What Are Video Games Related To Racial Slurs?

In my most recent essay I wrote of the violence attributed to video games in light of various shootings and other tragedies that occurred in the past year or so. In this essay I argued that despite their violent content, video games are not completely to blame for acts of violence committed by children. Throughout this essay I tried to convince the reader by, first, establishing my own credibility with video games, then sharing my own experiences with violent games, and providing both empirical data and valuable insight from trusted sources.

Since video games have been introduced, video games have been accused of contributing too many atrocities, and acts of violence. News outlets paint video games as being a source of which some acts of violence happen. Yes, violent video games have become more popular, meanwhile becoming controversial, but still there exist no links between aggression and video games. The University of Bologna says that “owning videogames does not in fact seem to have negative effects on aggressive human behavior” (Koffler par.7). Meanwhile, news outlets keep on missing the point on how beneficial video games are. Video games do not contribute to violence, can be educational, and they can improve us in different ways.

Video games; a pastime for many people across the world, a form of entertainment, and, of course, a way to destress yourself from the outside world. Video games have been around since October 18, 1958 and have been evolving rapidly through the years. “ More than fifty years ago, before either arcades or home video games, visitors waited in line at Brookhaven National Laboratory to play “Tennis for Two,” an electronic tennis game that is unquestionably a forerunner of the modern video game” (“The First Video Game” 1). Since then, you can play video games at a local arcade or buy a copy of a game you like at a store like Gamestop! There are several companies and millions of titles of games to play from and, definitely, a wide variety of platforms to play on. Video games have a plethora of genres and types of games to play. For example, one could embark on a new journey in a role-playing game like Fallout 3 to playing an american football game in the Madden series. The options do not just end right there! Since video games are advancing so if there content! Specifically, in their action and shooter genre. In a modern action/ shooting games, one can see the blood and even characters get their head blown off. Some video game titles have mass murder scenes and even sexual themes. “As the level of violence in video games has increased, so has concern for the effects on those who play - especially those who play a lot” (“Video Game

From the late 1970s until the present day, the video game industry has been growing in popularity and profit at an amazing rate, with profits exceeding $10 billion in 1999 (Senate Commitee on the Judiciary, 1999). As time has progressed, the content of these games has become more and more realistic, and the violence in them has become more realistic. Concerns about this violence, from the relatively tame Pac-Man of the early 1980s to the near photo-realistic bestsellers of today, have been around since video games first enter the public consciousness. Video game violence appears in nearly all genres of game, from fantasy, to action, to sports and children of both genders have indicated a preference for video games containing violent content (Funk J. , 1993).

Video games have become very prevalent in modern society, being regarded as a major form of entertainment. The video game industry is indeed one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. While the video game industry have become more socially acceptable since its inception in the 1970's, it had received much controversy and debate, especially in regards to video games considered too violent and/or sexist. Many people believe the influences in these sorts of videogames can affect the views and behaviors of the people who play these games (i.e. gamers). As a result of this link, gamers, for the most time of recent history, had been subjected to ridicule and condemnation. Gamers had been considered deviants.

Video games have been commonplace in households for many years and development of these systems will only continue to grow and change. Video game systems could be found in households as early as 1972 and they have become even more accessible as time has gone on. Genres of games have as wide of a range as literature, with games ranging from war stories to fantasy adventures. With this large spectrum of genres comes a lot of uneasiness about what the people, more specifically the children, who play these games experience. For a long time there was very little discourse when it came to video games, most were very simple with no obvious violence. Then in 1976 came a game called Death Race. This game became a small hotspot for controversy due to

In the world of video games there’s more vast stories, better graphics, more controls etc. Back when digital games started simple games such as Pong existed. Since then games have became more sophisticated. When you normally refer to game it’s usually games such as modern warfare, Grand theft Auto, or Halo, we often don’t think of games such as Sorry, Shoots and Ladders, or even Yatzi anymore.

In more recent years, media has brought attention to the rising waves of violence, in which some offenders claim to be inspired by the acts of characters in video games. Although some would argue for the censorship or outright removal of content from these games to protect their children from harmful graphics or dark themes, it is in the liability of the parents to take precautions instead of pushing for legal disputes, of the child to differentiate fantasy from reality, and of both parties to recognize the benefits of video games pertaining to social interaction.

In the 90’s there was even enough media attention to video game violence that the United States Congress had a hearing on issuing age appropriate labels, much like in movies, to video games to warn parents of the contents of a game. Each of these matters have only helped further tarnish the reputation of video games, and draw worse misconceptions about them.

In the 21st century, society is noticing a drastic change in the new generation. Going outside has become a thing of the past for some and many parents struggle to get their children to stop playing video games. Submersed in the world of violent video games, society has started to scorn the idea of them. Though video games seem to have a lot of drawbacks, other parts of society encourage the development of video games. While many believe that video games are detrimental to society they actually hold many benefits for all age ranges.

“Press start!” You see on a monitor as you launch a brand new game. Video games have been with us for a while and specifically rose to fame in the 1980s with popular arcade machines such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. Since then, video games have become a big part of human society and culture. With the introduction of computer games, home consoles, and mobile devices, video games have had the ability to touch millions of different people from different countries. The impact of these games can already be seen throughout various forms of media. Gaming figures like Nintendo's Mario have become globally recognized icons. Yet, there has never been a clear perception of whether or not these games “should be played and promoted.” Vinay Patankar, CEO of Process Street, addresses this issue by writing an article in which he takes the stance that video games can benefit us by making us smarter and helping us develop a growth mindset. If he is right, should games be implemented into education systems and various programs, or are we better off discouraging this type of video gaming? Well the answer to these questions can be found by analyzing the various perspectives of the issue. An analysis of various perspectives on the issue of video games, inclusive of the effects that games can have on children, teens, and adults, confirms that gaming can be a positive, social activity.

Video games have been the subject of objections, controversies and censorship because of depictions of violence, sexual themes, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, propaganda, profanity and advertisements. Critics of video games include parents ' groups, politicians, religious groups, scientists and other advocacy groups. Sarah Smith, author of Children, Cinema and Censorship : From Dracula to the Dead End Kids, claims that comic books, rock music, computers and video games, all have been cited as threats to children’s safety, health, morality, and literacy, and have been blamed for increases in juvenile delinquency (Smith 2). Because of these groups video games have developed a negative stigma in today 's society that scapegoats them as the reason behind acts of violence and tragedy as well as antisocial tendencies among young adults and preteens. Despite the work of detractors, advocates of video games have emphasized their use as an expressive medium, arguing for their protection as an educational tool and for helping children develop cognitive skills.

Most games that involve sex, drugs, and shootings, which are things children should not encounter, set a terrible example for players of the game. Video games are set as role models for young children that get to experience the game. Terrible examples are set for children all around the world that do not know right from wrong. For example, two 10-year-old boys were involved in the murder of James Bulger because of the game Childs Play (Robinson 415). Soon after, the game was cancelled because of the horrific and bloody scenes that took place in the game. Situations like this will continue to occur if children do not stop playing mature video games.

Aimee Tompkins (2003) claims that children are being affected by everything what they see around them in the youth, and people, who see violence in the youth, always tend to be more hostile and less responsive to images of violence. That 's why parents try to border children from any possible negative influences. But they often do not even realize that by buying to child a game console, they put them into the risk. Since most video games contain violent character. According to statistics given by the ‘Children now’ organization (2001), 89% of the top-selling video games have violent character and serious violence is contained in half of them.

The violence is no less than propaganda for parents to encourage the censoring of violent games. Although the gaming industry has grown into a multi million dollar franchise, it preys on the youth of society to purchase and participate in violence. Computer and video games have become very popular among children and teens. The age group varies between seven years of age to sixteen years of age. With that knowledge parents need to partake in purchases made.