Video Game Is Harmful To Children - Essay Example

Introduction The introduction of numerous games and progress in game sophistication and complexity, video and computer games has gained widespread popularity in various western countries. Video games include interactive toys, arcade games, stand-alone games or games for systems such as Sega and Nintendo. These games have become a favorite of children and teenagers and therefore, people have voiced certain concerns regarding undesirable social, psychological and physical side-effects of an unhealthy level of pre-occupation with them as well as the side-effects of regular playing. In a Gallup poll conducted in 1984, over 93% of American teenagers had participated in video games for at least some of the time. By the year 2001, sales of video game were projected to reach eight billion dollars, with more than 280 million units sold in the year 2000 alone. Approximately 60 percent of all American population regularly plays video games and the annual worldwide video games sales reached 20 billion dollars (Evra, 197). This popularity and strong appeal of video games brought great controversy, with some people arguing in their favor and others arguing against them. As Gunter points out, one of the most dangerous aspects of video games is that they can become addictive. They make players to feel constantly compelled to be involved with them and they may portray a lack of interest in other tasks. They cause withdrawal symptoms if a player attempts to stop playing them for some time. Video games critics also hold the view that video games have a corrupting control on youths and children in that they encourage anti-social behavior and glorify violence. They argue that most video games have tendencies of feeding into masculine fantasies of control, destruction and power, rather than feeding into co-operation and bargaining (Gunter, 15). Themes of violence characterize them. As opposed to watching TV, playing video games is interactive and therefore, it is much more psychologically involving. The effects of their violent themes on children are therefore more pronounced. A video game use survey revealed that 70% of 118 M-rated games (games for mature audiences above 17 years of age) were aimed at children below 17 years. More disturbing is the fact that younger children could readily access these allegedly restricted video games. Unaccompanied 13 to 16-year-old children were in a position to purchase M-rated video games 85% of the time. Apparently, as they produce and market these games, sell them, and agree to the children to buy and play them, the video-game industry, retailers and parents respectively do not have the best interests of children at heart. Shifting the blame to parents, the video game industry in defense asserts that they are just providing to children what they want and that children know that the games are not real. They also disagree with the argument that video games triggers and increases violence among children and youths (Taylor, 10-11). McGraw cites a latest content analysis by a research organization called Children Now indicates that most of the video games include violence and that almost half of the violent incidents would culminate into death or serious injuries in the ‘real’ world. He adds that children tend to resolve anxiety wrongly by externalizing it. Consequently, when they become anxious, they have the tendency of externalizing it rather than conveying it emotionally through crying, talking about it, soothing themselves, expressing it to someone, or through calming themselves. They can be mean to a pet; they can assault something; or even kick a wall. Children who play these video games exhibit an increased rate of violent responses. McGraw further notes that violent video games do not teach moral consequences to children. They, for example, do not teach that if one shoots somebody he/she should go to jail/get penalized. Instead, such acts earn the player extra points! The most damaging facet of violent video games is the fact that they are solitary in nature. While a two-person violent game such as video boxing appears to offer a releasing or cathartic effect for aggression, a solitary aggressive video game may arouse more aggression (Gunter, 19-20). Another negative effect of playing violent video games is that it makes children become less helpful and caring toward their peers. Rather than spending their time learning healthy ways of resolving conflicts peacefully or relating to other people well, children spend their time in violent video games.  the National Institute on Media and the Family notes that this also applies to teenagers – at a time when teenagers are wiring the circuits for responsibility, self-control and relationships that they will need in adulthood, violent games trigger their anger center and damps the conscience of the brain (McGraw, 4). Norcia explains that part of the increased aggressive behavior has to do with the amount of time that parents allow their children to play video games. A 2000 study on teenagers by Walsh revealed that parents do not put a time limit on the number of hours that children are permitted to play video games. It was also discovered that most parents are oblivious of the Entertainment Software Rating Board rating or the content of the video games that their children play. A study conducted by Lynch, Gentile, Walsh & Linder showed that children who play violent video games for a long time experience a decline in school success, have a tendency of being more aggressive, are more likely to face a confrontation with their teachers, and may get involved in fights with their peers . While adolescent boys played video games for an average of 13 hours per week, girls averaged 5 hours per week. Another reason as to why playing video games may trigger aggressive tendencies is because violent acts are occurring repeatedly throughout the game. This repetition method has long been seen as an efficient teaching method in strengthening learning patterns (Norcia, 5&7). Furthermore, video games encourage players to role play and identify with their favorite characters. Since players can make decisions affecting their favorite characters’ actions, this is known as a ‘first-person’ video game. After some time of playing a violent video game, a player can prime aggressive thoughts involuntarily. Research therefore reveals that on encountering a confrontation, players with prior experience with violent video games responded more aggressively (Norcia, 8). Other negative effects of video games are that they portray negative gender stereotypes of women as being sexually provocative and helpless (Taylor, 11). Moreover, video computer games cost young people, especially those who frequently play them in arcades, a lot of money. A 1983 study by Brook revealed that in Southern California, out of ten respondents, eight spent five dollars or less weekly on video games. Once hooked on the video games, children can resort to stealing money to purchase new game cartridges for home video games or to play arcade games. Others may be forced to play truant from school in order to play while others may forfeit their lunch money and go without food in order to afford video games (Gunter, 18-19). Proponents of video games, on the other hand, believe that they are both a unique source of entertainment since they encourage players to actively participate in the game's script as well as a unique source of learning. They argue that the activities that a child gets involved in as he/she plays video games enhance hand-eye co-ordination or can help him/her acquire specific skills in mathematics or in spatial visualization. In novel environments, the child can also gain more generalized strategies for ‘learning to learn’. The mastery of video games is also considered as a form of initiation into or preparation for the more cognitively computer technology world, and as a potential way of boosting self-esteem among children who would otherwise be social misfits (Gunter, 22). Video games are also said to improve the computer literacy as well as manual dexterity of a player. Additionally, the always-improving technology offers better graphics that give players a more ‘realistic’ virtual playing encounter. This quality makes the industry of video game an influential force in the lives of many children and adolescents (Norcia, 2&3). Proponents also believe that engaging in arcade-style action video games could assist in the development of skills in problem-solving by means of trial-and-error learning, inductive discovery, as well as the ability to comprehend, manipulate and control visual events on screen. Through these games, children could also be able to transfer skills to other activities that require similar cognitive skills. For people with perceptual disorders, video games are also potential training aids, for the development of some kind of memory skills as well as for eye-movement coordination training (Gunter, 22). Other benefits of video games include enhancing reading comprehension, they give practice in following instructions, provide practice in logic and problem solving, they improve the use of spatial and fine motor skills in both boys and girls, they offer an opportunity for children and adults to play together (Balter, 667). Conclusion Apparently, the negative effects of video games on children outweigh the positive effects – video games are therefore more harmful to children and they prevent them in engaging in tasks and experiences that would boost their development as well as health. Although there are good educational video games that can promote learning, critical thinking and creativity, children do not play them. Instead, the most popular video games are those that contain violent themes. To reduce the negative effects of video games, parents, the video-game industry and retaillers should be actively involved in monitoring the type of games that children play as well as the time that children spend in video games. Parents should also show their children the inappropriateness of being violent while solving real life conflicts and should show them the importance of applying other non-violent solutions in the same. They can also suggest alternative activities – for instance, they can take them out for a walk, or play with them other beneficial games. As discussed earlier, parents should also check video games' ratings in order to ensure that they are appropriate for their children. Works Cited Balter, Lawrence. Parenthood in America: an encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2000. Print. Evra, Judith P.V. Television and child development. Routledge: London. 2004. Print. Gunter, Barrie. The effects of video games on children: the myth unmasked. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group. 1998. Print. McGraw, Phil. Parenting. 2009. Web. Norcia, Andrea. The Impact of Video Games on Children. 2011. Web. Taylor, Jim. Your children are under attack: how popular culture is destroying your kids' values, and how you can protect them. United States: Sourcebooks, Inc. 2005. Print. Read More