Benefits of Playing Video Games - Term Paper Example

Video Games and the Youth Name Course Tutor Date Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Why playing videogames does not lead to increased tendencies for violence in youth 3 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Relevance to Industry 3 3.0 Video games and violent juvenile 4 4.0 A causal link between violent video games and violent behavior 5 5.0 Video game players’ understanding 7 6.0 Video games as a safe outlet for aggressive and angry feelings 8 7.0 Why Video games increased Aggression 10 8.0 Conclusion 11 9.0References 11 Why playing videogames does not lead to increased tendencies for violence in youth 1.0 Introduction Today, video games have turned out to be a very important part of majority of the youth. They have the tendency of spending more time with computers and consoles as opposed to reading books, studying or playing other games. However, when a particular behavior becomes famous, there emerges people who oppose it and those who accept the idea. Therefore, the question is, does playing video games lead to increased tendencies for violence amongst the youth? Possibly it is accused by some conservative people who link video violence behavior in amongst the youth. Nevertheless, a correlation does not point out a causal connection. Various researches are of the opinion that violent games do not result to the youth having violent behaviors. This paper analyses these researches and brings them into perspective why playing video games leads to no violence in youth. Though long-term research in the context of TV might show a causal connection between aggressive behavior and TV viewing (Anderson, 2003, p.2), the postulation of causality between the tendency violent reactions and video games is still contentious (Steven, 2006). 2.0 Relevance to Industry This issue is applicable to industry owing to the reality that it will dismiss the most targeted debate over video games. It may also widely enhance the sensitivity of videogames amongst the youth in the society, which eventually should facilitate support of the sector financially. In fact, video games offer benefits to these young gamers by easing stress, offering entertainment, and serving to increase motivation that could not have been realized through conventional ways. Further according to the statistics, video games characterize an $80 billion global industry (Zackariasson & Wilson, 2012). With rates of violent crime decreasing drastically, the games have acquired popularity. Video games industry holds several forms of job and employs several people globally (Zackariasson & Wilson, 2012). Games are progressively used to instruct and educate employees across the world by various government agencies and world’s leading companies. A recent research by the Entertainment Software Association established that over 70% of key domestic corporations have used interactive games and software for training sessions, and roughly eight corporations out of possible ten are planning to do so by the end of 2013. 3.0 Video games and violent juvenile Violent juvenile crime in the United States has been declining as violent video game popularity has increased. The rate of arrest for juvenile executions has decreased from 71.9 percent to 49.3 percent between the periods of 1995 to 2008 (Vitelli, 2013). Within this same duration, video game sales have increased four times higher than the previous sales. Video game supporter’s faults these researches to have no underlying connection with violent behavior in youth. They claim that it is actually the aggressive video games that might reduce violence by acting as an alternative for violent and by offering a safe outlet for violent and irate feelings. Vitelli (2013) contends that challengers of violent video game have normally argued their case on the media creation point of view which points out an increase in violence amongst that youth. However, statistics from the federal Crime shows that serious aggressive crimes amongst the youth have declined from 1996, while video games sales have risen. The question is, if games lead to aggressive behavior, how can the rates of crime go down whilst video game sales goes up? Besides, global sales and crime data demonstrate that nations that use more games per capita than others have far lesser cases of crime. Since 1999 during wicked Colombian shootings, aggressive video games and their impacts on children have turned out to be a frequent topic of discussion and extremely controversial issue. This issue is among other publicized shootings associated with violent video games and scores of researches have been carried out on this issue. Vitelli (2013) argues that the correlation between aggressive video games and real-world violence is still far-off from convincing, and therefore it cannot be assumed that aggressive video games lead to real-life aggression and violence in general. 4.0 A causal link between violent video games and violent behavior A causal link between violent video games and violent behavior has not been proven. Several researches suffer from plan faults and apply unpredictable measures of aggression like noise flash tests. Thoughts concerning violence have been regarded to be aggressive behavior, with lack of researches that pursue youth over long time. According to Steven (2006), prone to violent video games has not demonstrated to be causative of aggressive behavior in youth. Any connection established between violence and video games is best illustrated by other unpredictable factors like violent personality and experience to family violence. Without pretence, adolescents and teens play video games often, and a major segment of the games have more realistic depictions of violence. Numerous contradictory researches exist, but hypothesis that speculate, and practical evidence that shows a positive connection between playing aggressive video games and violent tendencies dictate the scientific text (Raymond & Matthew, 2005). However, impact sizes are quite small, and the issue of causality has not so far been responded to sufficiently. A lot of aggressive video game studies have been carried out to see if there is some connection between video game aggression and real aggression. Much of the findings on aggressive video game rely on steps to evaluate aggression that do not connect with real-world aggression. Some researches are observational and do not demonstrate cause and impact. Hence, violent video games advocates claim that studies have not been able to show a causal connection between real-world aggression and video games. They claim that connection between video games and aggressive conduct can be illustrated by youth disposed to violence being drawn to aggressive entertainment. Furthermore, if video games can lead to violence amongst the youth, then one would anticipate juvenile aggressive crime to rise when several youth play aggressive video games. The reality is that assessment of school shooting occurrences from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Secret Service does not support a connection between aggressive games and world violence. In fact, in 2011, the California’s law on the rental and sale of violent video games to persons under the age 18 was struck out by US Supreme Court (Williams & Skoric, 2005). The US Supreme Court accepted playing of video in 2011 when it did away with a California law in quest of regulating the rental and sale of video and computer games. The court held that “Psychological researches alleging to demonstrate a correlation between prone to aggressive video games and harmful impacts on youth do not establish that such act leads minors to behave aggressively” (Karen, 2007) This case is an existing instance of the video games opponents attempting to show video games have a bad effect on children and teenagers. Opponents of violent video game have normally attempted to refute the positive consequences of video games. They also have made up and misled people with stories of dreadful side effects. The reasoning is barely academic and decision makers and experts on the opponent’s sides are grasping for proof to support their stand. A number of gaps in the literature have to still be filled in order to reach solid conclusions to support their claims. 5.0 Video game players’ understanding Video game players only understand that they are playing a normal game. Their ability to differentiate between reality and fantasy stops them from imitating video game aggression in real life (Steven, 2006). Violence is not something new, in fact it has been there from the past in the same way culture and traditions have. Back from 76 A.D., violent games were played only that those games were never played on electronic machines; and were watched by groups of Romans during the entertainment days. These games were the first bloody sporting incident. Therefore, the children could borrow from the consequences and desist from practising what they have watched over these games. Video game play could serve certain children needs with reference to socialization and violence. Cheryl (2008) claims that during their development period, children employ rough and tumble play to see the sights of violence, discovering peer status by concentrating on dominance as opposed to causing physical injury to contestants. Griffiths who is a professor at Nottingham University in his medical journal noted that playing games can assist children overcome attention shortage disorders. He also points out that the children can gain social skills through playing video games (Raymond & Matthew, 2005). Several medical facilities are employing computer games as a way of carrying out physiotherapy. Video games are also said to be of help in recovery from physical injuries to acquire coordination and motor skills too. There is a possibility that youth attain some of their ambitions from playing video games. In contrast to promoting violent or aggressive conducts, playing video games helps children think about violence as the causes of death, making them afraid of engaging in it (Amanda et al, 2008). Even with or without watching or playing violent video games, some youth could engage in violent behaviour. In brief, violent behaviour should not be pegged on violent videos. Different researchers hypothesize that adolescents and youth appreciate that aggressive video game play is just a play meant to entertain. They differentiate fantasy violence and aggression from real-life action that incorporates intention to hurt a genuine victim (Karen, 2007). Another positive impact of playing video games noted in youth, especially for task-playing games, is the encouragement and motivation to reflect productively to solve issues. This application of video games could act as reassurance for parents and clinicians who are worried about consequences of video games. Games with an extensive attraction that is simple to grab and can as well assist a family to play together, and improve connection the gap between parents and children. A case in point is a title such as hip-wiggling simulation Just Dance that has youth dancing next to their parents. Douglas (2005) argues that instead of condemning children that engage in video games, parents should understand that families that adopt playing video games in their daily life have the possibility of enjoying a great communication and cohesion than their counterpart who sees video games meaningless and idle pursuit 6.0 Video games as a safe outlet for aggressive and angry feelings Playing aggressive video games offers a safe outlet for violent and irritated feelings. In 2007, a research shown that 45 percent of boys played video games since it helped them get relieve the anger and 62 percent played since it helped them relax (Amanda et al, 2008). When children are angry from somebody, they can ease their antagonism by playing games as a substitute for expressing violent behavior (Amanda et al, 2008). Violent video games could help children overcome nervousness by offering entertainment without leaving the house, easing the daily stresses, keeps the minor’s minds worries of the world, and persuades children to stay away from trouble. In this context video games render those opposing about video games and their makers fake. According to Anderson (2003, p.3), video games help ease stress and anger by offering an outlet for anxiety, offering entertainment, and offering encouragement to consistently attain higher scores in those video games. Survey-based researches that have been carried out on differential effects of video games on children with varying gender, age and prior experience have resulted to elusive conclusion (Amanda et al, 2008). As argued by Raymond & Hibberd (2005, efforts to explain frequent video game players’ personalities have been both conflicting and questionable. Up to now, video game research has depended mainly on just two methods, for instance, observational experiment and survey. There has no research exploring on using longitudinal panel that would present us with a better perceptive of the long-term impacts of the video games. Research proposes that the duration of video game play could be a crucial component even in the research investigating short-term impacts. Craig et al, (2008) in meta-analysis discovered that the first impacts of several short-term laboratory researches might just have been stimulation that weakens to be substituted by fatigue or boredom neither which is considered to increase violence. These laboratory-based researches on video games and violence have been attacked as excessively artificial, very short, and not demonstrating the social context. Craig et al (2008) argues that more significantly, for the research to ascertain a factual long-term causal connection between video games and violence, a longitudinal method has to also be used to assist triangulate the results. Despite of a person’s intention all the major researches carried have yield similar results which do not support the argument that video games promote violent behaviour. 7.0 Why Video games increased Aggression Videogames lead to increased aggression. Aggressive video games need active contribution, recurrence, and recognition with the violent personality. With new game checkers tolerating more physical contact, the interactive and immersive features of video games can promote the possibility of youth violence. A 2007 research established that it lasts up to four minutes for the degree of violent feelings and thoughts in children to go back to normal level after playing aggressive video games (Bruce et al, 2005). Again it takes duration of five to ten minutes for rate of heart beat and violent behavior to go back to baseline. Video games that display a lot of blood produce more violent thoughts. When blood is shown in these video games, this leads to a considerable rise in arousal and aggression. The results from this research also demonstrated that the children who saw a lot of blood in the aggressive video game portrays a rise in the level of aggression, which was measured by the weapon ratio time to full time (Cheryl, et al, 2008). Findings demonstrated that those in blood showed conditions applied the weapon used by the character in those videos more. Currently, video games are under inspection. Although the truth remains that no scientific proof that shows video games leads real-life aggression 8.0 Conclusion Parents should understand that future career for current’s tots will certainly be impacted by technology in a manner that is hard for them to believe. Leant skills and playing video games, as will certainly be very important to children who will be in the workforce by 2025. Therefore, they should also know that the effectiveness of playing complex video games shows that video games can educate thinking skills like interpretative evaluation, strategic thinking, plan formulation, problem solving and execution that will be needed in the workplace. Most of these games also focuses on the cooperative element of an organization where participants work together so as to attain a common goal. It is therefore the choice of the parents to allow or restrict their children from playing these rich computer games. 9.0References Amanda, L., Joseph K., Ellen M., Alexandra M., Chris E., and Jessica V. (2008). Teens, Video Games and Civics. Pew Internet & American Life Project website. Anderson, C. A. (2003). Violent video games: Myths, facts, and unanswered questions. Psychological Science Agenda: Science Briefs, 16(5), 1–3. Retrieved June 11, 2004, from http://www.apa.org/science/psa/sb-anderson.html Bruce, B., Brad B., and Marc, S. (2005). Chronic Violent Video Game Exposure and Desensitization to Violence: Behavioral and Event-related Brain Potential Data. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 42(4), 532-539. Craig, A., Akira S., Douglas G., Nobuko I., Akiko S., Shintaro., Mayumi N., and Kumiko K. (2008). Longitudinal Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggression in Japan and the United States. Pediatrics, 122(5), 1067-1072. Cheryl, O., Lawrence, K., and Dorothy, W. (2008). The Role of Violent Video Game Content in Adolescent Development: Boys' Perspectives. Journal of Adolescent Research, 23 (1): 55-79. Douglas, G. (2005). Examining the Effects of Video Games from a Psychological Perspective: Focus on Violent Games and a New Synthesis. National Institute on Media and the Family website. Karen, S. (2007). Do Video Games Kill? Contexts. Raymond, B., &Matthew H. (2005). Review of Research on the Impact of Violent Computer Games on Young People. Interactive Software Federation of Europe website. Steven, M. (2006). An Exploration of Adolescents' Perceptions of Videogame Realism. Learning Media and Technology. Vitelli, R. (2013). Can Video Games Cause Violence? Retrieved 23rd May 2013 http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/media-spotlight/201304/can-video-games-cause-violence Williams, D. & Skoric, M. (2005). Internet Fantasy Violence: A Test of Aggression in an Online Game. Communcation Monographs, p. 217-233. Zackariasson, P. and Wilson, T.L. eds. (2012). The Video Game Industry: Formation, Present State, and Future. New York: Routledge. Read More

Video game supporter’s faults these researches to have no underlying connection with violent behavior in youth. They claim that it is actually the aggressive video games that might reduce violence by acting as an alternative for violent and by offering a safe outlet for violent and irate feelings. Vitelli (2013) contends that challengers of violent video game have normally argued their case on the media creation point of view which points out an increase in violence amongst that youth. However, statistics from the federal Crime shows that serious aggressive crimes amongst the youth have declined from 1996, while video games sales have risen.

The question is, if games lead to aggressive behavior, how can the rates of crime go down whilst video game sales goes up? Besides, global sales and crime data demonstrate that nations that use more games per capita than others have far lesser cases of crime. Since 1999 during wicked Colombian shootings, aggressive video games and their impacts on children have turned out to be a frequent topic of discussion and extremely controversial issue. This issue is among other publicized shootings associated with violent video games and scores of researches have been carried out on this issue.

Vitelli (2013) argues that the correlation between aggressive video games and real-world violence is still far-off from convincing, and therefore it cannot be assumed that aggressive video games lead to real-life aggression and violence in general. 4.0 A causal link between violent video games and violent behavior A causal link between violent video games and violent behavior has not been proven. Several researches suffer from plan faults and apply unpredictable measures of aggression like noise flash tests.

Thoughts concerning violence have been regarded to be aggressive behavior, with lack of researches that pursue youth over long time. According to Steven (2006), prone to violent video games has not demonstrated to be causative of aggressive behavior in youth. Any connection established between violence and video games is best illustrated by other unpredictable factors like violent personality and experience to family violence. Without pretence, adolescents and teens play video games often, and a major segment of the games have more realistic depictions of violence.

Numerous contradictory researches exist, but hypothesis that speculate, and practical evidence that shows a positive connection between playing aggressive video games and violent tendencies dictate the scientific text (Raymond & Matthew, 2005). However, impact sizes are quite small, and the issue of causality has not so far been responded to sufficiently. A lot of aggressive video game studies have been carried out to see if there is some connection between video game aggression and real aggression.

Much of the findings on aggressive video game rely on steps to evaluate aggression that do not connect with real-world aggression. Some researches are observational and do not demonstrate cause and impact. Hence, violent video games advocates claim that studies have not been able to show a causal connection between real-world aggression and video games. They claim that connection between video games and aggressive conduct can be illustrated by youth disposed to violence being drawn to aggressive entertainment.

Furthermore, if video games can lead to violence amongst the youth, then one would anticipate juvenile aggressive crime to rise when several youth play aggressive video games. The reality is that assessment of school shooting occurrences from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Secret Service does not support a connection between aggressive games and world violence. In fact, in 2011, the California’s law on the rental and sale of violent video games to persons under the age 18 was struck out by US Supreme Court (Williams & Skoric, 2005).

The US Supreme Court accepted playing of video in 2011 when it did away with a California law in quest of regulating the rental and sale of video and computer games.

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