The Impact of Video Games on the Behaviour of Teenagers - Essay Example

? i. Module (FC503 3T BLSS) ii. Group: (e.g. Group A) iii. Module (Skills for Study 3) iv. Assessment (Individual Essay) v. Media Violence: Not a villain anymore vi. Tutor Name vii. Student ID Number: viii. Date of Submission: ix. 2,399 Introduction Media is one of the most powerful tools in society. It has become an inseparable part of people’s life. The advent of computers and television has changed the way people look at the world. However, with good things, media has also brought some concerns regarding its impact on human beings, and especially on children and teenagers. The way the media has captured the hearts and the minds of young people has made people think that it will impact not only their routine but also their behaviour patterns and thinking patterns. It is feared that violence in media will make young people become violent in nature. Many people believe and are convinced that children and teenagers will become more aggressive and will indulge in unlawful activities if they are exposed to violence in media on a continuous basis (Freedman, 2002, p. ix). These beliefs and fears about media violence impacting the young people negatively have been fostered by claims of scientific research conducted by psychologists and health organisations. However, the fact that media violence does not cause aggression has been proven by many research studies in field of social psychology (Freedman, 2002, p. ix). Many shortcomings, like poor measuring of aggression, lack of appropriate methodology and failure to control the important third variable, have been found in the pieces of research that claimed that media violence causes aggression in teenagers (Holder, 2012, p. 77). However, the negative impact of violence in media, especially in video games and television shows, has been hyped so much by the media that it has created fear in the minds of people. People need to understand that there are several positive effects of video games and television shows that have been recorded through reliable research studies. It is the need of an hour to get deep into the topic. Instead of believing just half the story, people should make efforts to know the whole truth. The fear that media violence causes teenagers to behave in aggressive manner is baseless as research studies have proved that media can be useful not only in developing certain physical skills but can also help in the development of social and moral values. The impact of video games Video games are considered to be one of the most harmful screen based media of all. The fact that one of the most popular media among teenagers and young people is the video game has increased the concern of adults. It was understood that regular playing of video games have led to negative physical, psychological and social effects on players (Gunter, 1998, p. 15). It was also thought that the unhealthy level of pre-occupation with video games and computers can lead to development of addiction in children (Gunter, 1998, p. 15). In their study, Linn and Lepper (1987) have reported that teachers have found observably more impulsive and aggressive behaviour in boys aged 10 to 12 years, known to be regular video game players, and with whom they had regular contact in school (as cited in Gunter, 1998, p. 96). According to Anderson et al. (2010), a meta-analysis showed that aggressive behaviours in players across culture, and gender is found to be increasing with playing of violent video games (as cited in Holder, 2012, p.77). However, contrasting claims were made by various research studies on the impact of media on teenagers. The relationship between aggressive behaviour and video games is not established in all the researches (Gunter, 1998, p. 96). In a study of individuals aged 12 to 34 by Gibb et al. (1983), no relationship was found between the measures of hostility or self-esteem in the subjects with the amount of indulgence in the video games they played (as cited in Gunter, 1998, p. 96). In fact, a study by Kestenbaum and Weinstein (1985) has revealed that teenagers aged between 11 to 14 years can experience a calming effect through video games (as cited in Gunter, 1998, p. 96). Also, research evidence has revealed that video games can have healthy and social friendly effects on the players (Gunter, 1998, p. 8). It has been found that behavioural and emotional problems in young people can be dealt effectively with the help of video games (Gunter, 1998, p. 8). Hence, video games also have a therapeutic value. Sadly, these effects are never highlighted by the media. The spotlight of media is always on the negative side of the video games, and hence, it creates a wrong understanding that video games have only negative effects on players (Gunter, 1998, p. 8). Researchers have proved that through its multi-media presentations, the video games help young people to process information more effectively than the older generation and in doing that, help them to cultivate important new cognitive skills efficiently (Gunter, 1998, p. 8). This proves that the common understanding that video games only do harm is a myth (Gunter, 1998, p. 8). The other misunderstanding about the video games regards its content. It is usually believed that the thematic content of all the video games is violent (Gunter, 1998, p. 8). However, it is not true. In fact, “there are many games which are wholly nonviolent in nature and which require players to use a range of cognitive abilities both to play the game and successfully to achieve the objectives that the game presents to them” (Gunter, 1998, p. 9). When most of the research studies on relationship between violent vide games and aggressive behaviour in its players are studied, one realises that it is the children who are inherently aggressive by nature who are attracted to violent video games “rather than their aggression resulting from such games” (Gunter, 1998, p. 96). According to a study by Markey and Sherer (2009), exposure to violent video games affect the participants high in traits of psychoticism and aggressiveness more than the participants not high in these traits (Holder, 2012, p.77). This shows that only those players’ behaviour gets affected by playing violent video games whose personality traits are predisposed to influence of violence in media (Holder, 2012, p.77). This proves that it is not the video games but the personality traits of a player that cause aggression in him. So blaming the video games completely for aggressive behaviour in teenagers is not right. In fact, it has been found that video games can help in developing important skills in players. Development of skills through video games Research studies have revealed that video games can be used not only for entertainment purposes but also as an aid to train young people in cultivating various skills. For example, research by Donchin (1983), and Levin and Kareev (1981) have revealed that through video games, the eye-hand co-ordination can be enhanced (Gunter, 1998, p. 22). The same research studies have also revealed that video games can also be used in teaching “specific skills in spatial visualization or mathematics” (Gunter, 1998, p. 22). Research by Stowbringe and Kugel (1983) has revealed that children engaged in video game learn to adapt to new environment more efficiently and quickly as more generalized strategies which help them in “learning to learn” in novel situations are acquired by them (Gunter, 1998, p. 22). Not only that, but video games are also known to enhance the social image of the players. Lynch (1983) has found that for children and young people who would otherwise be considered as social misfits the video games become a potential means of gaining and enhancing self-esteem (Gunter, 1998, p. 22). Study by Gabel (1983) has also found that the pressures of the cognitively demanding world of computer technology is handled efficiently by video game players as playing video games help them in developing the cognitive skills needed for such conditions (as cited in Gunter, 1998, p. 22). Loftus and Loftus (1983) have found that as video games help in enhancing eye-movement co-ordination and in developing certain kinds of memory skills, it proves to be a potential training aid for people suffering from perceptual disorder (as cited in Gunter, 1998, p. 22). These research studies prove that there are many positive effects of video games on teenagers and young people. The same truth applies to television programs, too. Violence on television Depiction of violence in television shows has become a major concern for parents and guardians. Their concern that exposure to violence on television shows will affect the teenager’s and young people’s behaviour negatively is valid. A dramatic increase in the prime time slot on television has been recorded in last decade (Kirsh, 2012, p.204). The depiction of violence has increased by 45%, 92% and 167% during the 8 p.m. hour, 9 p.m. hour and 10 p.m. hour respectively (Kirsh, 2012, p.204). Researchers have also found that not only the television programs but even the commercials on television display relational and physical violence (Kirsh, 2012, p.204). Larson (2003) has found that aggressive elements are found in over one third of the commercials that are targeted at youth (as cited in Kirsh, 2012, p.204). It was consistently found that object-related aggression was influenced by the cartoons which were violent and non-humourous in their themes (Kirsh, 2012, p.178). Study by Stein and Friedrich (1972) has found that children imitate the aggressive behaviour of the models they watch on television, or loosen the “internal controls that prevent aggressive action” (as cited in Gunter, 1998, p. 90). These findings lead people to think that exposure to so much violence in media affects young people negatively and makes them aggressive. However, research studies have proved that it is not so. Factors affecting the perception of violence Several studies have found that violence on television can have a positive impact on children and teenagers. Laboratory research in early and middle childhood has failed to find any influence of viewing the violent cartoons with comedic elements on the interpersonal aggression among the children (Kirsh, 2012, p.178). It is a well-known fact that not everyone reacts or responds to visual stimuli in the same way. Different people have different reactions to things around them. Similarly, even violence does not affect the children and teenagers directly. The factor that affects the influence of violence in media on children and teenagers is not the content or the theme of the program, but the viewer’s perception towards violence. It has been found that rather than the behaviour, it is the perception of the violent acts that are depicted on-screen and the context in which it occurs that are affected by the violence in media (Kirsh, 2012, p.204). There are various external and internal factors that influence the effect of media violence on children and teenagers. These factors play a major role in decreasing the impact and intensity of effects of media violence on children and teenagers. Factors like graphicness, sanitisation, fantasy versus reality, and the humour, moderate and trivialise the violence depicted on television and in movies (Kirsh, 2012, p.205). For example, teenagers and young people rate the programs as less violent when the violence in those programs is sanitised, presented in humorous context or is unrealistic (Kirsh, 2012, p.205). The likelihood of children and teenagers behaving aggressively depends on the way the violence is presented. The likelihood that youth will act aggressively is decreased when the violence showed as a punishment, or depicts the pain and suffering of the victim (Kirsh, 2012, p.205). Moreover, a laboratory experiment by Wislon, Colvin and Smith (2002) has found that “children are more likely to imitate aggressive behaviours performed by same aged peers than adults” (as cited in Kirsh, 2012, p.205). This shows that violence in media does not affect the behaviour of teenagers and young people negatively. Positive effects of media violence The understanding that violence in media always has a negative effect on teenagers and young adults has been proved wrong by various research studies in the field of social psychology. In fact, it has been found that violence on television shows can have positive impact on the teenagers. This fact was found to be especially applicable to the reality television shows. A notable research by Krcmar and Valkenberg (1999) has found that the use of justified violence is less likely to be accepted by young people who have been continuously exposed to realistically portrayed violence, e.g. in the programme Cops (a cited in Kirsh, 2012, p.207). The youth who watch these programmes gets a message that violence could not be used to solve the problems as they see the violent perpetrators getting arrested (Kirsh, 2012, p.207). According to Bandura (1996), imitation of aggressive behaviour in youth is reduced by watching these shows as they see the perpetrators being punished (Kirsh, 2012, p.207). These findings prove that violence in media can in fact reduce the likelihood of aggressive behaviour. This can be explained through the concept of “contrast effect” (Kirsh, 2012, p.207). According to Schwartz and Bess (1992), “a contrast effect is the inverse relationship between a judgment and a related stimulus” (as cited in Kirsh, 2012, p.207). According to King (2000), the approval of real-life aggression is (i.e. the judgment) is reduced in the viewers due to the distress caused by viewing the sobering, realistic media violence (i.e. the related stimulus) (as cited in Kirsh, 2012, p.207). These findings related to contrast effects were repeated in an experimental research on college students which revealed that “contrast effects moderate the justified violence-aggression relationship” (as cited in Kirsh, 2012, p.207). This proves that violence in media is not always negative. Conclusion The discussion above shows that media like video games, television, movies etc., does not have as negative effect on teenagers and young people as it is believed to have. It is understood that exposure to too much violence can have a harmful effect on teenagers. However, this does not prove that all media has a negative impact on teenager’s behaviour. In fact, video games and violent reality television shows have shown to have positive effects on teenagers. Unfortunately, the media has always hyped the negative effects of video games and television shows on young people, and have kept the positive effects in the dark. People need to understand that there are several factors that define the influence of media on children. It depends on the viewers what to watch and what not to watch. Moreover, utilisation of the positive aspects of the media should become the focus of people. If the media is used as an intelligent medium to acquire skills and learn good things, then media can become a tool not only to enjoy entertainment, but also to learn moral values and acquire important cognitive skills. References Freedman, J.L. 2002. Media Violence and Its Effect on Aggression : Assessing the Scientific Evidence. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Gunter, B. 1998. The Effects of Video Games on Children: The Myth Unmasked. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press. Holder, M. 2012. Happiness in Children: Measurement, Correlates and Enhancement of Positive Subjective Well-being. New York: Springer. Kirsh, S.J. 2012. Children, Adolescents and Media violence: A critical look at the research. 2nd ed. London: Sage Publication. Read More