Video Game Violence And Its Effects On Gamers

An Iowa State University News Service article featuring three studies done by Iowa State University psychology professors Craig Anderson and Douglas Gentile makes note of this and in their research, the professors looked into whether violent video game exposure led to more violent behavior in children and adolescents or not (“ISU Psychologists” 449). In their three studies, they noted that kid’s games in general have a behavioral effect, that students who played violent video games were more violent or in favor of violence, and that violent video games may lead to poor performance in school as well as a higher rate of social rejection (“ISU Psychologists” 450). Regarding this information, a major increase in aggression in individuals would definitely run the risk of being detrimental in many cases, especially in regard to children. Since children are still in a developmental stage, violent video game could potentially have more of an overall impact. However, in some cases, it can be argued that perhaps video game-related aggression can be a good thing because it’s only a minor amount of aggression in most people, and this minor amount of aggression can be a good thing as it can provide a competitive boost. Even violent video games may have some sort of benefit to the

This article is a very useful source. Is useful because it answers the question, “Do violent video games cause an increase in aggression.” The question is answered thoroughly by the author because they cited recent studies, examples, and peer reviewed or scholarly sources that all concluded that violent video games cause an increase in aggression. The author is objective because they countered their argument by stating that

Video games have become a major occupation of majority of the youth these days. They spend hours on end concentrating on video games, some of which are apparently very violent, yet this is actually the whole idea. Coming from the horse's mouth is an argument in support of video games coined from a video programmer's point of view, stating that violent video games allow people to do what they can not do in reality- virtual reality. ( http://www.theroc.org/roc-mag/textarch/roc-15/roc15-08.htm ) For instance, someone said to be having a bad day could use a violent video game to release stress by shooting down a couple hundred bad men than actually taking an AK-47 and spilling down a few brains down the

Over the past few years, the United States has seen violence that has come from the inside of the country. Various high schools, have had shootings inside of them from some of the high school students that go to that specific school. Some experts blame the shootings by categorizing the students as someone who has been tormented and bullied basically most of life, while other experts believe the shootings were caused by the violence in video games. There has been a lot of nation-wide discussion about if violent video games really do cause violence and aggression in young gamers ever since shootings at high schools increased. However evidence has shown differently than what most experts think. Violent video games do not cause violence and aggression in young gamers.

There is a large amount of research by many respected academics that show the correlation between video game violence and real life violence (Bartholow, B.D., Sestir, M.A., Davis, E.B., 2005). However, that does not mean video game violence is the cause of real life violence. As other studies by equally respected academics show, people that are already predisposed to violence tend to gravitate towards playing video games (Delamere, F.M., 2005). There is no proven causal conclusion to be drawn from all the research done on this subject; although, the writer tries to draw his own conclusion: "I believe that [violent video games, music and movies] do the total opposite and allow us to vent some of the built up anger we have that leads to violence." If only he provided some kind of concrete evidence to prove his point, it would sound much more credible.

But Dr. Elizabeth Carll, who helped this study, wanted to clear up the confusion, "the resolution did not state that there was a direct causal link to an increase in teen violence as a result of playing videogames” (Flanagan). “Constant news coverage leaves the impression that youthful crime is increasing”(Olson) news stories continue to slaughter the idea that people who play games are just normal people in society and not just antisocial, angry people sitting in their mom’s basements. Olson presents, “Some have referred to a "wave of violence gripping America 's youth," fueled by exposure to violent media. Using data supplied to the FBI, the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention reported that the rate of juvenile arrests increased in the late 1980s, peaking in 1994. Juvenile arrests declined in each of the next 7 years” (Olson) with this data presented by the Federal Bureau of Intelligence people are displaying even less aggressive tendencies especially children who are exposed to video games. It is not just the information going unbelieved, but also the studies have been discredited alongside the idea of video games are getting worse as media continues to slander players for aggressive actions and shut-in traits. "From the present body of literature, there 's nothing that supports a relationship between violent videogame playing and aggression—not correlational or

Lately, it seems that there has been an abundance of horrible mass shootings and brutal violence in our world. In today’s seemingly dangerous world, parents are yearning to protect their children from getting involved in these savage crimes. Now, a great deal of people, especially parents, accuse violent video games as the cause of this growing epidemic. The controversy of video game induced violence has a long history, but it didn’t appear in the spotlight until the disturbing Columbine shooting in 1999, when the gunmen were said to have been addicted to violent video games. Since 1999, there have been more mass shootings and vicious crimes that have been accursed on video games. While siding with the belief that video games create violence

In an article published by the APA for Harvard Health Publication, Dr. Christopher Ferguson, a psychology professor explained, “other researchers have challenged the association between violent video game use and school shootings, noting that most of the young perpetrators had personality traits such as anger, psychosis and aggression that were apparent before the shootings and predisposed them to violence.” He continued to say, “these factors make it more difficult to accept the playing of violent video games as an independent risk factor.” (Harvard). Violent video games can sometimes give an aggression outlet in the virtual world as opposed to real life.

Violence in video games, more specifically where the whole violent video game controversy came up, was a game called Death Race. This game had you running over gremlins but ended looking like “looked a lot like humans, since all that could be rendered was a blocky stick figure” (Luke Plunkett, Death Race, the World's First Scandalous Video Game, Kotaku). Death Race got a spot on 60 Minutes “looking at the psychological impacts” (Luke Plunkett, Death Race, the World's First Scandalous Video Game, Kotaku) of the game, was protested and was covered by National Enquirer and the NBC's Weekend Show and even “The National Safety Council said Death

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

The article, Violent video games and anger as predictors of aggression, explains the research that was done to show how video game violence is conjoined with aggression. The study was done with 79 females and 88 males. The result of the study was that those who were more angry at the time, were the ones who were more affected with the study. Jack Thompson (2000) explained how those people who were involved in school shootings were more likely prone to being video gamers. Especially now that video games now have more violence in them, which makes people want to buy them more because of how entertaining it is. They also believe that those who are known to be angry and play violent video games are characterized to be socially awkward, lonely,

People link aggressive/violent behavior to violent video games. At that moment people point fingers and media boost the conception up because it's an easy target and its logic reason to them and Republicans make it worse by believe that gaming over use guns in the games and how they focus on violence and how that contributes to mass shooting even though they haven’t find any solid evidence to prove that statement(Grim). So in our democracy do violent video games correlate to violences behavior in real life? There has been many cases involving video games as a factor in the crime. The case of a 87 year old grandmother was killed by her grandson and investigator think it was influenced

In this age of technology, it's very safe to say that a large majority of the world's population has played at least one video game. This can vary from playing games on console, like Xbox-One, Playstation 4, and for the older generation, the NES to playing mobile games like Tetris. There are many consoles that span from the creation of video games. This has opened opportunities to make several kind of games. These can vary from side-scrollers like Super Mario Bros. on the NES, to Role-playing games (RPG) like Final Fantasy IX on the Playstation 1. While this has caused some great games to surface, it has also allowed intense violence to be let into games. Parents and anti-gaming communities state that this is why kids can become violent. This is false, because violent games can be avoided to prevent this issue, and the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has even made various precautions to make sure parents know what they're purchasing. Comprehensible symbols, detailed lists, and age restrictions prevents children from "becoming violent".

The evolution of video games has taken a drastic change since the 1970’s when video games were first introduced. Since then every decade video games have become more violent in nature with strong language and realistic to suit society today. Craig Anderson states that with more violence in video games they would sell better than games with less violence (Anderson, Gentile, and Beckley pg.5). Violent video games really became popular when the first person shooter games were invented so that we could see through the eyes of the player, as if we were really experiencing it. Society wanted better graphics and games as time went on new technology was invented and society matured in electronics. This meant that for game creators would have to come up with something better selling than the last. Creators would make the games more violent and more realistic each time so that way they can keep the interest of their consumers. Each game would increase in blood or gore slowly, but what really got consumers to buy their games would be the update of graphics in the consoles or games. This is due to the drastic changing of technology and the maturing of consumers wanting better and newer violent video games. Violent video games can cause children to behave violently if not correctly supervised.

“Experts agree that no single factor can cause a nonviolent person to act aggressively, some studies suggest that heavy exposure to violent media can be a risk factor for violent behavior. Children who are exposed to multiple risk factors, including substance abuse, aggression, and conflict at home and also consume violent media are more likely to behave aggressively.” (Commonsensemedia.org 1) I am accepting the fact that this method is valid, though we are striving to answer if violent video games absolutely create violent citizens and according to researchers and investigations in the recent year's data has gone exclusively from one faction to the other.