Media Violence and Children - Literature review Example

Media Violence and Children Introduction Video games are a favourite past-time of children and adults. Generally, they can be played on most cell phones, computers or television or game consoles and on a variety of hand held electronic devices. According to Joyce (2010), the year 2009 was the "second strongest year" (p. 1) for video games in the UK. Also, in the UK alone, 1.621 billion pounds was spent on video game software with an additional 1.06 billion pounds spent on consoles to play the games at home. This translated into 3.11 billion pounds gross that was made in the first 52 weeks of 2009 for both consoles and software (Joyce, 2010). One of the reasons stated for this good fortune is the fact that the game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II topped Amazons best sellers list for the first time in 2009. Most people play video games because they are fun and challenging but research shows that for children, certain types of video games can lead to aggression and often violence. This violence can be towards other children or it can evolve into other forms of violence. As an example, the game, "Grand Theft Auto has been criticized for teaching teenagers how to kill policemen. Studies show that the reason this happens is because teens become desensitized and find that killing the police is something natural after playing the game. Another example brings the researcher to school shootings. The shootings at Columbine high school in Littleton, Colorado took place because Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were playing a version of the game Doom. Video games have been blamed for a variety of crimes. As this researcher began to study this trend, there were several questions that came to mind. Do video games really create crime? If so, what happens to create this problem and What is being done about it? The literature on this topic is vast because it has been the topic of several studies, many books, and many magazine and newspaper articles. Most of this literature supports the idea that video games create aggression and over time, this aggression leads to violence. Aggression and Violence Aggression can be defined as any behaviour, be it physical, verbal, psychological or emotional, intended to cause physical, emotional or psychological injury to another human being (Kirsh, 2006 p. 10). In our society, this definition can be seen in many television programs whether they are cartoons, other childrens programs or general television shows. As an example, programs like CSI and Dexter continue to be very popular shows because people like the voyeuristic view they have of violence that these programs provide. These programs are also translated into video games that continue the desensitization of todays youth. As an example, Anderson (2010) reported on a study done in 2000 concluded that exposure to violent video games over time created the following four effects on young people: 1. When children see violence, they begin to believe that this is the only way to settle conflicts; they also may decided that this is acceptable behaviour. 2. Viewing violence can eventually emotionally desensitize you so they no longer are upset by it. This can mean that they will not take action when someone is being hurt. 3. Children and youth can decide that the world is a scary place and become afraid of being a victim of violence themselves, which can mean they build a distrust of other people around them. In other words, when children view violence over time, they can become violent. Children exposed to violent programming at a young age, have a higher tendency for violent and aggressive behaviour later in life… (Anderson, p. 131). This researcher agrees with both Kirsch and Anderson because it is plain to see that children who are brought up playing these violent games are prone to aggression. There have been elementary school children that this researcher has observed through friends or family who are more aggressive than other children. They are allowed to play video games on handheld electronic devices without much supervision. Several hours of these games, create problems for these children. Ivarsson et al (2009) found that violent video games also raised the heart rates in children. These researchers tested the heart rates of 9-12 year olds who played violent video games. They found that "violent gaming induces different autonomic responses in boys compared to nonviolent games" (p. 166). This study suggested to the researchers that there were different emotions that the children were going through. One interesting fact was that sleep was not interrupted when they played the night before they played. This research points out that there is physical risk as well as emotional risk when children are playing violent video games over time. Why Violent Video Games are Different than Watching Violent Television Playing video games is a matter of learning each level or section of the game. The more someone plays the game the better they get. Where television is watched constantly, the programs generally only are on about a half an hour after the commercials are taken into consideration. Also, as the individual watches the violence on television, their focus is interrupted by the commercials. Also, an individual can do more than one activity when watching television. As an example, a child could colour or read while watching violence on television. In contrast, participating in video gaming makes the individual focus intently on the video game because it is challenging and they are attempting to acquire skill at the game. Also, they are passively learning more than just the video game. In a violent game, they are watching people being killed over and over and often they are the ones doing the killing. According to Anderson, research has demonstrated that learning increases when people are more actively involved in the task (p. 145). This means that as a child continues to play the violent game, over and over, they are learning; in this case, they are learning to be aggressive. Aggression and Violence Aggression can be defined as any behaviour, be it physical, verbal, psychological or emotional, intended to cause physical, emotional or psychological injury to another human being (Kirsh, 2006, p. 9). Aggression is a part of human life judging by the popularity of television programs like CSI (Crime) and Dexter (about a forensic scientist who turns serial killer at night). These shows are voyeuristic in nature, very graphic and very bloody, but people keep watching. For children watching these programmes, a desensitization happens to the children where they begin to think that what they are seeing on the screen is normal. Short History of Video Game Violence The beginning of the violent video games began in 1990 when games like Mortal Combat and Street Fighter were premiered. In these games, fighting was most important and the purpose was to maim, wound or kill opponents (Calvert, Jordan and Cocking, 2002, p. 102). Both games had special features that could rip out the opponents heart or something else. Another game, Soldier of Fortune created 26 different killing zones in the human body (p. 102). Today, the video games that are most violent are also the most popular. According to Calvert, Jordan and Cocking, many of the manufacturers of "M" video games (those for mature audiences) are marketed to players under 17 years of age, while some are marketed to six year olds (p. 102). The challenge is that the ratings on video games are voluntary, confusing and whether the games are listed as family games, some of them still include violence. Although video game manufacturers deny that there is a connection between violent video games and violent behaviour, the literature says something different. The Negative Effects of Violent Video Games In every school shooting, violent games have been blamed. As an example, Eric Harris and Dylan Kebold played Doom which is a bloody and violent game that shows the players different ways to kill. In fact, Harris created his own version of the game with two shooters, extra weapons, unlimited ammunition, and victims who could not fight back (Calvert, Jordan and Cocking, p. 103). It would seem to this researcher that the two men may have been practicing for their Columbine massacre. Many videos after September 11, 2001 were distributed that allowed players to become U.S. soldiers and they are able to kill Arabs and Muslims (Hargrave and Livingstone, 2006, 0. 134). These videos are a part of many that also shows violence against ethnic groups. They found the following effects as challenges for children looking at these violent games: 1. Analysis showed a correlation between real life violent video game play and aggression; this happened more with those individuals who were already aggressive. 2. A survey was done with 9-10 year old where it was found that the more children were exposed to violent video games, the more they tended to have lower empathy for others and more pro-violent attitudes. 3. A U.K. study of eight school children, age 12, found that the more children played video games, the lower their self-esteem among boys (not the same for girls). The study found that it was the exposure to video games that was the problem and not specifically violent games. (p. 137-138). Anderson, Gentile and Buckley (2007), tested 161 children between the ages of 9 and 12 and 354 college students on playing video games. They randomly assigned the participants to violent or non-violent video games. The participants also played another game that allowed them to shoot noxious noise blasts at other participants in the game. They found that the players who were on the violent video games gave higher noise blasts than those playing non-violent games (p. 66). In reality, the participants were not giving the noxious blasts at all. These studies are disturbing because of their ramifications. Although this researcher could not find studies to support criminal acts specifically, there have been newspaper articles that quote adults who have done certain crimes as having played violent video games or participated in virtual reality programs like Second Life. Although the research shows that aggression is the major challenge with violent video games, it seems that if this aggression becomes constant, it could lead to violence. There is a body of evidence that disagrees with this synopsis. As an example, Kushner (2010) suggests that the studies on aggression use old studies and therefore are not valid. He suggests that there are a variety of studies that show that violent video games are not that bad. (p. 153). He further suggests, quoting other studies, that violence as actually decreased since video games like Mortal Kombat and Doom because children have an outlet for their emotions (Kushner, p. 154). This idea coincides with Kutner and Olson (2008) who interviewed several children to ask them why they played violent games. Most of the children found them challenging, interesting, fun and something to do when they were bored. They also found that boys and girls found inspiration, joy and relief in violent games. They used factor analysis and found that their reasons for playing these games feel into one or more of four categories: Excitement and fun -- they enjoyed the competition of winning he game and the challenge of figuring them out. 1. Social interaction -- their friends played and they could make new friends. 2. To release emotions -- they could release anger, forget their problems and feel eless lonely (p. 114). 3. To stop boredom when they had nothing else to do. Hargrave and Livingstone (2009) found that an additional problem was that children can become addicted to the games and this can also create aggression. Hastings et al found that school performance was related positively to aggression and negatively to school competence (p. ). They also found that children playing violent video games had problem with their attention spans. To this researcher, it seems obvious that a prolonged use of a negative stimulus would produce a negative result. Because we live in a world of electronics, children can become over stimulated by violent video games and desensitized making them desensitized adults. Conclusion After reviewing the literature on this topic, it is clear that children, especially boys, become more aggressive when playing violent video games. The boundaries that society sets up that tell an individual the difference between right and wrong are blurred. Within the process of playing violent video games, children are ensconced in a world that has only the noise and the flickering of the games as they play. There is evidence that shows that they are learning how to be aggressive and how to be violent. This researcher believes this to be true, based on the evidence. There will always be researchers and people with opinions who will say that violent video games are not harmful, but if this was true, the government would not be attempting to bring legislation to stop its sale to minors. References Anderson, C.A. (2010). Violent video games cause aggression in Wills, L. (ed.) Opposing Viewpoints: Video Games, pp. 139-168. Anderson, Craig A., Gentile, Douglas, A., Buckley, Katherine E. Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy. NY: Oxford University Press, 2007. Calvert, S. L., Jordan, A.B., and Cocking, R.R. (eds.). (2002). Children in the digital age: Influences of electronic media on development. CT: Praeger. 2009 Top Selling Video Games and Four To Watch (2009). CNBC.com. Available from http://www.cnbc.com/id/30948057. [Accessed: 04 January 2010]. Dutwin, D. (2009). Unplug your kids: A parents guide to raising happy, active, and well-adjusted children in the digital age. MA: Adams Media. Hargrave, A.M. and Livingstone, S. (2006). Harm and offence in media content: A review of the evidence. Bristol, UK: Intellect Books. Hargrave, A.M., and Livingstone, S. (2009). Harm and offence in media content: A review of the evidence. 2nd Edition. IL: University of Chicago Press. Hastings, E.C., Karas, T.L., Way, E., Madigan, A. and Tyler, S. (2009). Young Childrens Video/Computer Game Use: Relations with School Performance and Behavior. Issues in Mental Health Nursing. Oct, 30(10), p638-649. Available from Academic Search Premier 44120691. [Accessed: 09 January 2010]. Ivarsson, M., Anderson, M., Åkerstedt, T., Lindblad, F. (2009). Playing a violent television game affects heart rate variability. Acta Paediatrica. 98 (1). p166-172. Available from Academic Search Premier database. AN: 35622433. [Accessed 09 January 2010). Joyce, K. (2010). 2009 Proves to be UKs Second-Strongest Year Ever for Videogames Industry. Electric Theatre Blog. Available from http://electronictheatre.co.uk/index.php industry-news/3841-2009-proves-to-be-uks-second-strongest-year-ever-for-videogames-industry. [Accessed: 02 January 2010]. Kirsh, S.J. (2006). Children, adolescents, and media violence: A critical look at the research. CA: Sage Publications. Kutner, Lawrence and Olson, Cheryl M. 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