Does TV/Internet Violence or Video-game Violence Affect Children or Young Adults - Research Paper Example

? Effects of Media Violence on Children or Young Adults Children or young adults tend to imitate what they have observed or watched from internet, television programs, or even video games. Research findings show that children playing violent video games become very aggressive towards others. Video games are very common with the children and the young adults and much attention has been given about violent video games to be the force behind school shooting by boys particularly with the history of engaging in violent video games (Anderson, Gentile, & Buckley, 2007). As a result of the emergence of internet and video games, many youths spend a lot of time playing games, watching some videos from the internet which they later try to imitate. Video games, internet, and television programs screening violent videos have greater impact on children or young adults. This paper explores how violence in TVs, Internet shows or video games might affect children or young adults. The most critical issue raised by the topic concerning the impact of violent media on children is its effects like violent and aggressive behavior, criminal behavior and disrespect of the law among others. This issue has created a heated debate as to whether it really has negative influence on children’s act, positive influence or both. Moreover, questions have been raised concerning the same issue if the youths can learn valuable ideas from media violence. Anderson and Bushman argue that exposure to violent videos and movie triggers aggressive behavior among the children and young adults with violent reactions being commonly observed especially during their interactions. They argue further that exposure to violent video games increases psychological arousal and aggressive related thoughts, and decreases pro-social behavior (Anderson & Bushman, 2001).The US Federal Bureau of Investigations pointed out violence-filled entertainment to be one of the attributes of school shooters (Anderson, Gentile& Buckley, 2007). The motion as to whether video games promote violent or aggressive behavior among the youth has been a common issue addressed in media houses in the process of trying to come out with causes of violence in the society. In the United States, there is high profile of gun killings by adolescents and this has been perceived as due to engaging in violent video games (Boyle &Hibberd, 2005). There has been increase in home video game playing with most children and young adults spending at least seven hours to play these games (Anderson, Gentile, & Buckley, 2007). In addition, it has been noted that boys are likely to use violent video games as opposed to girls, though the effects are the same. Based on how common these games are, parents have raised more questions expressing their worries about the effect of violent media on their children. Violent media forces children and young adults to be very aggressive and violent, and decrease their pro-social behavior, which actually is the major issue that worries parents (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). Furthermore, organizations like American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and others have expressed their stand and have questioned the validity of this issue, claiming that other social factors like family background of the children should be also considered when talking about societal violence. These organizations claim that most youths are not really affected by these violent video games, as they are capable of handling such games and they further argue that parents can help in reducing these adverse effects on their children. The organizations acknowledges the principle of social learning theory which argues that children always learn by observing and mimicking as well as adopting behaviors and this might be a valuable evidence of the link between violent media and human aggression. Therefore, they confirm that children exposure to aggressive acts in violent media desensitize and affect them emotionally causing nightmares, lead to poor performance in schools, and promote aggressive behavior like bullying their colleagues. However, several associations with violent crimes do not present strong scientific evidence to prove that exposure to violent media causes violent behavior (Anderson, Gentile, & Buckley, 2007). Following various research findings, children exposed to violent video games are involved more in violent behaviors as compared to those who do not and they are often involved in prohibited activities like stealing and cheating in exams (DeLisi& Beaver, 2011). According to social learning theory, individuals learn to behave aggressively through observation of aggressive behaviors by other people via violent media (DeLisi& Beaver, 2011). Cognitive neo-association theory states that provocations and frustrations cause negative effects, which stimulate thoughts and psychological reactions, related to fight (DeLisi& Beaver, 2011). Arguably, media violence increases aggressiveness because of increase in aggressive thoughts and that exposure to media violence is related to late physical aggression (DeLisi& Beaver, 2011). Those playing violent video games do not hesitate to attack others with the aim of harming them. This is an evidence that exposure to violent games makes individuals to be very aggressive to mild provocation (DeLisi& Beaver, 2011). Accordingly, children playing violent video games are more likely to argue with their teachers and some were involved in physical fights because they tend to imitate what they observed (DeLisi& Beaver, 2011). Immediate impact of exposure to violence facilitates direct imitation of the observed aggressive behavior. Violent videos increase the acceptance of violence as the most effective way of solving disputes. According to DeLisi and Beaver, exposure to media violence increases chances of aggressive behavior (DeLisi& Beaver, 2011). In addition, Cox posits that researches show that there is at least a causal relationship between violent media and later aggressive behavior (Cox, 2013). In conclusion, the idea of effect of exposure to media violence has drawn much attention and based on various researchers’ arguments and findings, the whole thing is contradictory. Some scholars like Anderson and Bushman concluded that it is indeed true that exposure to media violence has negative impact on the children and young adults as they believe that there is connection between the media violence and the aggressive behavior of young adults. However, some disagree with this saying that most young adults are not influenced by the exposure to media violence. Moreover, there is no substantial scientific evidence that proves that there is a link between media violence and real violence experienced in the society. One limitation about these researches carried out recently about this issue is that they have not even touched on the prevailing importance of the video games. Word Count: 1050 words References Anderson, C. A., Gentile, D. A., & Buckley, K. E. (2007). Violent video game effects on children and adolescents: Theory, research, and public policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Anderson, C.A. and B.J. Bushman (2001) ‘Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behaviour, Aggressive Cognition, Aggressive Affect, Physiological Arousal, and ProsocialBehaviour: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Scientific Literature’, Psychological Science, Vol. 12 No.5, pp. 353-359. Boyle, R, &Hibberd, M. (2005, March). Review of Research on the Impact of Violent Computer Games on Young People.Stirling Media Research Institute. Retrieved from http://www.isfe.eu/sites/isfe.eu/files/stirling_university_violence_final_report.pdf Cox, F. D. (2013). Human intimacy: Marriage, the family, and its meaning.S.l.: Wadsworth. DeLisi, M., & Beaver, K. M. (2011). Criminological theory: A life-course approach. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Read More