The Effects of Violent Video Games on Children - Essay Example

This has many negative effects on the individual which is exposed; regardless of age. One of the aspects of the negative effect large amounts of time spent playing violent video games has been shown to effect negatively upon a range of health issues within such groups. Although the negative health affects have been a topic of much recent discussion, the expressed purpose of this research analysis will be to draw a level of inference upon the way in which violence represented within video games affects the minds, outlook, psychology, and world-view interpretation of the adolescent viewing audience.

Accordingly, it will be the express purpose of this brief analysis to take a stand with regards to the impacts that video game violence has upon the youth of the current era as well as seek to derive a level of culpability with regards to the actions taken by adolescents that have been influenced by violence in video games. It is the hope of this author that by presenting an argumentative essay with key elements of research from a variety of different sources that the reader will be able to come to a more informed conclusion with regards to the overall impacts that video game violence affords upon adolescents and upon society as a whole.

Although violence has always been a discernable and visible part of the human experience, the proliferation of violence in video games has provided a paradigm shift in the way that the shareholder, namely adolescents, engage with an understanding of this representation within the reality of culture and entertainment that such a medium represents. Ultimately, the scope and level of the violence that is represented along with the increased total viewing/playing hours that adolescents within society are engaging with means that the level and extent to which this violence is represented has increased exponentially over time.

However, before delving further into the nature of violence and its effect as represented within video games, it is important to qualify that regardless of the effect that violence within media could have on the individual, it cannot and should not be blamed for all extant violence that exists due to the fact that violence and its representation within human society has far predated the first exhibition of television or video games in general. In short, this exponential growth creates a unique dynamic with regards to overall impact and demand that whatever theory which is used to define this is fully cognizant and aware of the exponential scale of violence which is under discussion.

One of the most important aspects of the effects of the media on the adolescent mind is the way in which it causes a degree of exposure and acceptance of violent actions as a reasonable and expected means of conflict resolution. Many studies have looked into the explosion of anger and aggression issues that have been represented lately and made convincing links and parallels to the extent to which the representation of violence within media, and specifically video games, have contributed to the rise in the prevalence of these issues.

However, regardless of the particular study that has been analyzed, most authors and researchers have agreed that children and adolescent exposure to violence plays an integral part in the ultimate expression of violent behavior; or at the very least integrates an understanding among the shareholder that violent expression is an acceptable means of conflict