Pros And Cons Of Violent Video Games

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.

Does playing a video game make you prone to commit real-life violence? This question has been an issue since the very early 90's when violent games like Doom and Wolfenstein were released, but only in the last half a decade or so (mainly since the incident at Columbine, Colorado, 1999 – when it was revealed that the teenage shooters were avid video game players) has it really come to the majority's attention. The key issue that both sides can't agree on is whether people should be allowed to play violent games or not. I think both sides agree that extremely violent video games should not be played by young children, who have a harder time separating reality from fiction; also, the media does indeed only report one side of the

Media has portrayed violent video games as the root cause for violence and school shootings, but is it really? Violent video games are predominate in the industry of gaming with consumers being primarily children. Furthermore, as the sales of video games increase studies have shown that violence has actually decreased in younger consumers. There are many studies performed on children to truly test these accusations made against video games and violence. Many people believe that playing video games will lead you down a path of anger and evil, but this isn’t the truth at all playing video games doesn’t have to lead you to becoming a villain to

No matter where we are or what we do the media is always going to be a factor in how children are brought up. Unfortunately the media is also a source of a lot of violence. We live in a time where violence is literally at every corner and the media just provides another root to seeing that violence. This quote found in a Oxford research paper tells a perfect story about violence in the media: “Unfortunately, the presence of violence in electronic media content is almost as prevalent as the media itself. Violence can be found in music, television shows, video games, and even YouTube videos. Content analyses have shown that nearly all media contain violence, irrespective of age rating”(Busching, Robert, Johnie Allen, and Craig Anderson.). This goes to show that no matter how children are raised, it is impossible to get away from violence when that is exactly what our media is made

According to a 2008 excerpt from Grand Theft Childhood, a Harvard study, “...60% of middle school boys who played at least one Mature-rated game hit or beat up someone, compared to 39% of boys that did not play Mature-rated games.” (Kutner, Olsen). This research shows partial statistics of violent media on boys. For instance, distinguishing fantasy from reality may prove troublesome for some people. Actually, there is no direct correlation between violent video games and crime rate. Juvenile crime rate have been declining as video games gain popularity. For example, between 1995 and 2008 the arrest rate for juvenile murders has fallen 71.9%; in addition, juvenile crime rate declined 49.3% (Malliet). Overall, research shows, video games are inconclusive factors towards

Many people may believe that violent media makes children behave violently.They might be correct, as many as 97% of US kids age 12-17 play video games, contributing to $21.53 billion domestic video game industry (Does). More than half of the top 50 best-selling games contain violence(Does).

Violent video games have been a popular pass time for American teenagers ever since the first ones were released. The most popular of these games are Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat, and Doom. It has become a popular belief that these games are directly linked to violent behaviors in our youth. Numerous scholars have set out to determine the validity of these assumptions through vast surveys and studies in America. All of these scholars share the belief that violent video games affect the minds of teenagers in some way, but they do not necessarily agree on whether the effects are constructive or deconstructive in the development of young minds. Russell Laczniak, author of Parental Restrictive Meditation and Children’s

Gentile, D.A., & Anderson, C.A. (2003). Violent Video Games: The Newest Media Violence Hazard. In Media violence and children: A complete guide for parents and professionals. Westport, Connecticut, London: Praeger. Retrieved from https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/jbickfor/gentile.anderson2003.pdf

"You can not judge a book by its binding" said the author Lester Fuller. This is not what most adults do to every M rated game. They don't look into the games, they just say "No!" to the teen/kid who is asking for it. For 24 years games didn't have ratings, so why do we need them today? The main reason we have ratings on video games is because of protests by adults blaming growing violence and abuse on video games. The funny thing was, they didn't give a shred of proof, the protests were just based on assumptions. The child may miss wholesome and beneficial experiences if not allowed to play these games. Unless adults actually start looking into M rated video games, a kid will miss wholesome experiences and will continue to be slow to flourish.

Many people claim that violent video games increase aggression, however, this is not true. There has been an enormous amount of research done looking for any links violent video games and violence acts committed, and researchers haven't found any. Dr. Christopher Ferguson, a psychology professor at Texas A&M International University, cited data from federal criminal justice agencies showing that serious violent crimes among youths have decreased since 1996, even as video game sales have increased. Some research shows that almost over 97% of American boys own or have a violent video game in the there house. That's almost a 50% increase from

Television, movies, and video games are a big part of children’s lives in today’s technologically advanced society. However, there is a big controversy questioning the effects of these media outlets on children. Much of society claims to have proof for the belief that media violence affects children negatively. However, I am skeptical of the evidence that is stated to prove that claim. I feel that society has placed the blame on these mediums for the violent acts, however serious or trivial, that children commit way too easily, before they even begin to examine the parenting of today’s society.

Ever since the nineteen eighties people, usually politicians and the news media, have been quick to blame video games for societal woes, saying violence in video games causes violent behavior and makes people anti-social. Some have even argued video games cause racism, sexism, and cause health problems, but most research that points towards video games being bad are inconsistent and sometimes contradictory. And yet people still want to restrict and censor video games, even though they are an art form just like film or paintings or what have you, and because they are an art form they are a form of media and are protected under the first amendment. Violent video games do not cause real world violence like any art form they only mirror the violence of the real world, and it is contradictory to think that they cause actual violence. Video games have even been shown to be healthy, they relieve stress and increase hand eye coordination, and are a positive, non-violent form of relieving aggression in a way that does not cause physical harm to others.

The adrenaline pulses through his veins. Every challenge he has faced has led to this moment. His grip on the remote controller tightens. His mind races at one hundred miles per hour. A few minutes is all he needs to defeat his adversary. Both thumbs dart across the video game controls at lightning speed, and the final strike brings his opponent crashing to the ground. After countless hours of puzzles and quests, he has finally beaten the game. During the current day and age, violent video games have increased in popularity and prevalence among households. They entertain gamers, teach them how to solve various problems, and even decrease violence in many cities. Even though many parties offer evidence to promote banning violent video games, their information is unreliable and proves that these games should not be banned from minors.

The media is a part of everyday life in American kids. Children are surrounded by technology, entertainment, and other media that is full of violence. Newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the internet all contain violence. Today's media has a negative influence on children. The media does have an influence on them, but does it really influence them to act out even though they know it's wrong? Mass media, and its components, are very powerful and can influence one's mind, as well as their behavior. Children that imitate characters who use violence in the media and display aggressive behavior, tend to give them reason to believe that violence can happen without consequence. For children who grow up with poor adult examples or an

Television, movies, and video games are a big part of children's lives in today's technologically advanced society. However, there is a big controversy questioning the effects of these media outlets on children. Much of society claims to have proof for the belief that media violence affects children negatively. However, I am skeptical of the evidence that is stated to prove that claim. I feel that society has placed the blame on these mediums for the violent acts, however serious or trivial, that children commit way too easily, before they even begin to examine the parenting of today's society. Television, movies, and video games are not the primary causes for acts of violence and other crimes committed by kids. They are only singled