What are the effects of violent video games on the society?
What are the effects of violent video games on the society?
Video games can be portrayed as being extremely violent and better sound, graphics, and animation has made the games more realistic to the gamer. Technology leading to ever-realistic games and disturbing titles such as Manhunt and Grand Theft Auto 3 has led to aggression, anti social behavior and desensitization to violence in children. The technological improvements in graphics and sound have allowed for video game players to not fully distinguish if harmful acts portrayed in video games are appropriate in everyday life, and with the availability to play these games more people are lead toward violence and aggression in everyday life.
In the past decade, the rapid increase of the video game industry has had many people questioning the violence in the games produced. Games are now days so realistic that the line between video games and "simulations" has significantly been blurred. They are so realistic that the government of the United States has released a game called America's Army, to help train soldiers. Violent video games were blamed for a large number of high-school shootings in the late 1990's, the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999 being the most devastating ("Video Game Facts"). These shootings present a true concern that violent video games may be affecting the aggression of people.
It is a widely accepted idea that violent media in general desensitizes people. Hogg and Cooper believe that the incorporation of violence in the media in time can change peoples' beliefs about aggression in both the long and short term, making us likely to consider aggression and violence as acceptable. They also note that due to media there has been an increase in aggression consistently found in studies (259-63). Their opinion was developed fully by the social learning theory, which theorizes that people learn social behavior by imitation and observation, repeating rewarded behavior (Myers 366-70). From this theory, aggression could increase if violence was both rewarded and observed (like in violent media).
People experiencing aggression at high levels can cause harmful effects for society, including criminal behavior. A longitudinal study involving 856 youths concluded that violence seen on television during early childhood was positively related to the youths' antisocial behavior 10 years later (Eron, et al 253-63). This analysis does not intend to imply that aggression is solely determined by violence in the media. According to Hogg and Cooper, the primary causes of aggression are a convergence of situational instigators like aversive conditions and several personal characteristics such as hostile world schemas (277-279). Media in turn, would be considered an environmental modifier that could influence personal characteristics, leading to serious potential effects.
It seems that aggression can be potentially increased from most forms of violent media and can lead to highly serious consequences for our society. It is possible that video games can have a deeper effect than television, since gamers are actively involved in hurting others in games. The issue regarding violent games is psychological. Anyone playing these games could become drawn toward violence, with serious psychological consequences. Additionally, playing violent games could persuade gamers to carry out criminal acts in real life. One example of this is when two teenagers fired at cars, killing people claiming that the idea came to them while they were playing Grand Theft Auto (Wellington). In playing violent games gamers are led to believe that killing goes without consequences as is invariably the case, with no harm done to the gamer.
Playing violent and disturbing video games is likely to have a negative psychological impact upon the gamer, sometimes glorifying the actions, encouraging the player to imitate them, or scaring the gamer. An example of the former is the case of teenage stepbrothers who shot two people in cars to death, claiming Grand Theft Auto 3 was responsible for their actions (Anderson and Dill 772-90). It is reasonable to foresee that if a glamorous character in a video game carries out violent acts, some impressionable people will imitate this.
A young player would certainly be scared by some games, usually unjustifiably, by the monsters or actions that are carried out in a game (Faust). It is clear that some children who play a game in which they are killed by monsters, will be unjustifiably scared of monsters, perhaps making them more unstable people. Releasing games such as this without restrictions will expose young children to excessive violence.
However, the desensitization to violence that may be caused by violent video games may be an advantage to people. They may lose their fear of blood, which could make them better suited to be doctors or surgeons. Playing the kill-or-be-killed games can improve your ability to see objects at dusk, peripheral vision, and the games can even be used to treat amblyopia or lazy eye (Matthews). Another possible advantage is when you play an action video game; you learn to better allocate your resources.
The effects of violent video games if not channeled correctly can be a ...
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However, the desensitization to violence that may be caused by violent video games may be an advantage to people. They may lose their fear of blood, which could make them better suited to be doctors or surgeons. Playing the kill-or-be-killed games can improve your ability to see objects at dusk, peripheral vision, and the games can even be used to treat amblyopia or lazy eye (Matthews). Another possible advantage is when you play an action video game; you learn to better allocate your resources.
The effects of violent video games if not channeled correctly can be a detriment to society. People become desensitized and do not realize they are becoming violent because they thought they were just playing, and then somewhere they lose reality. Antisocial behavior erupts, and kids just hang out with their video game consuls and do not know how to interact with one another. Technology is ever realistic, and games are becoming increasingly real, dangerous, and violent. There will always be a good side and a bad side to every situation. A good side to violent games can be used to train military and help soldiers train for war. The bad side is violent games put in the minds of our young and older people that are just playing for recreation do not understand they are getting "addicted" to the high of the game. As violence becomes part of the trill, people may cross over to reality and hurt innocent lives. Where will our world be if we do not stop the madness and violence found in these games?
Works Cited
Anderson, Craig A., and Karen E. Dill. "Video Games and Aggressive Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior in the Laboratory and in Life." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 4th ser. 78.1 (2000): 772-90. Print.
Eron, D. L., R. L. Huesmann, M. M. Lefkowitz, and O. L. Walder. "Does Television Violence Cause Aggression?" American Psychologist (1972): 253-63. Print.
Faust, Kyle. "The Effects of Video and Computer Games on Aggression and Multi-Tasking." Addiction Alternatives Information - Drug Addiction Help - Treatment for Alcoholism. Web. 17 July 2010. <http://www.addictioninfo.org/articles/3801/1/The-Effects-of-Video-and-Computer-Games-on-Aggression-and-Multi-Tasking/Page1.html>.
Hogg, Michael A., and Joel Cooper. The Sage Handbook of Social Psychology. London: SAGE, 2003. 259-88. Print.
Matthews, Karen. "The Associated Press: Violent Video Games Touted as Learning Tool."Google. Web. 17 July 2010. <http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iTOPuu9h0AkGqLGinqVHSCkQyggD9FVPM9O0>.
Myers, David G. Social Psychology. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2008. 366-70. Print.
"Video Game Facts." Teen Addiction - It's No Game. Web. 18 July 2010. <http://www.teenaddictionitsnogame.com/>.
Wellington. "NZ Bans Computer Game for Repetitive Extreme Violence." The Age - Business, World & Breaking News | Melbourne, Australia. Web. 17 July 2010. <http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/12/1071125642544.html>.
In recent years, video games have been a popular icon of youth culture. However,as games have become popular, so has the amount of violence contained in them. Because of the immense popularity of video games with children, violence within them should be handled more properly.
First of all, let's take a look at some background information to get a few ideas of who plays the games frequently and what amount of video games contain violence. A lot of people tend to think that the majority of video game users are children, but a congressional testimony by Interactive Digital Software Association denies this, and points out that 77 percent of the most frequent consumers are "adults". (57 percent-over18, 20 percent-over 36). (Douglas n.p) And yet, even though those "adults"account for most of the users, the remaining 23 percent of the consumers are still under 18, and shouldn't be overlooked, especially when researches have found that many games contain at least some form of violence. One research has sampled 33 popular Nintendo
and Sega games, and came to the conclusion that close to 80 percent of them have at least some aggression or violence. (Dietz 425) Another research shows that 85 percent of the games that are inspected embrace a lot of acts involving killings. (The Journal of Psychology)
One example of a destructive game that I have seen is Mortal Kombat IV. It's a fighting game between two characters in which one of them literally destroys the other by pulling off the arms or pulling off the head to make them explode, and so on. The commentator just laughs about it very loudly or says "Excellent!" to praise you every time you kill the other character. Its graphics are full of blood that I remember very vividly and was very shocked when I saw it for the first time. My friends who used to play it say that it's kind of old so they are tired of it already, but I still see them playing it once in a while. One of them says that even though it's not a very good game, people still play it because they think it's funny to kill people in such a manner. Dr. Jeanne B. Funk, a psychology professor at the University of Toledo has studied seventh and eighth grade students, and has discovered that nearly a third of them like to play "fantasy violence-typed games",
and 17 percent say that they like to play games that contain "human violence". (Aguilar 8A)
Because of recent events in America involving school shootings, the importance of the role of parents has been discussed more frequently here and there, especially regarding how much parents can control what their children see or do. But can parents know what their child's whereabouts and actions are every minute? It would be difficult to say that they could, such as when their children are at video arcades or playing games at a friend's house. Actually, arcade games are as popular as home versions (Dietz 425),and many children commonly spend their time at arcades. Moreover, like a lot of mothers
in the world, American mothers nowadays must also work to improve their family
incomes, and have very little time to stay at home and watch their children. However,they can at least check and control what kinds of games their children buy and play at home. Usually new games cost between $40 to $50 which is not a reasonable price for young children, so parents are usually the ones who buy games for them. In fact, I see many children go into game stores with their parents to buy games. So if parents say that they are really concerned about protecting their children from violent games, it's natural for them to ask the sales people and also look for the rating systems on the games. It is
the least they can do, and is also a necessary responsibility as a parent. This also means that they can't just blame game companies for their products if the parents don't do what they should be doing. However, as mentioned before, parents aren't always around to see what their children are getting into.
Another aspect of parent responsibility is to make sure whether their children are easily mis-led about things that are happening in their environment. They are much more impressionable than elder teenagers and adults. Therefore, they are more likely to emulate and imitate people and things that would capture their attention. However,parents can take advantage of this approach because it means if children have a good role model, they would mimic and act in a positive way. Adequate communication such as family discussion and family activities are also some of the ways to teach them morals. If children learn enough knowledge of difference between fantasy and reality, then they would be better able to distinguish between right and wrong without being told by their parents and other good role models. This is becoming more and more difficult, however, especially when game companies are trying to make video games seem more real. Because of new technology, many games look like films or tv, and children see the violence almost as though it is in front of them.
This constant exposure to realistic violence is the final matter to be discussed. It means that children will become less and less shocked at witnessing or experiencing violence, and are thus more likely to cause it. Even Dr. Funk has found out that "younger children" tend to have more aggressive behavioral patterns after they play "violent games" than the elder teenagers. (Buchman and Funk 12) On the other hand, a University of Massachusetts psychologist, Dan Anderson, suggests that it's not every child, but only a "small minority" which are easily influenced by exposure to video game violence. Yet,those people which are affected "can cause serious havoc." (Leland et al 44) He also states:
If you're predisposed to violence and aggression, you can find like-minded people who will validate your experience. You can become part of an
isolated group that family and friends don't know about, and that group can
exchange information on getting or making weapons. (44)
A recent and well known example of this case is the tragic event that happened not so long ago at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Two students shot and killed 13 people and wounded 23 other students before they committed suicide. A lot of the media has reported repeatedly that those two students did like to play games a lot,especially the kind of games that include lots of violence. And even though it cannot be proven that video games caused them to kill their fellow students, it is still a fact that they were constantly playing games which exposed them to violence. Therefore, it is not
strange to think that video games were most likely a part of what affected their violent behavior.
In conclusion, it has become obvious to the public that video games are a big part of children's lives. It has also been shown in studies that exposure to violence in video games can create aggressive behavior, and can possibly even lead to violence at home or in school. The solution to this problem is not easy, but one short-term solution is for government regulation of game sales. If the government forces retailers to keep track of which games are being sold to minors, then children wouldn't be able to purchase violent games. Because video games already have a rating system, it would only be necessary for retailers to ensure that under-age children were unable to purchase games with a rating higher than their age limit, much like the way cinemas are handled.
Criteria A- Presentation of the issue
Video games can be portrayed as being extremely violent and better sound, graphics, and animation have made the games more realistic to the gamer. Technology leading to ever-realistic games and disturbing titles such as Manhunt and Grand Theft Auto 3 has lead to aggression, anti-social behavior and desensitization to violence in children. (Faust) In Manhunt, the gamer is able to cut enemy parts off with chain saws and other household items, such as plastic bags and kitchen knives. ("Erp21") In Grand Theft Auto 3, the gamer can run over civilians in a car, or massacre innocent civilians walking around with weapons. Manhunt has been banned in New Zealand, (Wellington) but it is available in the USA for those over 17. This restriction is hardly ever adhered to, with employees deciding whether the gamer is mature enough for the game. ("Xbox Solution")
The issue regarding violent games is psychological. Anyone playing these games could become drifted toward violence, with serious psychological consequences. Additionally, playing violent games could persuade gamers to carry out criminal acts in real life. This was shown when two teenagers fired at cars, killing people claiming that the idea came to them while they were playing Grand Theft Auto (Wellington). In playing violent games that killing goes without consequences, as is invariably the case, with no harm being done to the player.
Criterion B - The IT background of the issue
The concept of a violent video game is the same as that of a normal video game, with the addition of disturbing graphics, sounds and/or subject material. Violent video games might depict disturbing material such as a disturbing looking creature, a graphic decapitation or a character being buried alive.
Technological developments have made the violence particularly realistic and disturbing in video games even though liberal attitudes towards video game violence are partly responsible for the rise of games like Manhunt. The three elements of a video game that can make it disturbing are graphics, sound and concepts. In just ten years, processor speeds and 3D Graphic accelerators have increased twenty fold allowing these elements to depict an unrealistic scenario and turn it into a scenario as realistic as everyday life. Better speakers, microphones and additional storage space have allowed for improved and more realistic sound that has the gamer feel as if he/she was performing tasks in a real environment listening to the sounds of people talking with no difference to real life. These are the developments that have lead to violent video games becoming particularly violent and disturbing.
It is unlikely that the concepts that video games are based on will ever become more violent, as they are already as violent as they can be. They can however become more prolific, and the graphics and sound can become more realistic. It would only be reasonable to expect that the number of violent video games would increase with the growth in the video games industry.
For anyone to play a violent video game such as Manhunt all that is required is an XBOX, Playstation, GameCube or an up-to-date computer and the game itself. The technological improvements in graphics and sound have allowed for video game players to not fully distinguish if harmful acts portrayed in video games as suitable in everyday life, and with the availability to play these games more people are lead toward violence and aggression in everyday life.
Criterion C - The impact of the issue
Playing violent and disturbing video games is likely to have a negative psychological impact upon the player, sometimes glorifying the actions, encouraging the player to imitate them, or scaring the player. An example of the former is the case of teenage stepbrothers who shot two people in cars to death, claiming Grand Theft Auto 3 was responsible for their actions. It is reasonable to foresee that if a glamorous character in a video game carries out violent acts, some impressionable people will imitate this. (Anderson and Dill)
A young player would certainly be scared by some games, usually unjustifiably, by the monsters or actions that are carried out in a game. It is obvious that some children who play a game in which they are killed by and killing monsters, will be unjustifiably scared of monsters, perhaps making them more unstable people. Releasing games such as this without restrictions will expose young children to excessive violence. (Faust)
However, the desensitization to violence that may be caused by violent video games may be an advantage to people. They may lose their fear of blood, which could make them better suited to be doctors or surgeons. Playing the kill-or-be-killed games can improve peripheral vision and the ability to see objects at dusk, and the games can even be used to treat amblyopia, or lazy eye, a disorder characterized by indistinct vision in one eye. Another possible advantage is when you play an action video game; you learn to better allocate your resources. (Matthews)
Criterion D - Solution to problems arising from the issue
Policies could be introduced to prevent violent games being given to young people and to prevent games that are too violent from being sold at all. There could be fines for businesses caught violating these rules, and store checks where a minor may attempt to buy a violent computer game, undercover, and if he/she receives it, the business will face fines or may be shut down. These policies would also include in Australia introducing an R 18+ rating for video games, as at present the highest rating for a video game is MA 15+. Changing the rating would protect minors from unacceptably strong content, better informs parents and guardians of what they are buying, and better protect the rights of all Australians to enjoy their freedom of choice. ("EA Calls for R18+ Rating")
The solution is limited, as it can only be speculated as to whether it would work. The solution could also be countered by minors asking older siblings or friends to buy violent games for them. All in all, although the solution has some flaws it seems to be good solution, as it discourages the use and tries to prevent the misuse of violent video games.
Criteria E- Bibliography
Anderson, Craig A., and Karen E. Dill. "Video Games and Aggressive Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior in the Laboratory and in Life." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 4th ser. 78.1 (2000): 772-90. Print.
"EA Calls for R18+ Rating." R18 Games Australia. 7 May 2010. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://www.r18games.com.au/>.
"Erp21." Manhunt Reader Review by erp21, 12 May 2003. Web. 20 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/review/R64843.html>.
Faust, Kyle. "The Effects of Video and Computer Games on Aggression and Multi-Tasking." Addiction Alternatives Information - Drug Addiction Help - Treatment for Alcoholism. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. <http://www.addictioninfo.org/articles/3801/1/The-Effects-of-Video-and-Computer-Games-on-Aggression-and-Multi-Tasking/Page1.html>.
Holland, Jesse J. "Free Speech versus Kids and Violent Video Games - Yahoo! News." The Top News Headlines on Current Events from Yahoo! News - Yahoo! News. 26 Apr. 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. <http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100426/ap_on_en_ot/us_supreme_court_violent_video_games>.
Matthews, Karen. "The Associated Press: Violent Video Games Touted as Learning Tool." Google. Web. 21 May 2010. <http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iTOPuu9h0AkGqLGinqVHSC kQyggD9FVPM9O0>.
"Xbox Solution." Underage Sales of Rated Material - Who's To Blame?. 19 Dec. 2002. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. <http://www.xboxsolution.com/printout505.html>.
Wellington. "NZ Bans Computer Game for Repetitive Extreme Violence." The Age - Business, World & Breaking News | Melbourne, Australia. Web. 25 Apr. 2010. <http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/12/1071125642544.html>.
