Violent Video Games - Report Example

THE DANGER OF VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES TO THE SOCIETY Name Professor Institution Course Date Introduction Definition Violence refers to any open and visible presentation of a considerable threat of physical energy or the use of such energy with an intention to pose physical harm to a group of animate or a group of beings. Violence also involves depiction of certain harmful consequences that are physical and which negatively affect the animate beings are as a result of violent means that is unseen(Brown, 2008). Violent video games refers to the gaming activities administered through the use of video systems that depicts a violent nature that is capable of influencing the users to act in a violent manner in real life situation(Craig, Douglas & Katherine, 2007). Thesis statement Can the use of violent video games pose dangers to the society by causing the users to behave in a violent manner in the real world? Background There are increasingly growing concerns regarding the dangers that are posed to the society and especially to children by the use and or exposure to video games that are violent. Presently, there is not so much research that has been carried out to evaluate the level of violence in the interactive media that are popular(Craig, Douglas & Katherine, 2007). In the assessment of the level or extent of as well as context of violence, policy makers who include parents have been able to present their concerns which have argued that the involvement by their children in violent video gaming. Recently there has been the release of a report that showed that in most nations, a lot of children between 2 and 18 years of age have got access to the technology of video gaming in one way or another. It was also reportedly revealed that about 75% of all the families that were surveyed have had an interaction with at least one video game system. Furthermore, about 30% of all the children that whose ages are between 2 and 18 years of age, have got their rooms furnished with a video gaming system(Lawrence & Cheryl 2008). The consequences of violent video games have brought about cases of moral decay in the society today where the users of the video games especially the youths have continued to view violence as a normal thing. This has been perpetrated by their continual engagement in playing of video games that are violent(Brown, 2008). Violent video games on the other hand are widely popular due to the fact that they possess a strange ability to influence their users. Players also get to learn about the use of violent speech as well as violent actions through taking part in the playing of these violent video games. Violent video games also pose a lot of dangers to the society owing to the fact that they are highly addictive especially for the children who still have a lot of free time to spend in leisure activities(Craig, Douglas & Katherine, 2007). Argument 1 In the course of playing video games that are violent, the participants get to understand the ways of associating pleasure that is obtained from playing various games with violence. This is because a lot of violent video games gauge their success based on the level of harm caused to others. The association of pleasure with violence as is exhibited through playing of violent video games interferes with the moral sensitivity of human beings in a negative manner since under normal circumstances, the emotions that are attached to human beings finds violence to be repugnant. On the contrary, the participants who are also addicted to playing violent video games obtain intuitions that are violent fromthe computer games that are violent(Craig, Douglas & Katherine, 2007). Essentially, violent video games permit participants to act in a way that is morally ambiguous in the real world. Players in most cases allow immoral information that they obtain from the gaming characters to influence their actions on the basis and reasoning that it is after all just a mere game. However, a keen and detailed observation would bring about an understanding that clearly demonstrates the relationship between engaging in the paying or taking part in the violent video games and other serious violent criminal activities that are committed especially by the youth both within and outside school. Such criminal activities include shootings, raping, stabbings with knives as well as other forms of injuries which in most cases lead to death (Simon, Jonas & Susana, 2008). Most people engaging in the playing of such games would find pleasure and satisfaction in committing such criminal acts in a certain game in which they are involved. This therefore suggests that such violent activities should not just be ignored. This is owing to their potential in perpetrating intuitions that are morally unacceptable in the minds of those involved in playing the violent video games(Brown, 2008). Psychologists support the counterargument statement by arguing that any transfer of the behavior and actions from the gaming to the real world is majorly dependent on the attitude of the gamer and that the gamer is fully in control of his or her actions in the real world irrespective of whether they engage in violent video games or not. This has led to a further condemnation of the idea that violent games fictional content is seen and regarded as a factor that affects the establishment of morality(Lawrence & Cheryl 2008). Argument 2 According to literature on psychology with regard to the negative effects of violent video gaming, there has been a steady increase over the last decade. There have been criticisms from psychologists on the basis of the evidence of the negative mental as well as behavioral consequences. These have all been blamed on the use of violent video games among the young people(Craig, Douglas & Katherine, 2007). Findings have given an explanation regarding the desensitization of the conscious for the addicted gamers. Here, it is explained that getting used to playing or taking part in violence video games brings about an addiction to the violence games where the gamer is not comfortable until and unless they play the games. The addiction to these games in turn results in weakening of the conscious sensitivity of a gamer where they are not shaken thrilled any longer with exposure to scary violent images(Simon, Jonas & Susana, 2008). Competition that takes place ruthlessly in the violent video gaming activities is subject to criticism since its nature exploits the fact that at any one point of the game there has to be both the winner and the loser and that the participants or the gamers will do everything in their ability to win the game even if it is at the expense of the wellbeing of the virtual opponent. Similarly when to comes to the real world, the character of ruthlessness influences the behavior of the individual who are users of violent video gaming systems as well as their action towards their colleagues(Craig, Douglas & Katherine, 2007). Contrary to the argument that supports the fact that the use of violent video games poses several dangers to the society by influencing the actions, behavior and character of the users to be violent in the real world, there are several counterarguments that ted to oppose that argument. The counterarguments explain that gaming activity whether violent or not only have authority and influence and authority over the happenings that take place in the gaming world. This in in accordance with the principle of cognitive moralism which suggests that mere content of a game can only be subjected to moral criticism on the basis of its own merit and not in any other way. This is because our imagination is morally voluntarily and therefore if a video game, by virtue of its nature, poses worries regarding morality, then it is only fair to condemn the viewpoint from which such is obtained and not the video game itself(Brown, 2008). Conclusion In summary, the use of violent video games by individuals has got more negative effects on the users as compared to the positives effects. It is also clear from the arguments that violent video games pose several dangers to the society through influencing those involved in playing the violent games to behave violently in the real world. A lot of atrocities committed in the real world have been associated with participation of the culprits in violent gaming activities. This has gone a long way in negatively impacting on the societal culture of upholding morality regardless of the activities that take place in the gaming world. Given the various arguments as well as counterarguments concerning the immorality associated with taking part in violent video games, it is evident that cognitive moralism argument is the most persuasive one. The violent content of these games is however subject to criticism regardless of the secondary consequences displayed by it. It is therefore established that indeed the content therein in the violent games plays a major role in determining the dangers that are posed to the society by the users who get involved in these violent video games. References Bernard, B.P. & Mark, J.P. ( 2009). Video Game Reader 2.New York:Taylor & Francis. Brown, H.J. (2008). Videogames and Education.New York: M.E. Sharpe. Craig, A.A., Douglas, A.G,& Katherine, E.B. ( 2007).Violent Video Game Effects on Children andAdolescents.New York: Oxford University Press. Grant, T. ( 2009).The Art of Videogames.West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. Lawrence, K.& Cheryl, K.O. ( 2008).Grand Theft Childhood: The surprising Truth about Violent Games.New York: Simon & Schuster. Miguel, S. ( 2009). The Ethics of Computer Games.Hong Kong:Best-set Typesetter Ltd. Simon, E., Jonas, H.S.& Susana, P.T. ( 2008). Understanding Video Games: The Essential Introduction.New York: Taylor & Francis. Read More