It is undeniable that the war between humanity and technology is ongoing and the loser will end up being the slave to the winner. Unfortunately, the human race is already taking the slavery position without giving it much thought. Today, technology has dominated our lives and its transgressing into our youngsters’ childhood taking away the things that constitute young age in preparation for adulthood. Unlike two decades ago, video games have replaced play time and other outdoor activities. The site of kids plopped on the couches tapping screens of tablets, smartphones or wiggling joysticks is has become the new normal where parents have to intervene and get them to do something else. Studies have revealed that at least nine out of ten individuals aged between 8 and 18 play video games on a frequent basis. 81 percent of young adults play at least once every month, and about 8.5 percent of them were addicted, and now they spend about 13 to 14 hours daily playing (Hughes, 2014). Such findings are frowned upon by parents as they believe that they are destructive to the children as they take up much of the time that these kids should be using to learn and socialize.
The negative stereotype that adults have towards video games has been enhanced by recent incidents where some youngsters have gone on a shooting rampage killing and harming innocent people. Even though the cases are widespread and varied, there is a common denominator to all of them that is the mass shooters are ‘always’ video gamers leading to the assumption that they were acting out some dark fantasies. From such a perspective, then it would only be proper for the society to be proactive and eliminate the development of all video games. However, scientific findings have disapproved the long upheld concept that links video games to violent behavior by pointing out that even though it might be a contributing factor its benefits offset the cons. Since all parents and caregivers want the best for their children, it is logical for them to want clear answers concerning the effects of video games and thus the contradicting views only create more questions than answers. At the moment, attempts to stop kids and young adults from playing video games are difficult, and its necessity is questionable creating an urgent need to separate the actual information from the ‘noise’ which will guide the parents’ decision. This paper argues that violent video games have a positive effect on children and adults behavior, but its downsides are often over-emphasized to the extent that they conceal the beneficial effects.
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Discussion
For a long time, violent video games have been associated with the development of violent behaviors and increased aggression among children and adults. A good proportion of recent studies are countering this view by illustrating that in most cases the society has approached the subject with a skewed mentality; whereby negative characteristics of video games such as addiction and past incidents are used as to justify the assumption concerning the existence of a link between violent video games and aggressive behaviors. The effects of violent video games and aggression can be considered apparent rather than real at the time. According to proponents of the view that signifies a connection between video gaming and violence, media shapes a person’s attitudes and beliefs which in turn determines his/her behaviors. Since video games are a form of media, then it is logical to assume that whatever the kids are experiencing on the digital platform influences their beliefs and attitudes thus increasing their likelihood to turn violent. Despite the convincing nature of this point, it is undeniable that it is just an inference of previous studies on the effects of media.
However, opponents of the view that video games lead violent tendencies base their views on actual research findings that have demonstrated that violence depicted in video games that resemble reality result in violent arousal which increases positive habits like self-regulation as well as open expression of their thoughts (Agina & Tennyson, 2012). Such tendencies allow a kid to be aware of factors that can arouse anger and frustrations and devise ways to control his/her impulses. In other words, violent video gaming acts as a proactive tactic of preventing aggressiveness as a child gets a chance to witness violence and its effects in a controlled environment but use the knowledge/skills in the real world. Note that gaming is governed by a model referred to as priming which allows participants to apply the learned concepts in real life. From a generalized perspective, one would think that increasing the aspect of realism in video games would ‘prime’ players to enact what is being portrayed in the games. Many psychologists seem to be in favor of this view as they believe that over time children would imitate the game’s characters and dismissive attitude towards brutality. Even though this perspective might be convincing, it fails to explain the specific time or situation when the influence of video games becomes overwhelming and trumps the socializing effects of other figures within a child’s surroundings (Carey, 2013). By taking this angle, it can be argued that violence is the outcome of a combination of factors and thus the idea of blaming such habits to violent video games is just a form of evading the reality.
Even though several studies have proved that children who play violent video games show higher levels of aggression than those who play other games with less violence, the effect of these games, in the long run, is still a question of speculations. Based on the existing knowledge regarding the effects of media on the societal beliefs and attitudes, it can be inferred that in the long run violent video games might reduce empathy and create the mentality that violence is the only way to resolve conflicts. Whereas this view might be correct, its practicability in real life is questionable. In essence, it is almost impossible for youngsters to apply the same strategy in different contexts regardless of how similar the situations might be. For instance, learners can be taught lessons on geometry which a teacher might assume that the knowledge would be sufficient to enable the students to craft a good pet house at home. Unfortunately, such a goal is unachievable because other than gaining knowledge students need someone who would bridge the gap between knowledge and the practical skills (Slota, 2013). The same principle applies to gaming because players are rarely able to apply lessons learned in one context to the other one that is different. Therefore, violent video games might lead to increased general aggression, however, it cannot automatically translate into the real world. In essence being good in games like Grand Theft Auto does not make one a car thief. From the presented points, it can be argued that the notion that links violent video gaming and development of aggressive behaviors are fallacies that have been promoted for so long and now they are being considered to be the conventional truth.
Violent video games have contributed to reduced violence in the society as they provide platforms that serve as an outlet for aggression. AS mentioned before, young people who have been involved in mass shootings in had have one thing in common that is they were all video gamers. Such a connection might seem convincing enough to taint violent video gaming, but the mere number of such events renders the view inaccurate. In many cases, people who go on a rampage in start killing people are usually facing an array of psychiatric problems that seclude them from healthy socialization, and thus they find solace in gaming. In other words, such people would still commit the same crimes with or without the video gaming factor. Moreover, studies have established that over the past two decades crime rates involving young people have significantly reduced. At the same time, the variety of violent video gaming has significantly increased so is the realism aspect. Therefore, it can be concluded that violent video gaming has reduced cases of violence among children and young adults as they provide a space for individuals to let out their aggression and learn how to control impulses.
Another positive effect associated with violent video gaming is the development of problem-solving skills (Granic, 2013). In essence, video games are all about maneuvering from one point to the other by understanding the various obstacles and finding the best way around them. All games have common features where progress depends on a player’s ability to identify an encountered problem and finding the most appropriate solution. Therefore, video games create premises to test a person’s creativity, ability to adapt to changes and, utilization of intellectual skills to resolve arising challenges. Furthermore, video games have been designed in a way the proceeding levels offers more challenges than the predecessor which is essential in continuously challenging the child to learn how to find solutions. In essence, video gaming is crucial in the development and practice of flexible skills in different ways. For instance, video games get harder and different which requires the player to develop a myriad of skills to succeed. In cases where the games are violent, an individual becomes overly-alert because the rewards and punishments are the two extremes that are winning become a matter of life and death. Such conditions push a person to the limit to explore every potential to win. At the same time, ‘death’ is not a bad thing as it serves as an opportunity for ‘deep practice’ whereby one is put through a set of circumstances repeatedly with a significant consequence for failure. The outcome is increased focus on the particular task which provides an opportunity to master different skills.
Additionally, violent video games have been founding to improve an individual’s skills like accuracy, situational awareness and, estimation skills which are crucial in the day to day life. Note that the essence of education is to prepare young ones for real-life challenges. However, the lessons offered in the classrooms might not cover all the areas as one is expected to use the acquired knowledge as a stepping stone in understanding more issues in his/her surrounding. AS mentioned before, acquisition of knowledge is not an assurance that learners would apply it in another context. Since the essence of learning is to impart knowledge and skills that enable people to resolve issues, in reality, it is essential for the society to think of ways in which they can help students’ bridge the gap between mastered content and its application in their day to day lives. A close look at this point indicates that proper learning model should encompass the interaction between the learner, environment and, content. Therefore, a teacher can capitalize on engaging students in video gaming which promotes the development of reflection which positively shapes how students approach and tackle issues in the real world. In other words, video games offer educators a chance to use role-playing in teaching. One of the arising issue in the American society at the moment is the increased oversensitivity regarding specific social issues. People would rather pretend that these issues are non-existing than risk facing them which reduces the probability of ever finding concrete solutions. One such issue is inequality that has brought about an array of social, economic challenges and violence. Violent video gaming could be used to teach learners about such issues and implore them to make efforts towards resolving such problems.
Moreover, violent video gaming provides essential opportunities for youngsters to gain skills that can support mastery of content and its application. In essence, violent video games have a combination of features that require learners to consider multiple scenarios and forecast the outcomes of undertaking each step before settling for the most optimal choice. Similar skill sets are required in research where one has to use inductive reasoning in developing a working hypothesis that directs the entire study (Tumbokon, 2018). In general, research is essential as they enable a person to understand an issue and find practical solutions. In video gaming, the outcome that the player gets determines the effectiveness of the working hypothesis. Thus in case of losses that are often in the firm of death, the player is forced to re-examine the challenge from a different angle and try out another hypothesis. Over time, a person develops the habit of considering multiple perspectives regarding any issues that they encounter which is critical in the learning process.
Unfortunately, opponents of violent video games point out that they have adverse effects on youngsters’ education as they are addictive and thus take up most time that should be used in school work. Research has revealed that the principles of getting hooked on gaming are the same that of gambling (Sabella, 2010). Just like casino slot machines, video gaming is highly sustaining in terms of overall frequency and duration. Note that in video gaming multiple stimuli are involved, and they include senses of touch, sight, and sounds which form part of the reward. Video games have been designed to reward players by earning points, advancing in levels, finding hidden areas in the games and getting to the top player list among others. Therefore, players are determined to win to enjoy the rewards. At first, the presented challenges might be obvious but as one advances the game becomes tougher and tougher meaning that a person would need more time and effort to get the reward. Based on these points, it is undeniable that the time spends on video gaming would adversely affect the learner's concentration and commitment to school work leading to poor grades. However, addiction can be avoided once caregivers create an environment that provides youngsters with a balanced lifestyle. It is safe to say that spending too much time offers a good proportion the chance to ‘escape’ from unfavorable factors within their surroundings and thus elimination of these factors eliminates the need to have an escape which promotes a healthy lifestyle that balances time spend online and in engaging with other activities.
Violent video gaming positively impacts youngster’s cognitive development. In general development of any skills depend on the challenges that an individual encounters. The nature of video games demands players to use multiple skills at once. For example, a player has to juggle with various objectives while connecting ideas and keeping track with the changing elements. Failure to efficiently multitask result in losses and vice versa. Therefore, a person ends up developing the ability to evaluate a situation and apply logical reasoning to resolve the challenge. Alternatively, video gaming provides an opportunity for kids to develop quick thinking and multitasking abilities. Recent studies have revealed that violent video games allow an individual to reduce the overall time that he/she takes to react to a situation at hand without sacrificing accuracy of accessing various elements which are critical in finding the most effective solution. Over time these skills become habitual allowing the individual to translate it into the real world. Currently, the US military is exploring this concept by incorporating warfare simulating games in training to increase trainees’ attunement to the different surroundings which would allow them to spot targets in crowds and apply quick reasoning that would lead to an optimal decision and action. In real life, teens who play who are excellent in violent video games have been found to be better in navigation and keeping visual tabs to specific aspects in a crowd, and thus they are right in activities like driving.
Furthermore, a positive correlation has been identified between video gaming and development of specific visual-spatial skills. Most violent video games require players to extract spatial information from the screen and use it to achieve a certain goal. Note that spatial skills encompass the aspects of mental imagery whereby a person creates a coherent visual scene in mind. Spatial reasoning is crucial when it comes to reasoning and applying creativity to resolve issues within the shortest time possible. Video gaming improves a person’s ability to locate a target and mental rotation which are critical life skills. The more violent the game is, the higher the challenge that one faces which makes violent games better at developing visual-spatial skills than the non-violent ones (Prot, Anderson, Gentile, Brown & Swing, 2014). Despite the importance of such features, the public is never aware of them because the media is trying to force the subject of violent video gaming to conform to the good-bad dichotomy where much emphasis is placed on the damaging side of these games.
Other than cognitive development, violent video games crucial in helping kids become resilient in dealing with various stressors in their environment. This point offsets the view that video games are the sources of stress. In reality, children need to encounter difficulties that offer them opportunities to cope. At the moment, the issue of cyberbullying among teenagers is on the rise, and there has been grueling news about youngsters who have gone to the extent of committing suicide. Condemning such acts is not enough because it promotes the notion that cyberbullying could be resolved through avoidance tactics whereby the overall time that teens spend online are limited. However, the world is getting more and more connected and keeping kids away from the internet is impractical because they should be getting ready to deal with the real world. Violent video gaming gives a player two extreme option ‘life or death,’ whereas the latter is viewed as a punishment it gives one an opportunity to re-analyze the situation and strike again until he/she gets it right (Genner, 2014). The continuous attempts to get it right after several failures enhances one's perseverance which is then translated to real life situations where one becomes more resilient when facing issues that are beyond his/her control (Hancock, 2010). Alternatively, violent video games can serve as useful diagnostic tools for children who prefer to let out their real-life traumas arising from bullying and other forms of mistreatment.
Based on the presented points, it is apparent that violent video games play essential roles in a child’s development process. However, these positive aspects are often concealed by the media’s tendency to over-emphasize on the negative aspects of video gaming. For instance, violent video games have been blamed for desensitizing children making them prone to engage in acts that will harm others. Whereas this concept might be valid in theory, its credibility in real life is questionable because people rarely translate knowledge/skill sets acquired in one context to another one. Furthermore, youngsters can differentiate games from reality. If the matter of teen psychological immaturity is approached holistically, it becomes clear that online interactions create a perceived distance between the communicating parties increasing the chances of either one of them being hostile to the other one without any remorse. Thus it would be safe to say that violent video games desensitization is limited to the gaming context meaning that it cannot harm other people. Unfortunately, the portrayal of violent video games by the media has promoted the notion that such games are evil and should be avoided to create a safe community. This view is accepted by a good proportion of adults who are adopting various strategies to keep their children away from such games denying them the opportunity to reap the benefits.
Conclusion
Throughout the paper, the link between violent video gaming and development of aggressive behaviors which are considered damaging to youngsters has been highlighted several times. Interestingly, this concept has been around way before gamers started developing violent video games. Given that ‘old’ is often considered to be the conventional truth dislodging the concept would be challenging. Since the media is a business like any other with the intent of winning a large audience which translates to high profits, it is optimal to align rather than counter views that the society has come to consider conventional. For this reason, the media across the globe has capitalized on the perspective that violent video gaming promotes violence in the society. Wherever a youngster is involved in the massacre, the first thing that the media attempts to uncover is the individual’s attachment to video games. Unfortunately, violent video gaming is always the common denominator among young people who are involved in mass killings which furthers the notion that violent video games lead to aggression. Such a view fails to consider other aspects of a person’s mental state or factors within his/her physical environment. In other words, the act of playing violent games does not turn one into a killer there must be other contributing factors that are important, yet they are not given much attention.
The effects of violent video gaming among children and young adults do not conform to the good-bad dichotomy because with every pro there is a con to offset it and vice versa. However, the media has made several attempts to force violent video gaming to be viewed as negative by over-emphasizing is ‘damaging’ aspects and concealing all the positive features. It is time for the society, to shift from a traditional mindset that assumes a synonymous relationship between violent video gaming and increased aggressiveness among youngsters. By adopting a liberal perspective, the community would be able to look at the subject of violent video gaming from multiple standpoints and come up with clear strategies that will enable youngsters to be gain the benefits while minimizing possible negativities. From the presented points, it can be concluded that violent video gaming is not damaging to youngsters if they are used in moderation.
References
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