preview

Violent Video Game Controversy

Decent Essays

The violent video game controversy never ends, and even if it does, the monster in the console will awaken and run amok swinging its pendulum to hypnotize and gain control over the minds of kids, teens, and most adults alike to become aggressive, rabid animals. But you can tame it. There is a way to control the one that roams the box.

As a parent, have you ever dealt with trying to get your kid’s attention while he or she is playing on their phone, a PS4, Xbox One or any other console? As a child, have your parents complained so much about video games that you just couldn’t take it? According to one survey, 9 out of 10 U.S. households with children have rented or owned a video or computer game. That means about 90% of households with children …show more content…

Grossman has become the point man in the war against violent video games. His main assertion is that violent video games such as Doom or Quake help break down the natural inhibitions we have against killing. In fact, the military has begun using Doom-like games to improve so-called fire rates, encouraging soldiers to pull the trigger in battle. Only about one-fifth of U.S. soldiers in combat in World War II fired their weapons, a rate that the military pushed up to 95% by the Vietnam War, in part through the use of simulations meant to make shooting at humans seem more routine and "normal." “Violent video games,” Grossman argues, “prepare kids to kill and even teach them to enjoy the experience. Of course, not everybody who plays these games will become a murderer," Grossman says. "Just as not everybody who smokes gets cancer. But they will all get …show more content…

The obvious mental problem is aggressive behavior, but others include social phobias, anxiety, and even depression. Physical effects caused by video games include fatigue, migraines due to intense concentration or eye strain, carpal tunnel syndrome caused by the overuse of a controller or computer mouse, and poor personal hygiene. Now one thing, the bad effects are mostly caused by spending too much time on video games. So that means, if you or your child spends less time on video games, there are good effects. Video games increase coordination, improve problem-solving skills, sometimes enhances memory, and improves attention and concentration. It is a great source of learning, as it improves the brain's speed, enhances multitasking skills, and improves social skills. Patricia Greenfield, a psychology professor at UCLA, has studied the relationship between video games and intelligence and finds a positive correlation. Her research attributes an increase in worldwide "nonverbal IQ" (spatial skills, the use of icons for problem-solving and the ability to understand things from multiple viewpoints) to the spread of video games. I was thrilled to hear my prejudice confirmed--until Greenfield noted that this rise in IQ comes at the expense of potentially more important social skills. Which is to say that kids typically don't interact that well when they spend hours sitting in front of the computer or console. "It's

Get Access