Virtual Punching Bag

526 Words3 Pages

The Virtual Punching Bag and How it Punches Back
Many users of videogames believe that by fulfilling their aggressive desires through violent video games is harmless, and favorable compared to releasing their aggression in the real world. However, empirical evidence consistently proves otherwise that using violent videogames as an outlet to achieve a cathartic effect is not only flawed, but counterproductive to the purpose. The malleable minds of the youth that so popularly consume this media easily absorb the negative behavior displayed in such media through observational learning and participation. Parents should be wary of the dangers of their children depending on violence to achieve a catharsis effect and help find another healthier alternative. …show more content…

However, as the world has evolved over time so has the media. No longer do people seek catharsis in plays, but in videogames. Video games were unimaginable in the time of Aristotle and incorporating this media into his hypothesis is flawed in many way. The factors of participating and not just spectating gives reason to why using video games as an cathartic outlet is invalid if not ineffective. Watching a play requires the viewer to not make any decisions on what happens they just simply spectate, however in video games such as GTA 5, a popular gang-violence action game, the player have the power to kill whoever, steal whatever or do whatever with no consequences. When given the option to do right or wrong the brain goes through many obstacles to fight what they know is right and wrong. So when the player is faced with a moral dilemma in a video game that asks them to do things that could result horrendous consequences in the real world it teaches the user to shut off this awareness of doing good into wreaking

Open Document