Video Games as Negative Influences in Society - Essay Example

? Video games as negative influences in society School: In the contemporary society, playing video games has become a common phenomenon. Despite the high levels of presence in society, these games have positive as well as negative effects, especially among teenagers and children. Further, many parents know that their children play video games, but they do not know the reasons that motivate game playing among children. The reasons why many people, young and adults, play video games include the fun part of playing games and the fact they are an avenue for stress relief. Conversely, the negative effects of playing video games include the violent behaviour that they might teach the gamers as well as increasing the player’s perception of danger and risk in the real world. Furthermore, playing video games increases the player’s level of control, by influencing the adoption of violent behaviour. Watching video games is likely to affect the conception of teenagers, making them view the society as a gaming environment. The negative influences of Video games in society The first negative influence of video games is that they augment tendencies towards crime development and violent behaviour among young viewers. Different studies have been done in this area, and many of them have established a correlation between the two aspects. One of the studies done in the area showed that some negative patterns associated with video games were likely to trigger adverse behaviours such as shooting at school or within the community (Kutner and Olson 2008). Among the widely accepted controversy about the effect of video games was that of Exidy’s game of 1976, under the title Death Race (Bensely and Van Eenwyk 2001). In the game, players would direct cars that would run over gremlins with the game becoming a major concern that consequently led to its withdrawal from stores after its sale was disallowed (Bensely and Van Eenwyk 2001). From a scientific point of view, the empirical evidence from these different studies, which is collected using meta-analytical techniques, shows that violent games are linked to an increase in aggressive thoughts and behaviours (Bushman and Anderson 2001). The effects of exposure to violent video games include the arousal of negative physiological responses and the decrease of pro-social behaviour (Bushman and Anderson 2001). Video games are likely to affect the society negatively since they are a channel through which sexual themes are communicated to its viewers, and many times among the young generation. These themes, communicated through the video games, cultivate the development of sexual behaviours depicted through the games, which is much influential among teenagers. One major example of a video game that communicated sexual themes is the hot coffee mod and grand theft auto where the player stimulates sexual inclined actions among the girlfriends of the main character. Later in 2005, due to the extreme effects of the video game on its players particularly teenagers, the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) changed the game’s rating to the ‘adults’ only category.’ Furthermore, the game’s sale was restricted from sale at many stores. Many adults felt that the game promoted the adoption of sexual behaviour among its players, and the effect would be worse among teenagers since they were less knowledgeable than adult players (Meli 2011). The negative effect of video games in communicating sexual themes was also demonstrated through the effect of Rapelay, which revolved around the theme of rape. Many viewers and public views agreed unanimously that the game could promote the development of raping behaviours among young and adult players. The sentiments triggered worldwide campaigns in opposition of the game, which led to its banishment (Meli 2011). Games are used as a platform for the negative portrayal of gender stereotypes and roles. Through many video games, the roles of males are portrayed as those of muscled, hard bodied people, while the females are presented as soft-bodied and ordinarily almost-naked characters with big breasts. The females are ordinarily presented in a stereotypical manner, where they are portrayed as visual objects that should be protected by their male counterparts (Flew and Sal 2005). According to Flew and Sal (2005) this depiction of female characters in video games portrays the basic social constructs of masculinity and male dominance. The long term effect of the views projected through the games is that the younger generation internalizes these values, and is likely to abuse the place of females in the society. Throughout the history of video games, games are known to cause addiction among the players. Addiction is the situation whereby the users adopt compulsive or excessive use of the video games, to the extent that they interfere with their daily life and outlook. Some cases of addiction include those in which users play these games to the extent that they isolate themselves from friends and family (Anderson and Bushman 2002). In other cases, the user may distance themselves from other areas of social contact, redirecting their focus towards the game activities than engaging in the broader life events they should engage in. An example of a video game that triggered criticism over its addictive effect was the “arcade game space invaders” of 1978 (Anderson and Bushman 2002). Video games are cited as a trigger of negative physiological effects. This conclusion was reached, from the study of a focus group from Karachi. Through the study, it was observed that video-gaming among young adults led to an increase in heart rate, to an extent that resembled that experienced during moderate physical activity (Sobani et al. 2011). However, among experienced players, the study showed that heart rates dropped, during the duration of play. The long-term effect of the change of heart rates among different players was not determined, but it was postulated that it could trigger adverse health effects. The positive influence of video games in society Video games influence the society in positive ways that include the critical role in entertaining users as well as offering them a channel to drive-out the stresses of life, which they encounter from other areas of life. This role of video games shows that video games can help individuals in reducing stress levels, as well as increasing their levels of happiness (Williams, Caplan and Xiong 2007). This positive effect of games increases the capacity of the users in adapting to the problems that they experience within the environment as well as improving their level of social adjustment. However, it should be noted that the intake of games should not be high to the levels where it triggers the adverse effects like addiction and the adoption of the negative behaviours communicated through the games. Video games are an important avenue, through which children and adults are exposed to different cultures, which is likely to improve their level of adapting to diverse cultural constructs. This positive use of video games demonstrates that they can be used for both educational and self-development purposes, but it is important to determine the games that are able to promote these learning experiences (Williams, Caplan and Xiong 2007). Video games are among the channels used during new-language training to children and personnel like pilots. Some video games are used as platforms for learning social behaviour. Other games have been proven to be effective ways of boosting the learning capacities of users. Video games are also proven to promote the development of different skills and capabilities, such as increasing the brain’s processing capacity and improving teamwork and socialization. Video games increase the user’s capacity to improve their second-language acquisition capacity, coordination skills as well as the development of dexterity (Barlett, Anderson and Swing 2009). Recommendations regarding the production and the contents of Video games Following the detailed review of the negative and the positive impacts of video games in the society, it was demonstrated that the negative effects are deep-reaching than the positive influences as the negative effects are society-wide. However, many of the negative effects of video games result from the presentation of illicit content, especially to the young, and the use of the games of the wrong audience groups. However, through more effective control of the content contained in video games as well as the use of these games by the target groups for the specified purposes, the negative effects of video games can be minimized or eliminated (Barlett, Anderson and Swing 2009). An example in this case would be the production of games that are designed to foster the second-language learning of children, or those designed to teach adults better socialisation skills. Through such control of the contents of these games, producers will produce games with the target audience in mind and will offer them what promotes their positive side while eliminating whatever causes adverse effects (Barlett, Anderson and Swing 2009). Conclusion Video games are common phenomena in the modern society. Regardless of the high presence levels, these games cause positive and negative effects on the users as well as the society at large. These effects are much higher among children, as they are more likely to learn the negative values communicated. The negative effects of video games in society include the tendency to develop violent and criminal behaviours among the users, and especially young users. The second effect is that they communicate negative themes such as those on sex to the wrong audience, especially among children. The communication of these themes is likely to trigger the development of these negative behaviours. Video games are used as a channel for the communication of negative gender stereotypes and gender roles including that females are society members that rely on the support of men. The effect of these games is that they are likely to nurture the negative effects of the gender stereotypes in the younger generation. Other negative effects of video games include that they cause addiction and they also trigger physiological effects, which are likely to trigger ill health in the long-term. The positive effects of video games in society include that they are a form of entertainment, which relieves the user’s stress levels. Video games are used as learning tools, which can impact on the learning capacity of children and adults. Following the negative and the positive effects of video games, it is conclusive to point out that the content of the games and the target audience is the determinant of these negative effects. Therefore, more effective control of content and the target audience can reduce the negative effects of video games. Reference List Anderson, C. and Bushman, B., 2002. The effects of media violence on society. Science, 295, p. 2377-2378. Barlett, C., Anderson, C. and Swing, E., 2009. Video Game Effects—Confirmed, Suspected, and Speculative A Review of the Evidence. Simulation & Gaming, 40 (3), p. 377-403. Bensely, L. and Van Eenwyk, J., 2001. Video Games and Real-Life Aggression: Review of the Literature. Journal of Adolescent Health, 29, p. 244-257. Bushman, B.J. and Anderson, C.A., 2001. Media violence and the American public: Scientific facts versus media misinformation. American Psychologist, 56, p. 477-489. Flew, T. and Sal, H., 2005. Games: Technology, Industry, Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kutner, L. and Olson, C., 2008. Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth about Violent Video Games. New York: Simon & Schuster. Meli, M., 2011. The Most Controversial Video Games. UGO Networks, p. 11. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 17 April 2013] Sobani, Z., Pervaiz, A., Yakub, M., Khawaja, A. and Khan, R., 2011. Electronic Gaming versus Physical Activity: Effect on Heart. Journal of Pakistan Medical Students, 1 (1) Available at: http://www.jpmsonline.com/jpms-vol1-issue1-pages3-6-oa.html [Accessed 17 April 2013] Williams, D., Caplan, S. and Xiong, L., 2007. Can you hear me now? The impact of voice in an online gaming community. Human Communication Research, 33, p. 427-449. Read More