Video Games And Its Effects On Children

Whenever there is a mass shooting in the United States, it doesn 't take long before society suggests violent video games might be to blame. Video games have been culprits of crime today to many eyes in America. Just about anyone in most modernized countries has heard the claim before, placing the blame on a video game, music or television for the violent acts seen in their youth today. There is no link to violence on video games. Typically, these trends seem to pop up when we are referencing school shootings, gang related crime and other domestic terrorist acts done by our youth. It is too easy to quickly blame something like a violent video game for their behavior.

School children already have enough on their plates while in school and need to pay as much attention as they can to their teachers. Sixty-seven percent of elementary children are more liable to have attention span problems from playing video games for more than two hours (Klein, 2010). Some parents seem to believe that video games will not harm their attention like TV does. Researchers say that children who watch TV or play games for long periods struggle to pay attention to their teachers while at school (Klein, 2010).

It is believed the average gamer usually ages 13 and up spends up to 6.3 hours a day playing video games. That is an alarming rate, which concerns both the public and scientist. Through out this paper three different articles will be analyzed and their view on the impact of video games on children’s and adolescents. The first article to be discussed is “Prospective Investigation of Video Game Use in Children and Subsequent Conduct Disorder and Depression Using Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.” In this article research is done on how video game violence have affect a child’s behavior. They conducted this research by using self-report questionnaires; they started by asking children at age 8/9 years their game use. The type of video game played was assessed with the question: “Which types of computer games do you have at home?” Children were free to check any game that was applicable to them. Different game options were included in the questionnaire, the options differed from violent games like those that include firearms, blood and weapons, sport games, racing, puzzles, “and other educational or learning games. This questionnaire was designed this way to get the most precise results. The studies results indicated that playing violent video games in childhood has a weak association with an increased risk of conduct disorder in adolescence. They measured this by testing and investigating children who had

Thinking about gamers who spend countless hours playing video games, most people usually wonder why these individuals choose not to do something more productive rather than burning their brain cells playing mindless video games. What most individuals don’t understand is that playing video games do not only affect behavior, but trains the brain to think and comprehend things better that an average person. Video games train the brain to see things that most people cannot see and are proven to make decisions faster without much complication.

Violent video games are causally linked to untreated mental illness, as identified in recent mass murderers.

Ever since the Columbine Massacre occurred, people seemed to concern themselves with the violent nature of video games. So many people argue that because video games played a part in the lives of the two teenagers who planned and executed the event, video games are to be blamed as their motive. Although video games have often glamorize graphic violence, people should not cast blame upon them for an increase in violent behavior in those who play them (especially teens) because those who make these accusations do so only to demonize what they do not and try not to understand.

The results also showed that a majority of the teachers and parents disagreed that video games caused children to become psychologically weak and self-absorbed and experience emotional stress. 40 participants responded to the question on physical motor performance. 47.5% disagreed that video games caused children to have weak physical motor performance. Majority also disagreed that electronic games caused the players headaches, physical strains, hearing loss, and nutrition disorders. They neither cause children deformation nor negative intellectual guidance. However on the issue about aggressiveness, 37.8% of the participants were undecided while 32.4% agreed. Majority agreed that electronic games made children lose interest in other activities and get addicted to computers and the internet. However, 52% agreed that they caused negative intellectual guidance.

Video games have been a part of the lives of millions since the 70s when the original pong game came out. They have since evolved into games of violence and aggression in almost all video games that kids think are “fun”. Violent video games today affect children and young adults in a negative manor and promote aggressive behavior and can be a bad influence on their undeveloped minds. Children are so easily influenced because their frontal lobe, which is the decision making part of the brain, is not fully developed yet, therefore, they are much more susceptible to outside forces influencing them. Today, violence has pretty much been accepted by society and it is in almost everything we see, whether that is on the news, in movies, on tv shows, or in video games. Children can become somewhat addicted to video games similar to how an alcoholic can become addicted to alcohol. They lose control over the amount of playing that they do. It can lead to a decrease in grades in school and can also lead to a decrease in physical activity (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 1). Children exposed to excessive violent video games and media can become desensitized to violence, sometimes will even copy violence they see in video games because to them they are a person to look up to. Kids today are on basically a different world than the kids of the decades before us. Years before kids would go out and play in the neighborhood for fun instead of just sitting in front of a TV

Video games have drastically altered since the 1980s, they are now more visual, alongside technological advancements, they have become more immersive, so immersive that video games have become an obsession—in fact a deadly obsession. On a Wednesday night in early February 2012, Chen Rong- Yu ”a binge gamer,” was found dead “in the chair from which he’d been engaged in a marathon gaming session.” What makes this case extreme is that he was slumped in his chair with both arms stiffened in a posture that indicated that Chen was still struggling to reach the keyboard and mouse while undergoing an alleged cardiac arrest (Parkin). Chris Staniforth, 20, died from a blood clot after spending more than 12 hours at a time playing on his Xbox (Twomey). A three-year-old South Korean girl died of neglect when her parents spent most of their time playing Prius Online, seventeen-year-old Daniel Petric murdered his mother and injured his father after they refused to let him play Halo 3 (BBC). Video game addiction exists and it’s a serious problem in various parts of the world. Most players are able to constrain their usage in means that do not interfere with their daily lives, however there are others who turn this passion into a deadly addiction. Video game addiction has resulted in pathological behaviors resulting in detrimental effects.

There are many addictions in the world, ranging from hard drugs to extreme exercise. Some are life-threatening, while others only affect appearance or lifestyles. Video games aren’t something most people would see as an addiction, but after witnessing it myself, I have done research to learn more about how video games can rule lives. The causes and effects show just how much lives can be altered.

Video games are a basis of entertainment for numerous people worldwide, and its users have been growing continuously over the years. It is a source of digital entertainment which does not generate violent crimes and behaviour. Today, in the United States 91% of adolescents between the years of 2 and 17 are video game users(NPD Group,2011). A national illustrative study of U.S. adolescents established that about 99% of boys and 94% of girls are video game users (Lenhart et al., 2008). Vast majority of psychological research on the impacts of “gaming” has concentrated deeply on the harmful impacts: the possible harm linked to aggression, addiction, and depression (Anderson et al., 2010; Ferguson, 2013; Lemola et al., 2011). However, it is unlikely that this attention will be reduced or changed in the coming years, partly because of the significant media responsiveness when mass slayings (e.g., the Columbine High School slayings in 1999) linked to adolescents that play video games which are violent (Ferguson, 2007). However, this essay will argue that considering these potential benefits of video games is necessary, as the nature of the video games has significantly transformed in recent years, becoming progressively complicated, diverse, true-to-life and social in nature (Ferguson & Olson, 2013). Video games offer users with immersive and compelling social, intellectual, and emotional skills. Additionally, these capabilities can have the possibility to develop players mental

Controversy about video games continue to escalate between parents and gamers, regarding the psychological effect of simulated, realistic, and 3D violence on the minds of young children and growing teenagers. Yet, research shows that video games contribute very little to today’s everyday violence, despite complaints and concerns that games influence a child’s normal behavior. Technology is a way of life in today’s world, computers are used by toddlers, adolescents, and adults alike. No matter what career path a person chooses, the computer plays an essential role in the job. The more our technology progresses and as our industry grows stronger, computers and electronic entertainment will grow to be found everywhere around the world. This includes videogames.

In this day and age when you ask a child what they would like as a gift they can give you a list of a million things and this list changes every day. It should come as no surprise though with the way the toy market aggressively advertises towards children. They base the continuation of certain television shows based upon the sales of certain products, they create video games based around toys to generate interest on two fronts, and they even use food as a way to get toy names out. But what does that really do for our children? Kids from impoverish families know that they won’t be able to ever get money for the latest game console that all the other kids are excited for. They won’t don’t get to live the fantasy that the commercial projects.

Modern technology is a worldwide sensation that is captivating more and more people each day. With the accessibility to media applications, there are so many opportunities to learn and reach out to people from all over the world. With media outlets streaming on your mobile phone in a coffee shop or ringing up an order on a tablet, it seems like nothing is truly impossible. One of the biggest media applications of technology are video games. While this is a phenomenal humankind progression, this is also transforming the perception of normality to children. While limiting the recommended amount of time a child is attached to a video game, one can begin to understand how this form can further develop our children. From confidence building to creativity, video games can be brought on as educational as well as just for fun and relaxation.

A few months ago, my son asked for a tablet which we bought it for his birthday. It was a good idea back then, since he never had one before and it was his birthday. My only thought was to make my son happy in rewards of his good work at school, but later it become a problem. I was scared of seeing my son playing video games! I started noticing that he was acting different. And many times he wanted to be playing these video games while we were eating or visiting relatives. This situation was very uncomfortable for me. After a few months he was spending more time playing the same games over and over. Eventually, it was normal for him to get back from school and go directly to his room to play video games. My son was putting aside the illusion of having a new bike and have gone to the video games.