Technological changes have changed the concept of routine activities and tasks mainly due to product innovations. There have been perceptions of exercises which have changed and revolutionized the world. Video games are new forms of entertainment that have changed entertainment activities for children. However, video games have the ability to influence both the physical and mental abilities of children in different in different ways. Over the years, researchers, psychiatrists, and parents have tried to identify the damaging effect of violent video games. Some of the effects that have been associated with violent video games include negative behavior outcomes, antisocial behavior, juvenile delinquency, and aggressive behaviors.
Negative Behavior Outcomes
Action video games which depict some form of violence is dangerous for children as it can induce negative behavior. The negative behavior outcomes appear in the form of aggressive and emotional aggravated behavior induced in children. The effects are experienced among children who try to replay all the viewed and fake activities into their real lives. These activities are what lead to juvenile delinquency. Some of the negative behavior outcomes that could be experienced in children could include antisocial behavior, emotional outbursts, aggressive behaviors, violent ideas and perceptions, and an increase in psychological arousal.
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Antisocial Behavior
Violent video games have a strong correlation with antisocial behaviors. Antisocial behaviors could indicate an increase in aggression and portrayal of lower levels of empathy. When children participate in violent video games, it leads to a reduction of interaction with family and the child becomes psychological isolated. The childhood stage when a child should be developing critical emotional intelligence skills would be spent on violent video games. Children that play violent video games gradually become desensitized towards emotional stimuli. They would fail to develop and grow the critical emotional skills required to succeed in the social sphere.
Antisocial behavior is a form of negative behavior that occurs due to social isolation. Social interactions and integrations occur when an individual interacts with others on a practical real-life basis. This leads to an enhanced ability to perceive and accepting ideas of other individuals without someone necessarily imposing their own ideas. Participation in violent video games means that children get increasingly social isolated from positive behavior. They become self-reliant and show dominance over everything. Just like the theme that is portrayed in video games, Children would fail to accept the ideas of someone else and develop aggressive to pass their agenda. In case such behavior is ignored, it can lead to emotional disturbances or depression among introverted children. On the other hand, it can lead to violent and criminal activities among children that are extroverted.
Juvenile Delinquency
The study by DeLisi et al. (2013) on violent video games and delinquency showed that there is a strong link between violent video games among juvenile offenders. The study was carried out and showed a strong link even when controlling significant factors such as a history of violence and psychopathic traits among the offenders. Other factors that were controlled and accounted for such as sex, age, race, and the age which they were first referred to juvenile and other media effects such as screen time and exposure. After accounting for and controlling all these factors, there was still a significant effect on video games and juvenile delinquency.
Long exposure times to violent video games has been associated with higher forms of juvenile delinquency. The study by DeLisi et al. (2013) showed that there was an estimation where children in the general population consume averagely 3 hours of electronic media on a daily basis. The population and majority of the youth that consumed the media content experienced a relatively fewer amount of maladaptive behavior. The average amount of screen time in the youth sample studied by DeLisi et al. (2013) was 10 hours of screen time with some users reaching 40 hours of electronic media per week. The screen time was devoted to violent video games. Such a higher screen time was associated with a higher form of delinquency and violence.
Aggressive Behaviors
The effect of the level of video game exposure was determined by conducting a study for 227 juvenile offenders in Pennsylvania. The average offender had committed approximately nine serious acts of violence such as hitting a parent, attacking another individual, and gang fighting over the previous year. The results from the study showed that the frequency of plan and affinity for violent video games could be strongly associated with these violent behaviors (DeLisi et al., 2013). Even though violent video game exposure cannot be considered as a cause of violence, the study indicated that it is a risk factor which strongly reinforces violent behavior. One would be wrong to state that any form of violence is about guns and not about media violence. Violence is caused by the two factors which interact together.
Children that take the games as a role model would want to behave like the character which they view. This can lead to aggressive behavior, abusive language and other forms of behavioral problems. The early stages of a child are especially sensitive to their growth and development. Whatever they learn during the child stage means that they could take it to their youthful and adult age. Children that participate in violent video games are thus at high risk for experiencing negative long-term psychological effects produced through exposure to violent games.
The health of children can also be depicted as one of the negative consequences of violent video games. Violent video games could show certain scenarios or characters that develop stressful conditions and cause tension among children. Girls could especially become more affected by the long-term and permanent exposure to violent video games. It could lead to a change in their autonomic nervous system which becomes dominated by fear. An individual could have their heart rate and blood rate become severely affected. It could also lead to a wide range of psychological problems. These negative health outcomes are the most dangerous and are one of the primary reasons why children should not be allowed to participate in violent video games.
The other side of the argument against the effects of violent video games shows that just because a child plays the games does not mean that they are going to act in a violent way. The study on the effects of violent video behavior to parents is that it is awareness to parents who should monitor what their children are playing and how it can influence behavior. Children that are somewhat antisocial are vulnerable and should not be allowed to go into long periods of violent video games. It can have adverse effects on their mental status and their overall wellbeing.
In conclusion, violent video games have negative effects such as negative behavior outcomes, antisocial behavior, juvenile delinquency, and aggressive behaviors. Negative behavior outcomes could include, emotional outbursts, violent ideas and perceptions, and an increase in psychological arousal. Antisocial behavior occurs due to social isolation making children unable to develop the necessary skills required to show empathy. Juvenile delinquency can be associated with longer screen times which leads to higher crime rates. Aggressive behaviors occur among the children who try to emulate the violent behaviors they view on the screens.
Reference
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.
