Video Games : Video Game Violence

Violent video games have been being created since the first console. Yet only recently have we been blaming them for aggression in the player. We as humans have a tendency to blame our violent behavior on other things rather thin ourselves. Now aggression is being defined in many ways in this situation but mainly people point to the anger that’s brought out in the real world after the game or maybe it’s the gamers’ tendency to have outburst will playing the game. Both these thing show anger but do they really show that the game is what caused it. This same situation could be put in the place of me eating a potato and getting angry right after is it really the potatoes fault no.

According to the Book Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents, video games were first made in the 1970’s, but they did not become violent until the 1990’s. when violent video games first came out, companies tried to make them less violent, but violent seemed to be what was selling. These games use to have people disappear when they would get killed, but the new games were showing the people bleed out and have them slowly die. After a while, companies started to make the first-person shooter games. With these games, the players could feel like they were actually holding the gun and shooting people. Along with the new views of the games, they were also becoming more and more realistic as technology was starting to improve. Today’s violent video games seem so realistic that it is not wonder some kids get immune to seeing people bleed out or die, since “85% or more of video games on the market contain some form of violence”, according to a CNN article written by Scutti called "Do Video Games Lead to Violence?" written in 2017. With such a high percentage being violent, it is no wonder children are so exposed to so much violent media.

Violent video games can contribute to violence, especially in youth. Violent video games expose players to real-life violence. Video games are becoming more and more realistic. Violent video games teach youth that violence is an acceptable way to solve arguments or fights between people. These games encourage killing and fighting enemies. Some games kill zombies, shoot people, and fight to the end of death. Playing violent video games increases mean behavior and triggers anger, especially in kids that have major behavior or mental problems. Violent video games have been blamed for bullying, school shootings or attacks, and violence towards girls.

The issue of video game violence seems to be a hot topic right now after several shootings have occurred and made a connection to the shooters being video gamers. In looking at past research it is apparent that there seems to large amounts of research that contradict one work to another. Although I would have been interested in conducting a poll of the publics opinion regarding the use of violent video games and their connection to mass shootings I was not able to conduct the research. However, for this paper I chose to conduct a literature analysis to see what research has been conducted and to seek out gaps and themes in this research.

Guns have become a popular weapon in video games and manufacturers use this as a form of advertisement. These advertisements are encouraging gun violence and killing for a win. Some of the games were designed to teach men how to shoot and properly use a gun and train for the army. Two specific people that played these games were school shooters and caused the possible link between video game and human violence. In the article, there is an explanation of The Columbine massacre which supports the issue of violence connection destructive video games. There was also mention of another case of boys that shot at random cars and killed several and their explanation for doing so was that the game had enticed them to. Even though the games are conflicting

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 questions posed for Psychology this week is “Do violent video games increase aggressive thoughts and behaviors?” After reading chapter five in the “Psych” textbook, the obvious answer would be yes. There are countless studies that show that watching violence increase emotional arousals, aggressive behavior, and violent thoughts (Rathus 128). The studies also indicate that violent video games are also connected with aggressive behavior and an increase in aggressive thoughts (Rathus 128). Many video gamers would disagree with the numerous studies that have been done; however, if the studies prove aggression, then that is something you have to accept. The studies are not a one size

From news outlets, to politicians, to parents: when tragedies occur they place the blame on many different sources. After the Sandy Hook shooting, media networks fiercely debated whether or not video games played a part in the shooter’s motives, as he had played games from the notorious Grand Theft Auto series prior to the shooting. Some even suggested banning video games outright, despite the fact that other mediums that can portray violence, such as movies and television, were overlooked. It is my personal belief that video games can be a form of art, as they can send as powerful an emotional message as any movie or song can. Thus, I believe it is important to understand the motives behind the creation of these games as well as how people interpret their meanings.

By the year 1980, almost every house in America had a computer or a television. The issue of violence in these media products has been a highly-debated issue for the past few decades. Recently it has become extremely popular in the subject of violence in video games. It is rumored that games such as “Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat, Battlefield, Halo and many more have been the culprit behind a recent spike in childhood aggression. Many people have their own views on the subject, but it has been most commonly deduced that aggression is caused by the games, but violence does not always follow the aggression. Violence in video games has been proven to have a direct correlation with the aggression in children.

It was Christmas Day and Savanna’s nine year old brother had just received a new game that he had been wanting for his X-Box, “Grand Theft Auto.” As soon as he opened it, he began to play. Three hours later he was STILL playing. Savanna was sitting on the couch reading a new book, when she started to notice some frustration coming from her brother. As he sprung up off the floor, he let out a yell of anger, went over to the living room wall, and punched it, leaving a hole in the wall. Savanna wondered if this violent reaction was because of the violence he had been seeing in the video game. A review of almost a decade of studies found that exposure to violent video games was a “risk factor,” for increased violence in youth.(Radowitz) From

Video games and violent movies are having adverse effects on the psychological development of young children. Although not all games and movies are violent, most of the modern video content focus on destruction and violence. Children who play violent games exhibit aggressive behavior than those who do not play or watch violent videos. Too much of violent videogames increases aggressive cognitive and behaviors and decreases prosocial behaviors (Rowan, 2013). These video games are more harmful to those children who already have aggressive behaviors. This trait is more common in boys than

As we look around in today's society, we are surrounded by technology and as it advances we have relied on these technological advancement as a form of media. A form of media that has been controversial because of it's rapid growth and advancement would be video games. The first video game that was available to play on a console at home was Pong, a simple game that was similar to tennis where two line must hit a dot and score a point. Pong was released in 1972 and after forty-three years video games are still relevant. According to a team in the University of Essex in the UK, " People around the world spend a massive three billion hours per week playing video games." ( Entertainment Software Association) At first

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.

In the article from Thom Gillespie states that Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is the latest video game to be known of demeaning our society’s youth in the U.S. He states though however, video games such as GTA are “art” and deserve protection. Moreover, those games just mirror humanity's violent instincts; they do not provoke violence, Gillespie argues. These games also offer chances for debates about ethical issues and the costs of actions. It is known from his writings that Thom Gillespie is a professor of telecommunications and a director of the Masters in Immersive Mediated Environments program at Indiana University in Bloomington. (Gillespie). He mentions in his article that:

Blood and gore, intense violence, strong sexual content, use of drugs. These are just a few of the phrases that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) uses to describe the content of several games. The future of entertainment revolves around technology. Along with the evolvement of technology, video games are also changing. More ways of playing violent video games are created each year, but most of us have this question in mind; do violent video games influence people to act aggressively?