Violence in Video Games - Essay Example

Violence in Video Games

Introduction

An estimated 97% of kids in the United States of America of the age twelve to seventeen play video games in their area of residence and in learning institutions too(Willis, & Laurie, 25-36) . This fast growing habit has seen the profits in video gaming sector rise to almost $21.53 billion. Recent studies in video gaming have also shown that more than 50% of the video games contain an element of violence and due to this fact, violent video games are not allowed in learning institutions because they facilitate the increase in occurrence of violent related cases such as mass shootings, women mistreatment and bulling (Willis, & Laurie 28). Human behavior experts have further explained that violent video games encourage the participants to perform a violent act through the rewards achieved in the games for simulations of violence. Players, especially kids in the long run develop the habit and feelings that disagreements and wars are acceptable ways of resolving conflicts in the society which is a wrong perception.

Experts in studies of anger results in individuals who are addicted to violent video gaming have indicated that there is no casual relation between the games and social violence though there is great connection in the behaviors of individuals that are much exposed to these games. Though some players explain that the violent games provide an alternative that is safe for aggressive and anger feelings management which may reduce crime levels, allowing kids to participate in violent video gaming has more disadvantages than the benefits hence violent video gaming should not be exposed to kids of age twelve to seventeen . This essay seeks to provide a stand that violent video gaming can increase the chances of kids to practice violent acts.

Thesis Statement

‘Violent video gaming increases the chances of kids to practice acts of violence’

Arguments

Individuals that are in support of violent video gaming argue that these games have positive impacts on kids’ life style. They suggest that kids become more skilled and attain better grades in schools especially in subjects that involve technology and science. Some parents agree that they allow their kids to play video games so as to relive anger and relax their body and mind after school activities. In addition to that, parents that support video gaming suggests that kids become more independent and confident while participating in those games that make them busy and allow the parents to work peacefully. Furthermore, some individuals think that the current century of advanced technology requires kids to be aware about video games and other computer programs as a best way of introducing and familiarizing the kids to the modern technology (Rehman, & Shabina 18). Undoubtedly, some people may favor violent video gaming but according to my opinion, I counter argue these claims that have no sufficient data for validation.

First, children that participate in playing of violent video games in the long run develop aggressive, bullying and fighting habits in school and at home. Research has indicated that 60% of middle aged school boys and 40% of school girls in the age bracket of twelve to seventeen who play violent video games involve themselves in uncontrollable hitting or beating of other pupils after watching and playing these games. The habit of wanting to cause violence develops in the players and it manifest itself in the real world through such cases where the players seems to apply or practice the various violent acts that he or she saw in the game. In 2014, the Journal of American Medical Association oriented a study that was conducted to investigate kids’ behaviors at school. In the results, the journal indicted that there is a direct connection between the habitual violent video games that are played by the students and the increased nature of aggressiveness of kids at both home and school (Adachi, Paul & Teena 55). Moreover, peer reviewed studies have provided enough proof that children who participate in violent video gaming have increased chances of harassing their fellow students ,cyber bullying their peers, physical fighting with parents and guardians, arguing with senor students and showing of aggression trait in almost all activities they participate at school and home (Adachi, Paul & Teena 57) .

Specialist in the field of psychology have also provided various explanations that are in support with the thesis that violent video gaming increase that chances of aggressive habits in children that participate in the gaming. In a research presented by the Psychology of Popular Media Culture, ninety percent of pediatricians and sixty percent of parents agree that violent video games played and watched at our residential area influence the children reactions to real life challenges and their behaviors towards those they interact with at school and home (Hasan, et al 68). The specialists further argued that the more the kid participate in violent video gaming the higher the odds of that particular kid to express aggressiveness to other kids who do play and those that do not play. In addition to that, children who are excellent in playing these games show the tendency of causing disagreements in small discussions groups formed at school to aid in sharing of ideas. In most cases such kids view those that do not participate in video gaming as slow thinkers and naïve thus teachers experience difficulties in placing such individuals in group discussion units which will properly suit them and prevent unnecessary arguments in matters discussed. Pediatricians in health institutions explain that too much exposure of the children to violent media contents increases the kid’s aggressive nature (Hasan, et al 70).

Violent video gaming have the ability to stimulate violent actions in players such as gun shooting and martial arts combat in real life cases (Kirsh,& Steven 386). In most games the player is directed to start violent acts such as gun firing, stabbing, mass fights and use of weapons on civilian and police characters in the video so as to gain attention from security forces in the game. The game only gets interesting when the player commits more crimes that will results to more rewards and advance to higher levels. Such a player will develop the habit of conducting violent crimes even in real world situation because his conscience is used to believing that violence will result to better things as presented by the rewards and the increased game level. Furthermore, the controllers used in video gaming are complicated in the ways that they fully involve the whole body of the players in the game. This is to mean that, a player in most cases could be carried by the activities of the game to the extent of performing the actions in the video while gaming. In the process, some of the brutal abilities are induced in the minds of the children to cause a development of a skill in use of deadly weapons like guns and swords due to the impact of cognitive aggression that develops in most cases. Some violent video games even show characters loading guns and other weapons of war which can be copied by a kid and applied when faced with a real gun that requires loading of the bullets (Saleem et al., 267) .

Large percentages of perpetrators in mass killings and shootings have been linked to acquire combat skills from violent video games that they played. For example, the massacre of thirteen students in the teenage shooting event of 1999 at Columbine High School linked the shooter who was a student to violent video gaming. The investigations revealed that the student had a habit of playing violent combat games where he probably acquired and developed the combat skills such as using a gun without hesitating (Rehman, & Shabina 16). The FBI proposed to schools and other learning institutions that any individual who makes threats of creating violence should be handled with seriousness and credibility especially if the kid spends most of his time associating with violent video gaming or any other video games that display an act of violence.

Violent video gaming negatively affects the physical wellbeing of a kid. The kids spend most of their time in playing these games and in most cases skip their healthy routine such as taking their meals. Children and adolescents have been found to spend their time schooling and consuming media. Averagely, a kid spends 40 hours per week to watch television and films, to listen to music, to play video games and to socialize online(Kirsh,& Steven 379) .Video gaming impacts the physical health of the kid through complications such as video-induced seizures, muscular and skeletal disorders and nerve compressions

Children are quick learners and tend to copy from other people or characters they feel attracted to. Kids adopt the habits of the character in the video game who is a hero to them thus they eventually copy their actions, and apply the skills they saw on the video through fighting with friends at school and home. The more the kid pays attention on particular observed traits of the character in the video game, the more easily the kid will learn the behavior of that character. Violent video games cause mental disturbances in kids (Kirsh, & Steven 382). This is because the video games make kids habitual and divert their attentions from their meaningful school studies thus causing poor performances in schools. The amount of time a kid spends while playing violent video games is directly related to his or her academic performances. Moreover, players especially children learn obsessive languages and violent habits from the video games characters’ which further disturbs their mental status. This is to mean that the video content is vital in the development of the child’s mind in that good content facilitate the learning of new skills, whereas bad content result into negative mental issues to the brain of the kid.

Violent video games cause psychosocial problems in kids that participate. When children are more focused on violent video gaming, their interaction with family members who do not play alongside them is reduced thus creating a psychosocial isolation between the child and the family. Kids take the characters in the game as role models and start to behave like the characters which lead to aggressive behaviors. A 2012 research conducted by the parliamentary office of science and technology suggested that playing violent video games increase aggressive behaviors which propels to aggressive responses in kids (Willis, & Laurie 31) . Early childhood being one of the important part in the life of kids, whatever the child learn that learning will continue in their coming life so the negative skills which the child observes in early year will in the future impact their life (Saleem et al. 268).This is because children are at a higher risk of experiencing long-term psychological impacts produced through their exposure to violent games as a result of age factor.

Conclusion

It is from my view that kids in the age of twelve to seventeen should not be exposed to too much violent video gaming to reduce the development of aggressive behaviors. Violent video gaming are harmful to children in many ways and parents/guardians should be aware of these negative consequences of violent video games. The parents should play their parenting roles by checking the content of every video game to prevent kids from participating in games that present the theme of violence. Time spent on video gaming should be controlled and monitored. Most importantly, technology should be introduced to kids when the age is right.