Simulated Violence

In my most recent essay I wrote of the violence attributed to video games in light of various shootings and other tragedies that occurred in the past year or so. In this essay I argued that despite their violent content, video games are not completely to blame for acts of violence committed by children. Throughout this essay I tried to convince the reader by, first, establishing my own credibility with video games, then sharing my own experiences with violent games, and providing both empirical data and valuable insight from trusted sources.

The most extensive argument many have argued toward violent video games affecting one’s behavior can simply be described as that many shooters were fans of violent video games before committing the shootings. A common example people making this argument raise are the Columbine shooters, who were big fans of the video game Doom. While many believe that Doom’s excessive gore and violence led the two teens to perpetrate the mass shooting, that is not the case. What those who argue against video games fail to realize that those who commit these crimes had a history of other conditions. After many mass shootings, researchers often discovered in autopsies that the suspect had a long history of aggression or mental health problems that gaming was not responsible for. Patrick Markey and Christopher J. Ferguson, writers for US News, wrote

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.

Sternheimer brings up an issue that had an unnerving newspaper headlines like “Bloodlust Video Games Put Kids in the Crosshairs” (215). She thinks that not enough thoughts have been given to other issues like “social rejection and depression”. Information on statistical evidence was brought to our attention. Sternheimer believed it to be “controversial”. Sternheimer feels that there are important facts that truly cause killers at a young age that are being over looked. The important facts could include personal traits, family, and background. Politicians claims for the rise of video games concerns. Sternheimer briefly wrote a law suits to the producers and none of the law suits won. Have you ever thought why there are young killers, which are brought in suburban areas/families who are thought of to be the most

According to the article “Sandy Hook Killer Took Motive To This Grave” written in 2013 by Matt Smith, a CNN journalist, Adam Lanza killed 20 first graders and 6 adults with a semiautomatic rifle in December of 2012. Michael Casey, a CBS News journalist who wrote, “Do Violent Video Games Lead to Criminal Behavior” in 2015, stated that Adam Lanza “was obsessed with violent video games” and that these games caused him to shoot up this old school, in Connecticut. This is one very tragic and sad example of how games that showcase simulated violence manipulate people into becoming over aggressive and to develop horrible

According to CBS News, back in 2005 in a small town of Alabama, an eighteen-year-old teenager went on a rampage and killed three men, two of them being police officers. It was found out that the gunman played Grand Theft Auto day and night for months. He was simulated to murder; he was trained to “kill”. We all remember the tragedy that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, where fourteen children and six teachers were killed in December 2014. DailyMail reports that investigators discovered that the shooter, Adam Lanza, “notched up more than 83,000 'kills' on his beloved video games including 22,000 'head shots' as he trained himself for the horrific Sandy Hook massacre.” His mother recalled to a friend days before the attack that her “son had become increasingly obsessed with the military and she finding disturbing pictures of mutilated corpses and murdered children under his bed.” Studies reveal that violent games make children

School shootings years ago in Paducah, Kentucky; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Littleton Colorado, have raised the question time and time again. Do violent video games have an influence on children and their aggressive behavior? In all three of these brutal shootings, all the shooters were students who habitually played violent video games. The Columbine High School students who murdered thirteen and wounded twenty-three in Littleton before committing suicide after the shooting, enjoyed playing Doom, a bloody and violent video game. One of the shooters made a customized version of Doom: two shooters, unlimited ammunition, extra weapons, and victims who couldn’t fight back. This customized version of the game

Adam Lanza, a 20 year old young adult, was a frequent player of “call of duty”. He is the reason why twenty-seven lives were lost on December 14, 2012. Lanza open fired at kids and adults inside Sandy Hook Elementary, injuring many, and killing twenty plus people. Subsequently, killing his mother and himself. Investigations show that Adam Lanza used the game “call of duty” for his training. Researchers are convinced that intense gaming can disrupt the mind into thinking about anger and aggression. A college psychologist held a test to help prove this theory. He first registered the behavior of forty-six undergraduates, then had them play “Mortal Kombat” for fifteen minutes and recorded their behavior afterwards. The results show that the students acted more audacious when the game was over. Scientists predict that as more games release with better graphics, that the violence will only sustain at higher rates.

It seems that violent video games can not only turn an at-risk child up to a dial on their behaviors but also low-risk children into a school shooter (Mozes 5). Video games have also been put on the radar as to one of the root problems of minors committing violent acts. “If a child began playing violent video games at a young age, then he might think that violence in real life is the same as the game violence and that it doesn’t have a real impact on others” (Gilad 29). While kids play violent video games, they’re not only playing for fun. They are analyzing the which changes their behavior and actions due to thought process for example, “They start to expect people to behave more aggressively toward them, and they tend to see aggressive solutions as being more appropriate for solving problems”(Mozes 5).

Finally, role playing games with simulated violence are perilous because people may use actual violence. In the game, the students use water guns and act as if they’re in a shooting game. They also act as if arranging squads and kills is normal. “‘I’m looking for some good massacres early,’ this year’s judge said as the competition began, the second week in May. ‘I’ve arranged at least one boyfriend-girlfriend kill that could be interesting.’” If people play games like this often, they may turn to real guns or other forms of violence.

Still think violent video games are harmless and fun? Consider putting down the remote control and listen up. December 14th, 2012. At Sandy Hook Elementary School a day of learning was interrupted by the sounds of gun shots. That day 20 year- old Adam Lanza shot over 20 children between the ages 6-7. Such a horrific event that had a cause of what seems an everyday occurrence to teens and kids. Violence simulated video-games. These games can cause a negative mindset that violence is okay. Look at the Sandy Hook Shooting, the murderer was proclaimed to play too many video games. That is just one example of how these video games can create that ambiguous mindset that violence is just a game. Let alone it also shows how the influence of constant

It is not a well-known fact that since 1994, video game sales have increased 204%, while crime has fallen 37% in the U.S. (“Violent Video Games”). Video games create an outlet for an alternative reality for expressing aggression, rather than in the real world. Simulated violence that is shown to the public through video games is advantageous in many ways. Video games are extremely beneficial and safe because they provide kids with useful, real-world skills, they help to solve science problems, and there are limits placed on them.

"Blast! Head shot! That guy was pulverized!" These are only a few samples of the dialog talked between kids who play games such as like “Call of Duty” or “Halo”. In today 's age, kids frequently boast about the quantity of players they figured out how to kill while playing these video games. Two decades ago, this would not be the typical waste of time of an eleven year old, yet now kids are seeing this kind of brutal movement as simply one more approach to take a break on a Saturday morning. Since the video game market is blasting at this moment because of progressive gaming systems like the Wii, Playstation, and Xbox, this issue is turning out to be more serious; parents should be mindful of and strongly advised about the reasons why violent video games could hurt their children. Despite the fact that the violence in these video games is fictional, the essential ideas driving the savagery have been demonstrated to prompt more aggressive behavior in developing children. Violent video games instruct youngsters that brutality is acceptable and fun at the same time, have been demonstrated to prompt forceful practices in kids, furthermore desensitize kids. The brutal demonstrations portrayed in video games are transforming the psyches of youthful kids, permitting them to imagine that firearm violence and executing is a recreational activity.

“Stay alive at all costs! Kill the bad guys! Head shot!” These are just some examples of the dialogue spoken amongst children who play violent video games such as Call of Duty and Halo. Twenty years ago, this would not be the typical game play dialogue amongst children, but with the surge of popularity of violent video games this is now becoming the norm. Playing these violent video games is just another way to pass time on a Saturday morning or an afternoon after school. However, this pastime comes with repercussions. Studies have shown that consistently playing violent video games leads to psychological, mental, and social disturbances in children. Some extreme cases of

Video games suck children into an alternate universe of violence. Many children play violent video games without being aware of the problems they are creating for themselves. Such as being placed covertly in an unhealthy situation physically, mentally and socially. However, it is good to expose kids to technology, but it seems that many of these video games are quite violent and there is a high possibility that these games lead to behavioral problems and isolation issues. Many of these games include guns, grenades, knives and a number of other weapons. They are played from the player’s perspective, allowing the child to think that the screen is the view from their eyes and they are shooting from the gun. Therefore when a child plays they get an odd satisfaction when shooting at others, whether it be aliens, zombies or people. This feeling of satisfaction should be considered inhumane.