There is an immense amount of violence that is depicted in the violent video games. There is an ongoing debate as to whether such violence can be responsible for behavior problems, especially in children. Many aggressive behaviors such as the mass shootings that have been experienced in several areas in the United States have been associated with the violent video games that children engage in. Evidence from research has shown that there is a correlation between aggressive behavior and the violent video games, but the only problem that exists is that there is limited proof to show that such games can promote delinquency or any other form of criminal activity. Scientists have also wedged on this debate by giving the expert opinion depending on the research that they have carried out. From their results, a limited amount of proof is there to show the correlation between the violent video games and behavior change such as engaging in criminal activity. Such a correlation remains one of the most studied areas in the behavior of a child. However, although evidence remains scanty, violent video games have played a huge role in causing behavioral change, especially among the young generation.
In 2016, an 18-year-old individual who gunned down nine people in Munich was said to be a big fan of video games that involved shooting. From this report, many people developed the feeling that the violent video games could be having negative implications for the children hence sparking the debate. Organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association have all advised against children and teenagers engaging in playing the violent video games. However, from the statistics, this would be difficult as a whopping 90% of the children in the country engage in playing the coveted video games. DeLisi et al . (2012) asserted that the number is higher especially in the teens between the age of 12 and 17. It is also important to note that 85% of all the video games consumed by the children and the teenagers have some form of violence in them. All these can be proven from some of their topics that include ‘’Gears of War,’’ ‘’Thrill to Kill,’’ and ‘’Manhunt’’ among many more. The APA in 2015 postulated that there was a relationship between the violent video games and the rise in the aggressive behavior. It further found out that the violent video games did more harm to a person’s behavior by decreasing their prosocial behavior in areas such as moral judgment and empathy.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
On the other hand, the American Academy of Pediatrics asserted that the use of violent media especially on the young people was a show of bad example. It further asserted that it was wrong for the games to use human or other living organisms as the targets. It was also critical of the fact that the games usually award points for killing which to them was wrong. The association was against this because it gives the children a wrong perception by associating success and pleasure with negative tendencies such as the ability to cause pain and suffering to others. Scutti (2016) pointed out that from the over 400 studies that the association engaged in, they concluded that exposure to violent media results to aggressive behavior in a person especially the children. Other than behavior, the thoughts and feelings of the victim are also changed to the negative. The advice from these two associations have attempted to sway the minds of the parents from entertaining the video games, but there exists some significant amount of backlash and contradiction that emanates from the scientists who have otherwise given a wrong perception from that generally held by the associations.
The scientists regard the advice given by the two associations as outdated. According to many scientists and professors from the universities, multiple evidence has shown that there exists no relationship between the violent video games and the onset of inappropriate behavior that is unacceptable to the society. However, they have however agreed that there could be a relationship which is however insignificant. They have agreed that in their various studies, they have seen children who play violent video games depicting aggressive behavior. However, it is wrong to analyze the correlation by looking at the matter in isolation. There is a likelihood that such kids who show violent behavior might have been predisposed towards violent or aggressive situations. In this regard, it would be wrong to accuse the video games alone of leading to such behavior. Therefore the main hypothesis of the study would be whether playing the violent video games would lead to behavior change or violent behavior in an individual. (‘'Can Violent Video Games Play a Role in Violent Behavior?’’) From the scientists' perspective, the video games, no matter how violent they are, they do not necessarily lead to violent behavior. Others have even suggested that the violent behavior can in turn help in mitigating the violence that is experienced in many societies in the real world. The assertions support the ideas that when one is engaged in something that they like most, the tendency of staying away from trouble is the immediate results.
In engaging in this debate, it is important to take cognizant of the fact that the video games take an immense time of the children and teenagers hence causing addiction. They will then tend to abandon other crucial activities, a factor that would lead to a behavioral change in one way o the other. Egenfeldt-Nielsen et al. (2015) asserted that other organizations or institutions that have weighed in on the debate include the Journal of Adolescent Health and the Harvard Medical School. With the major concerns in the recent increase in violent behavior in the US especially among the young generation, the two organizations have concluded that there is a correlation between video games and the onset of violence. Another critical point to note is that the violent video games do not necessarily convert the children or the teenagers to murder because it would be difficult. Instead, the games enhance some negative characteristics into the behavior of the child such as indifference and insensitivity, especially towards violence. Therefore parents have a noble duty to ensure that the video games their children consume do not contain extreme violent actions that might negatively affect the behavior of the child. Several quarters have associated violence among the young people to a number of sources that include broken relationships and failure in school. Therefore, this has led to the neglect of other critical areas such as the media and the violent video games. In my case, I strongly believe that the video games play a critical role in the development of behavioral change such as the emergence of violence and other insensitive behaviors.
First, it is important to take into account the fact that most of the video games are addictive in nature. The players, in their cause of playing, are required to repeat certain actions until they reach a state of perfection so that they can move along the various levels until the completion of a project. The entire process requires a lot of dedication, time, and patience. Finishing all the levels requires an individual to practice for days without stopping. Therefore, the life of the child or the teen eventually changes as their main focus is to complete the steps and kill their opponents with the aim of getting more points. Such a tendency will greatly affect their social life. Researchers have postulated that these teens will remain glued to the games as they attempt to boast about their knowledge and expertise in the field. Once the social life of the child or teen is affected, it is automatic that they will exhibit some behavioral change such as the tendency to remain alone or to skip other family commitments that are important in ensuring that they develop into holistic children.
The second reason as to why the violent video games might cause a behavior change is because when they spend a large amount of time engaging in killing and injuring their opponents, they can develop similar aggressiveness when faced with a real-life scenario. The part of the mind that is trained to be violent in this process is the sub-conscious area. A study was carried out where two teenager groups were exposed to playing video games. One group spent more time than the other in engaging in the video game. The group that spent more time depicted more violent characteristics. Another discovery that was made from the research that partly played a role in promoting violence was that engaging in more time in the violent video games makes the children to think that violence is fun. The association of violence with amusement is a dangerous trait as it promotes insensitivity in an individual. The reward that the children and teens get when mutilating their opponents in the game is sometimes carried into the real-life scenario hence making them believe that they can be rewarded or redeemed for showing acts of aggression towards others. It is also vital to note that the video games are responsible for showing things such as dead bodies, weapons, and blood which might also contribute to the insensitivity to aggression. In general, many researchers agree that the violent nature of the video games leads to aggressiveness, laziness, antisocial behavior, and violence against others.
Other than the children developing violent and antisocial behavior, it is crucial to note that their feeding behavior or habit will also automatically change. It is common knowledge that people who engage in these types of games normally tend to eat snacks which are rich in calories. The change in eating behavior and the fact that the gamers remain passive for a large period might lead to accumulation of too much fats leading to the onset of obesity. Other than a change in eating behavior, other negative behaviors that might set in include self-centeredness, instant gratification, and shortened attention periods. The use of computers and other devices such as phones in playing these games is detrimental in the holistic development of a child as they will only tend to master some skills which develop only one part of the brain leaving the other undeveloped.
The addictive nature of the games will cause the children and teenagers to keep talking about the games even in inappropriate environments such as the school. They could also find themselves unconsciously making the sounds and noises depicting those from the violent video games. In some instances, they might be tempted to experiment with their fellow students or friends of what they have learned from the games. The tendency to concentrate on the academics will reduce, and in some situations, truancy can set in. Because the graphics that are involved in the game look extremely real, the teenagers might be tempted to look for similar weapons that might have devastating effects on real life. Greitemeyer & Mügge, (2014) asserted that their language would also change and most of it might center on threatening others in the neighborhood or at school. Other than affecting their academic performance in school, they might develop a tendency of becoming bad losers in life. It is important to remember that the game is created on the premise of competition where one either competes with the computer or a fellow gamer. However, the children or teenagers might do all they can to avoid a defeat which might be translated into the real life.
Research that has since been carried out on the mass shootings that have occurred in the country including the school areas has attempted to identify a unique pattern about the shooters. It has been postulated that these shooters were once gamers who took part in the violent video games. The influence has been identified to be a psychological one that affects the mind. The minds are fueled into doing negative things which it is convinced that they are okay. So long as the teenagers see such on the television, they believe that they are also worth doing. The violent video games are detrimental to the minds of the teenagers and the society at large as they go against the social order. The society dictates that people should stay at peace with one another and life should at all time be protected. However, these video games give a different perception that is different from the general way in which human beings are supposed to behave.
Supporters of the violent video games say that the material content is rated adult and therefore it would be difficult for such adults to be influenced by them. Some also argue that it is a way of satisfying their adventure and thrill that does not necessarily mean that they will eventually replicate the actions (Greenfield, 2014). Some have supported the scientist who entirely believes that there is no valid correlation between the violent video games and the change in behavior. Others have also called for a holistic analysis where confounding factors to the violent video games are analyzed in determining the change in behavior. Although much evidence is still required to make a conclusive statement that the violent video games cause behavior change, multiple real-life situations have shown so.
In conclusion, it would be very appropriate to assert that negative behavior is a consequent of the violent video games. The teenagers carry the violent and aggressive behavior from the videos into the real life. The gamers have also been reported to be inactive and display various antisocial behaviors. Other characteristics of such people include the fact that they change their eating habits exposing themselves to lifestyle problems and also tend to brag about unnecessary achievements. Truancy might also set in hence adversely affecting their academic level. Parents are called upon to remain vigilant in ensuring that their children are exposed to such games at an early stage.
References
Can Violent Video Games Play a Role in Violent Behavior? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzzC9qf8ODc
DeLisi, M., Vaughn, M. G., Gentile, D. A., Anderson, C. A., & Shook, J. J. (2013). Violent video games, delinquency, and youth violence: New evidence. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice , 11 (2), 132-142.
Egenfeldt-Nielsen, S., Smith, J. H., & Tosca, S. P. (2015). Understanding video games: The essential introduction . Routledge.
Greenfield, P. M. (2014). Mind and media: The effects of television, video games, and computers . Psychology Press.
Greitemeyer, T., & Mügge, D. O. (2014). Video games do affect social outcomes: A meta-analytic review of the effects of violent and prosocial video game play. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , 40 (5), 578-589.
Scutti S. (2016), ‘’Do video games lead to violence?’’ http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/25/health/video-games-and-violence/index.html
