The article “Do Video Games Kill” written by Karen Sternheimer responds to one of the most sought-after question; are video games the cause for “young killers”? (220) Sternheimer believes the influence of video games on today’s youth maybe spiraling out of control. She focuses most of the blame on the media, politicians and the Juvenile Justice System. Sternheimer suggests that there are other factors to blame for violent behavior: poverty, the neighborhood, unemployment, family violence, divorced parents and mental illness (218). While juvenile crimes have declined, and personal backgrounds effect actions, it cannot be proven that video game violence has no to little effect on America’s youth.
Violence is easily seen in today's culture through criminal actions in the media. Surprisingly, "on average, American youth view more than 1,000 murders, rapes, and assaults each year" (Rockefeller 2). This shocking fact demonstrates just how prevalent violence is in the young minds of Americans. As a result of these viewings, young adults are sure to have psychological effects. Studies have proven that "children who view media violence are more likely to have increased feelings of hostility, decreased emotional response to the portrayal of violence and injury that lead to violent behavior through imitation" (Tompkins 1).
Violence is becoming our part of living. As the day passes by, parents let their children watching internet videos and playing video games thinking that it is ok for them. But what they do not realize that the kids who are watching violent videos, is unhealthy for them. Children who play games or watch fantasy videos are more likely to risk their lives in the real world. Thinking that copying what they see in the videos, is ok doing it in the real world.
As television watching increased severely over the past half-century, it also became more violent. In 1969 the National Commission on the causes and prevention of violence indicated that ‘The preponderance of the available research evidence strongly suggests…that violence in television programs can and does have adverse effects upon audiences’ (cited in Berkowitz, 1993, p.199.) Since that time, television violence has increased largely. Research reports in 1970, published that children has seen over 11,000 murders on television by the age of 14. More recent researches and reports have demonstrated that now, the average child sees more than 100,000 violent crimes on television every year and about 200,000 crimes when they reach their teens.
Violent video games have been blamed for everything from bullying to school shootings. Critics of these video games believe they cause people to commit violent acts in real life. These critics, mainly comprised of parents and other responsible adults, don’t agree with what the video games portray. Others say the video games cause less violence and are an outlet for anger and stress. Although violent video games have violent actions in them, teenagers should be able to play violent video games because there isn’t enough evidence to prove they make teens more aggressive, it could prevent violence, and violent video games are a fun and relaxing way to relieve stress and anger.
Media violence has become a controversial topic in the world today. Owing to the rising technology, children are beginning to show increasing violent behaviors. The debates on the effects of media ranging from screen media, video games, and books have a long history. Due to this, there is a speculation over what is the leading cause of the increasing violence in children. Some people argue that there is a relationship between media violence and real-life violence.
Meaghan Thorn Ms. Schmitt ENG1101-23 Argumentative Essay Sex and violence on television have had a large impact on our community over the years. According to Tumaini Coker’s and her coauthors, “Child-reported media violence exposure was associated with physical aggression after multivariable adjustment for sociodemographics, family and community violence, and child mental health symptoms” (85). She continues, ”Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest that children’s media violence exposure, particularly from television and video games, is associated with physical and nonphysical aggression in those children” (82). Some debate if whether it should be viewed by the public with sex and violence being the main premise of most
Firstly, playing violent video games causes psychological aggression, which in turn might make a child
As a young child begins to mature, the different types of movies he or she may watch will affect how they behave. Violent films, are a prime example of this concept. Studies by George Gerbner, Ph.D., at the University of Pennsylvania, have proven that “children 's TV shows contain about 20 violent acts each hour” which supports the claim that these violent acts can correspond with how a child perceives the world (“Violence on Television” np). Psychological research also have shown that if a infant is exposed to violent movie, they may “...become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, be more fearful of the world around them, and be more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward each other”
Violent Video Games The culprit? While video games certainly have a decorated history of violence, they have been unfairly attributed for real life violence for way to long. Games with violent undertones have been in existence for nearly forty years. Attempts are continually made to focus on the violent effects that these video games supposedly have on players of all ages.
Some researches admit that violent games may cause adolescents to become tremendous. Studies showed that video games increase psychological awakening, it could also increase aggressive behavior, emotions and thoughts and finally let teenagers lose the sense of helping others. All these effects will be carried by aggressive young people. It’s true that video games are violent, but aggressive adolescents are more likely to be more attracted to it. Some games reward players for doing violent actions, so this will affect them negatively, letting them think that violence is normal.
Bad Effects of Violent Video Games: Most of the bad effects of video games because of their violence they contain. Thus children who play more violent and dangerous video games are more likely to have increased of aggressive thoughts, behavior, feelings and decreased in prosocial helping. The effect of violence video games in children is worsened by the games’ interactive nature. For the repeated cases of violence in video games, the child is in control of the violence and experiences in his own eye by killing, kicking, stabbing and shooting in games. Too much playing of violent video game will make the kid socially isolated.
Video games lower violent behavior, help relieve stress, and do not cause social problems. Teens play video games to take their stress out instead of causing real violence. Kids acting violently towards others, they will go home and they will take their action and frustration out on the type of games they are playing. Also, while teens play online, they build up social abilities, make new friends, and connect with other kids from around the world. Parents and/or guardians always say “stop looking at that screen and stop playing video games.
There are games that literally replicate and give people the ability to score points for doing the very same thing that these students are doing inside schools, where you get extra points for finishing someone off who’s lying there begins for their life.” ( 6) There are several ideas that say young people benefit from these violent video games “Surprisingly, playing video games can help our physical, mental, and emotional health.” It helps them to improve hand eye coordination and thinking ability. These benefits are not worth the risk of being influenced by violent video games. (7) All in all the research and officials say that violent video games affect how children, teenagers and young adults act.
A recent content analysis by the research organization Children Now shows that a majority of video games include violence and about half of the violent incidents would result in serious injuries or death in the "real" world. Claim1 Research involving British primary schoolchildren found that the length of time young people spend playing games, rather than their content, could have an effect on their behavior or school performance. But it concluded that fears that generations of young people are growing up with their development impaired by exposure to violent video games are no more likely to be borne out than previous “moral panics” over television and other media. Playing one-player games is not always negative if you do it moderately.