To What Extent Can Violent Video Games Be Said to Explain Violent Behaviour in Teenagers - Essay Example

To what extent can violent video games be said to explain violent behaviour in teenagers? In the twenty first century video games have become one ofthe favourite activities of teenagers in the developed world. This is an international phenomenon, affecting millions of young people who have the resources to invest in a computer and a game title. Many games also permit players to join up with others across the globe and take part in numerous game styles with violent subject matter. These range from lone, single person shooter adventures, to team based military campaigns, epic battles in a fantasy world, or high technology combat on futuristic planet and they can involve more or less realistic depiction of violent activities. Many parents and educators allege that this obsession with violent video games that grips so many teenagers is a direct cause of violent behaviour in teenagers. A closer examination of the facts about video games and teenage behaviour reveals, however, that this is a very dubious claim, since it is very difficult to prove any causal link between video game playing and violent behaviour in teenagers. The main argument in favour of a link between violent video games and teenage behaviour is that, like violent films on television and in the cinema, they can affect the development of a young person’s personality in an adverse way. Several well respected American medical associations such as the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Medical Association issued a joint statement in year 2000 saying that there is a causal connection between media violence and aggressive behaviour, but that it is a complex effect (Gentile et al., 2004, p. 19). In the United Kingdom there is a strict classification system in place that is intended to prevent the most violent games from getting into the hands of people under eighteen years of age. This system is not always effective, since the majority of parents do not monitor the titles that their teenage children buy, and they often have very little knowledge about what these games actually contain. Clearly the authorities in most countries are convinced that violent video games can cause harm, and they take steps to minimize this harm. These measures do not, however, amount to real hard evidence that links video games with violent behaviour. Media in general contain vast amounts of material ranging from innocuous cartoons and slapstick violence to sick and criminal content that clearly should not be available to teenagers. Young people are exposed to multiple sources of images and texts on the television, in print material and on the internet every day, and so it is difficult to prove that video games are the root cause of any violent behaviour. Any amount of other sources could influence teenagers, and so it seems unreasonable to pinpoint video games as a cause of violent behaviour. They are perhaps an easy target because they are well regulated, and their popularity can be measured through sales and feedback to the providers. They may also arouse deep suspicion in technophobe adults who cannot keep up with the skills of young people in their care. For all of these reasons, it seems likely that the perceived effect of playing video games is exaggerated, and that their relative novelty in the entertainment landscape has attracted undue attention to the particular contribution that they make. It can be argued that evidence for the influence of video games is to be found in statements of young people themselves. There are many cases where teenagers enter the criminal justice system because they are accused of some act of violence. In such a situation they can state that they were influenced by a certain game title. Examples such as the “Grand Theft Auto” series are often mentioned in this connection, because this kind of first person action game involves street crime and aggression towards fictional characters. Violent youth offenders are often video game players and they may use this fact in their defence, arguing that they were influenced by the images and ideas that they experienced while playing such games. At first sight this looks like a plausible theory, but it must be borne in mind that the statements of defendants and their lawyers are made for a particular reason. They exist to try and prove the innocence, or reduce the culpability, of the accused. In such a situation the defendant is bound to look for explanatory excuses which at least to some extent exonerate them from the crime they are alleged to have committed. This means in practice that video games are often cited as a contributory factor to the committing of violent acts, but it would be irresponsible to take these statements as firm evidence of a causal relation between playing such games and going on to commit violent acts as a direct or indirect result of this activity. There has been some scientific work done to try and tease out what relationship, if any, exists between playing video games and indulging in violent behaviour among teenagers. A recent meta-analysis of the literature on violent video games and aggression (Ferguson, 2008), for example, examined reports of experimental exercises designed to test whether playing violent games increased likelihood of aggressive behaviours. It looked also at correlational studies, and it explicitly examined the alleged relationship between violent video games and the spate of school shootings that has been apparent in recent years. This study found no relationship whatsoever between school shootings and video games, and it even stated categorically that “the wealth of evidence, from social science research on video games, to governmental reports and legal cases, to real world data on crime, fails to establish a link between violent video games and violent crimes” (Ferguson, 2008, p. 34). In fact most young adults, especially boys, play violent video games, and the vast majority of them do not get involved in violent activity. There appears to be very little in the way of evidence, then, that could prove a direct causal link between violent video games and actual violent behaviour. Another study argues that there is a connection between violent video games and teenage aggression, but that the relationship is not necessarily one of games causing the teens to become violent. Kirsh maintains that could be the other way round, and that young people in their early teens experience great biological and social change, which prompts them to seek out avenues in which to release aggressive feelings: “Early adolescence is a time of increased risk taking and novelty seeking… consequently adolescents may seek out sensation-producing activities such as video game play, for rewarding experiences” (Kirsh, 2003, p. 383). When the issue of violent video game playing is considered from the point of view of normal teenage development, it appears at least in most cases, to provide a safe environment in which a young person can act out difficult emotions and “let off steam” without harming himself or other people. Following this line of argument, video games can be seen as a force for good, which may actually prevent violent behaviour, by allowing young people to experiment with their feelings, and vent emotions like anger, and frustration in harmless ways. One aspect of video game playing that causes concern is that of the potential for addiction, and the possibility that some individuals are particularly susceptible to the violent material in some video games. This is certainly a valid concern, and teenagers are on occasion referred to psychologists for treatment when they display abnormal and extreme attachment to their video gaming lifestyle. These cases are, however, exceptional, and most teenager game players grow out of their obsession and turn into adults who continue to enjoy video games as a part of a balanced lifestyle. It would be unreasonable to take extreme examples as a guideline for deciding the policy for everyone. In conclusion then, the evidence seems to point towards a vague link between some teenage violence and video game playing. This link is by no means a clear case of cause and effect, however, and it is more likely that some teenagers who are for other reasons disposed towards violent behaviour, seek out both violent video games and instances of real aggression in order to express their feelings. For the vast majority of teenagers, however, the playing of violent video games is not an incitement to violence. It is just the same as watching action films, or reading detective stories, with perhaps a little more in the way of excitement and enjoyment. For most people it is simply a leisure time exploration of a fictional world where the normal rules of society do not apply and the attraction of this alternative reality lasts well into adulthood for many keen gamers. The playing of video games is simply what it purports to be: an opportunity for imaginative role play and pushing against the boundaries of adult authority in a safe environment. Any causal link between video game playing and violent acts is simply not substantiated by the scientific evidence. References Ferguson, C.J. (2008) The School Shooting/Violent Video Game Link: Causal Relationship of Moral Panic?” Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling 5, pp. 25-37. Gentile, D.A., Lynch, P.J., Linder, J.R. and Walsh, D.A. (2004) The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behaviors, and school performance. Journal of Adolescence 27, pp. 5-22. Jones, G. (2002) Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-believe Violence. New York: Basic Books. Kirsh, S. J. (2003) The effects of violent video games on adolescents: The overlooked influence of development. Aggression and Violent Behavior 8, pp. 377-389. Read More