This essay is intended to highlight the underpinning negative effects of video games on children. Based on the various resurgent studies, it is significant that to a greater extent, video game playing has continued to be preferred to television watching by a good number of children. It is the most prioritized activity by many children. Be it as it, a good number of critics assert that parents should take a proactive role in decreasing the amount of time their children spend playing video games. Some studies suggest that the playing or observing of violent games does affect young children negatively as they show increased levels of aggressive behaviour – at least in the short term.It is as well believed that believed that repeated exposure to real-life and to entertainment violence--usually found in video games--may alter cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes, possibly leading to desensitization in children. Desensitization is one of the key mechanisms proposed for the effects of exposure to violence. Constant exposure to violent oriented video games by children ultimately make children experience the elimination of cognitive, emotional, and, ultimately, behavioral responses to a stimulus, (Rule & Ferguson, 1986). This essay therefore aims at highlighting the negative effects of video games on children.
Children exposure to violence oriented video games may be victims of subsequent aggression and violence. Constant exposure to violence has been implicated as one cause of subsequent aggression and violence. It is believed that repeated exposure to real-life and to entertainment violence may alter children’s’ cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes, (Friedlander, 1993; Osofsky, Wewers, Hann, & Fick, 1993; Osofsky, 1995; Farrell & Bruce, 1997; Cooley-Quille, Boyd, Frantz, & Walsh, 2001).
Since the inception of computer video games in the late 1970s, the main concern continuously alarmed is that video game as a form of leisure activity for children impacts aggression. Therefore, children become more aggressive after engaging in such video games, (Zimbardo, 1982). Continuous exposure to violent computer games increases children’s aggressive behaviour. Due to the fact that children are actively involved in computer game playing, it raises the concern that computer games may in fact have a greater effect on children. Children become very aggressive after watching or playing the video games. Children who play who play video games later tend to act similarly to the way their computer game character acted. This may be explained with the social learning theory. Indeed, aggressive behaviour appears more likely to occur following the playing of a violent computer game than a non-violent video game.
Video games are very addictive. There level of addiction is quite high. The addiction comes at a cost. In fact, children playing video games become addicted such that the games become part and parcel of their behaviour. This raises concern on the amount of time spent by children on playing games. Video game playing is undertaken by children at the expense of other activities. This implies that it has other detrimental effects that may not be noticed easily. Video game addiction, just like behavioral addictions, is made of compulsive behavioral involvement, misplaced interest in other activities as well as mental recognized symptoms when reversing from the behaviour, (Silverne and Williamson, 1987). An instance where a child spends more time playing video games per given day signifies that the game is preferred to basic activities like studying. This may be clear evidence that continuous video game playing by children may impair their academic performance. As well, children tend to eliminate social activities in preference to the rebellious video games. It is clear that since it breeds addiction, video games playing plunges children in futile, repetitive play which definitely influence their physical and emotional behaviors. Addiction is harmful to a child’s health as it results in monotonous strain injury stemming from prolonged painful movements, wrists and hands.
It is wise to point out that video game playing exposes children to stereotypes and gender biases. If not all, a good number of video game characters are male. Besides, intensive marketing of these games targets male audience as core consumers. Role taken by female characters usually are princesses or girlfriends held hostage. This exposes children to gender imbalance as the male counterparts are presented in most games as very active and diplomatic. If not portrayed as seductive, sexy as well as an irrelevant character, female characters will be portrayed as house maids. A child who is exposed to the video games therefore grows up with the stereotypes and biases as a welcome subculture and culture in general in the society where they grow, (Rule and Ferguson, 1986). Consequently, these stereotypes and biases are carried over to the real life. This portrays a negative influence of playing video games.
Video game playing is as well associated with crimes. Available literatures assert that there is a correlation between video games and offending by young children who play these games. Exposure to crime scenes in video games results in a variety of emotional reactions in children, usually comprising of fear, anxiety, anger and depression. Generally, in children, such exposure undermines the development of crime and emotion regulation techniques. Damaged emotion regulation leads to desensitization and hence a child is triggered to crimes or violent behaviour. A child is likely to be a criminal since violent video games may instill a desire to demonstrate and reinforce crime attitudes seen on games. Generally, this impairs children’s cognitive behaviour, (Eisenberg & Fabes, 1998).
Children are likely to practice the aggression and violence shown in video games in real world. Without doubt, this is likely to result in death or serious injuries. Often, children who play video games have reduced empathy and may definitely have poor parental relations. They may not open to help others out. Also, unwarranted video game plying causes a child to be socially isolated. This implies that even if a child encounters a problem, he/she won’t be in a position to reveal due to the poor relations developed. A child is thus likely to suffer different consequences that may result to death or severe injuries without parent’s notice, (Zimbardo, 1982).
Lastly, an excessive time spending on video games considerably lowers a child’s rate of physical activity. This implies that a child is at higher risks of obesity. Health wise, obesity is not healthy. Apart from the obesity, video game playing is associated with other health disorders like skeletal and muscular disorders as well as nerve compression, (Eisenberg, 2000).
Over the whole, just as many critics argue that parents need to take a proactive role in decreasing the amount of time their children spend playing video games and based on the above arguments, I totally agree as it evident that excessive video games results in aggression, crimes and health side effects besides social elimination in children.
Reference
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Rule, B. K., & Ferguson, T. J. The effects of media violence on attitudes, emotions, and cognitions. Journal of Social Issues, 42, 29–50.1986.
Zimbardo, P. Understanding psychological man: a state of the science report’, Psychology Today, 16, 15. 1982.
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Eisenberg, N., & Fabes, R. A. Prosocial development. In W. Damon, N. Eisenberg (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology.5th ed., vol. 3, New York: Wiley. 1998.
