlets keep on missing the point on how beneficial video games are. Video games do not contribute to violence, can be educational, and they can improve us in different ways.

People have always been looking for a reason why horrible things happen. The media is quick to blame video games as the target and cause of many shootings that have occurred, ever since Columbine and Quake. People have been blaming video games for violence for years now, ever since violent video games have been made. News reports blame video games more and more for each shooting, telling the public how this person played video games for x amount of hours a day, and that video games caused him or her to shoot people, and how video games encourage and reward violence. Anti-video game lobbyists have been campaigning to have violence removed from video games, citing resources that they themselves have created as reasons for

According to Jeff Grabmeier, "‘Broad Consensus’ that Violent Media Increase Child Aggression," news.osu.edu, Oct. 6, 2014, 90% of pediatricians and 67% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that violent video games can increase aggressive behavior among children.

The most popular games, like Grand Theft Auto IV offer what’s called “free play”. The ability to go where you want and do what you want in the gaming environment. The bigger the virtual world, the more exciting this can be. There are no signs, however, that tell you to punch or shoot someone” (Ulanoff). While Highland talked about how playing video games enough will “make you believe” you can actually do what you are doing inside the game, it goes hand in hand with something that Jones said in his article, Violent Media is Good for Kids. “Suddenly, I had a fantasy self to carry my stifled rage and buried desire for power. I had a fantasy self who was a self: unafraid of his desires and the world’s disapproval, unhesitating and effective in action” (Jones 195). This realization of games being our way of releasing our worries and anger onto the world being the primary reason that video games have become very appealing over the years and their evolution as an escape. Despite any regulations set out by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, or ESRB, video games have been becoming more of a part of people’s lives than ever before, just as Michael Highland stated about his own life.

Guns. Blood. Death. Three of the most prominent words or actions used to describe video games. Arum Steinbeck wakes up, goes to school, comes home and plays video games. His face glued to the television, he is exposed to gruesome acts of violence. Nonetheless, Arum Steinbeck is not a serial killer. How is this possible? Adolescents who play video games are killers. Dead wrong. 90% of children in the US play video games and 90% of those children play games that involved mature content. Yet, it is possible that not one of these children will grow up to commit serious acts of violence. For most of the children who do end up committing crimes other factors are involved in the equation nonetheless, society tends to blame what they cannot explain. It is easier to blame video games than to accept responsibility for our actions. To put a seranio to words say there is an adolescent drunk driver who gets into a car accident and kills a family. When in court the intoxicated driver will plead not guilty putting the blame on anyone besides themselves. We have fingers to point them. People get in trouble with the law and need a way out, society has made videogame companies a revolving door of allegations that a court of law should find the person rather than the fictional game responsible. In summary, violent video games do not cause real life violence, though some people seems to wish it did.

Video game violence has been a wildly debated topic since the beginnings of the industry. The topic evolved from the debate on media violence or violence in print media. However, the video game debate brings a new angle. Video games, because of their immersive nature, are said to have more impact on children. The proponents and opponents of video game censorship do not really fall into traditional political boundaries. The proponents of censorship tend to be some parents and doctors. Those opposed to censorship tend to be those who play the video games themselves. There is a center faction, however. The center faction consists of those doctors and psychologists who evaluate media violence on a

The ratings are meant to help people to decide what is good for themselves, and the only people who care more about the ratings are the rating companies. For example “Jack Thompson, a Coral Gables, Fla., attorney who has gone after violent video games and rappers with foul lyrics before, focused on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Last month, he said he videotaped a 10-year-old boy buying this video game, the top-selling game last year, at a Miami Best Buy store. The store clerk didn't ask for ID, even though this game shouldn't be sold to anyone under 17, Thompson said.” (ThisBoard.com). What this means is that gaming companies are not responsible for kids getting their hands on violent games and should be punished by getting their games censored or even worse banned because parents are not watching closely to what their kids are involved in on the screen. “The gaming industry is vastly growing throughout the nation and worldwide. "We don't sell it to 10-year-olds. It's legal to sell it to adults, but we keep it out of children's hands. The material in these games seems to be ignored" for its offensiveness, considering how easily it gets to kids, he says

There are many issues when dealing with the two sides of this debate. Those who claim violent video games don’t harm society sometimes get their information from what they believe to be expert advice; many times this advice comes from “experts” hired by media industries. “The media industries spend so much money on trying to convince the general public that there is nothing to worry about,” says Craig Anderson, who was interviewed on “Violent Video Games and Other Media Violence”. “The media industry is very worried about its profits and will do almost anything to protect them.” People should also consider the times a violent video game was just the push some crazy kid needed to kill someone or do something crazy.

Video Games have come a long way since their first introduction into the main stream. With video games becoming more sophisticated and using advanced technology, it seems as if video games are closing in on the gap between games and reality. However, as video games become ever so life-like it brings up the question of if the violence associated with video games is having a negative consequence. There have been many accusations over the years over the harm video games are causing children and teenagers. Experiments have been conducted trying to associate a link between video games and aggressive behavior. Even the media has been known to point fingers at video games for the cause of children

“Do video games support violent and terrorist acts”? “Do video games influence those into conducting sexual and racial abusive actions”? “Do video games worship Satan”? These are but a few controversial questions that I have heard throughout my lifetime when it comes to video games. Whenever there seems to be some sort of problem that had occurred, there is always some way to put the blame on video games. Whether or not that they had some sort of influence, it would seem that gaming has always been some sort of escape goat for anything wrong in the United States. And for those who didn’t play video games during their time, they would fall victim to the stereotypes, and they would be blinded onto seeing the other side of gaming. And in doing so, this would lead them to become a person with a fixed mindset about it.

Recently the debate on whether or not violent video games cause violent tendencies in children and young adults has been spread around. With this widely known debate dating back from the early days of Asteroid in the late 1970’s, we have to really think about how long this issue has been going on without a break. Movies, books, newspapers, basically all things that have to do with either the media or entertainment have gone through this argument phase and passed it, but video games are still being targeted 40 years later, still going hot, and shows no sign of slowing down. Now let me ask you, have you watched any violent movies? Have they made you contemplate murders or any other violent actions? The answer is probably no. So, what makes video games so much more viable as a target? The simple fact would be they’re everywhere now days. With video games being is almost every home around the world and an even larger growing part of the coming generations, people have cold feet about how young children are being introduced to violence. From an Uncle’s stand point I feel their concern. I don’t believe my 8 year old nephew should play something like Gears of War at that early stage in life, but playing something with violence will not make him a murderer. The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) is set in place and funded for only one reason, to regulate the way games are sold. This rating system clearly defines the age group that is best suited to play a certain game, now

Over the years, the popularity of computer and video games has grown. Specifically violent video games make up more than 50 % of the top selling games. These games include violent themes that involve guns, crime, blood, and gore. There is an ongoing belief that these types of games are to blame for the many acts of violence in society and have encouraged America’s youth to act out in aggression. Several organizations, such as the PTC (Parents Television Council) have moved to discourage the development of violent games while also pushing for stronger regulations when purchasing such games. There is also debate among parents and concerns on how games can negatively influence their children. So is there a direct link between video games and violence? The truth is video games do not encourage violence in society based on several factors which include scientific studies, statistics on crime, and prevention measures adopted by game publishers.

Many of individuals trust that violent video games should be banned by stating that video games can affect people in a negative way. A few even claim that the violence within the game can make individuals carry out violent acts. People should come to an understanding that video games take place in an alternate universe, meaning that it is not real. In addition to that, the gamers comprehend that it is just a game and nothing else. However, there are precautions that go with violent video games, for example age requirements, and the control of the parent. Violent video games do not cause behavior problems and should not be banned.

Video games have been around since the early 1950s and since their conceivement, there has been many advancements in technology which has cause them to be more realistic. Due to their constant plummet into realism people have begun to equate their realism to real life scenarios such as mass shooting and terroristic acts being performed. What if the correlation between violent video games and violent acts performed was nonexistent? There has been multiple studies and research done on the topic that state these accusations are completely false, but the public media programs continue to put out a false narrative. Where did their claim originate from? Well one game series may be to blame. In 2001, one of the most controversial games of its time would be released, Grand Theft Auto 3. Grand Theft Auto was despised for its depiction of violence and its sexual content, grand theft auto (GTA) would become one the best selling games of that year and was renowned as one of the best getting tons of awards and critical acclaim while its successors would go on to sell upwards to 80 million copies. So with a bad taste left in the public's mouth, people would begin to say these games weren't suitable for children. Most gamers are considered to be children and teens which isn't true but that's just it, these games aren't made for children that why there is the entertainment software rating

Video games that allow players to be “violent” have been around for a longer time period than these newer occurring incidences of mass gun shootings. Mass shootings have become more rampant in approximately the last 20 years, but Pac-Man (a video game that involves the main character killing and eating ghosts, otherwise the main character dies) has been around for almost 40 years. Most people need a scapegoat to help them rationalize why gun violence occurs. I believe all of the bad charges against violent video games are just an instance of a moral panic. The “Encyclopedia of Social Deviance” says, “These panics occur when the reaction of the media… and the general public are out of proportion to the real and present danger a given threat poses to society.” (448). Scott Shackford, author of “Imaginary Guns Don’t Kill People”, explains that when people see instances of gun violence, they tend to blame violent video games. Video games cannot force people to shoot people. Violent video games do not contribute to gun violence; they are shunned so that people can have something to blame.