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Video Games : Violence And Mental Health Essay

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A growing sense of concern about violence in communities across America has prompted many people to step back and evaluate the causes of this violence. Although there seem to be many contributing factors, one that is repeatedly highlighted is the depiction of violence in the media. A substantial amount of research has been done on certain forms of media, especially television and video games, while other forms have been almost completely neglected. In this paper, I will attempt to extend the implications of this research to theater, which has a long history of simulating violence. This is an important connection to investigate, as theaters still draw an impressive number of patrons and play an important role in the economy. In order for theater companies to make informed decisions about what plays to put on, and for parents to make wise decisions about what shows their children should attend, it is necessary to understand the complex relationship between simulated violence and mental health. It is reasonable to draw connections between television, movies, video games, and theater because they are all closely related in the material they present and in the methods with which they present it. For instance, all of these formats rely heavily on visual representations to convey their message. The actions of actors on a stage or on a screen are imperative to our understanding of a storyline. We do not simply listen to a performance of a play, we see it. Similarly, most video

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