In recent years, the debate upon the influence of video games to young and teenage gamers have been in the headlines and debates in many forums. Back in the early years, the younger generation would likely be able to hone their talents, skills, and behaviour through socializing with friends, going to parks, and outdoor games. This enables them to practice their skills with other people, and gain confidence to themselves. However, upon the inception of video games of different varieties and styles, many children opt to stay at home and be glued in front of the television to play. However, there are some concerns over the influence of these video games to children as pointed out by parents and experts. Some see the benefits of video games when it comes to brain development and strategy since most video games stimulate real-life situations children have to pass before going to the next level. Others see most video games on the other hand see that video games encourages violence as video games nowadays incorporate violent through fight scenes, storylines, and application of real-life situations that require violence to pass.
This influence by video games and the violent tendencies of children because of these games has been in the headlines as cases of teenage crimes have constantly increased. Experts have pointed out that these children, who have been addicted with violent games, tend to portray the scenes they see in real life to get the same thrill they get from the video games. There is also the possibility that these teenagers and children embody to characters they see in these video games and lose their sense of reality. Most of the reported cases of teenage and children violence have already pointed out this as one of the major reasons as to the severity of the crimes, since some of these teens and children get their hands on deadly items such as guns and knives. Parents find this situation alarming as their children can no longer be influenced by their presence and prefer doing what they wish. Experts find this alarming as some of these violent video games have already entered the market without proper rating, others mislabelled in terms of its violent content. This topic has been debated upon in many books and journals, stating that violence in video games tends to influence several children and produce negative results to most of them. Popular media, on the other hand, agrees with these experts. However, they also point out that this is also arguable and could have been prevented.
Video games raises child aggression and violence
The first argument pertaining to video games and child violence is the influence video games have in stimulating psychological arousal, leading to the child’s aggression and violent tendencies. In the book chapter entitled “Playing with Ethics: Video Game Controversy”, authors Jimmy Dang, Jin Lee and Chau Nguyen state that studies such as the one done in Indiana University School of Medicine pointed out that players who play violent video games exhibit emotional arousal while playing these games. This arousal then decreases the player’s self-control, and attention that influences their thoughts to become aggressive like they see in the games. They have pointed out that the interactive factor in these games enables players to sense the realistic value of the scenes, thereby introducing them to violent situations that are also possible in real life. Video games then tend to become the foundation for understanding these situations and develop aggressive solutions, since most violence in video gaming is seen when the protagonist or the character kills or hurts someone to pass into the next level. As the player progresses in the game, it introduces aggressive thoughts to the brain that persists as long as the player continues to play and learn new aggressive techniques. On the long run, these techniques can then be applied in real-life situations that present the same setting as seen in the games. Players, in this case the young and teenage groups, to create ways to re-enact the situation as they device ways to gain the items they need to re-enact it .
This insight is supported by the study done by Dr. Craig Anderson and Brad Bushman in 2001that in the tests conducted with regards to video-game violence and aggression, the results showed that high video-game violence also reflected a high case of aggression in part of the player. The result can be compared to the effect of condom use as the more people prefer forgoing protection, there is a high risk of HIV being developed. High exposure to violent video games not only increases aggression, but it also increases aggressive and violent functions and emotion, thereby decreasing the child’s social behaviour. This effect is also seen in female gamers and older gamers, as seen in the study. The long-term effect of these games can also determine how much aggressive behaviour has already developed in the mind of the gamer. This is noted by both authors to be similar to the effects of media violence, however, they also stressed that there are still variables to consider which may affect the results of their study .
The CNN article written by Anne Harding entitled “Violent video games linked to child aggression” has also supported these scholars and experts as the studies have shown that the trends in both United States and Japan reflect the number of aggressive children, caused by too much violent video games. In the article, Harding quoted the recent study done by Dr. Craig Anderson in assessing the video game habits of both teenagers and children, in terms on how their behaviours change in the span of their video gaming rituals. The study covered three groups of kids both in Japan and in the United States and asked them to play five game genres from fighting to adventure. The older groups were studied to understand the violence of their preferred genre and how much time they play in these games. The study results showed that Japanese children showed physical aggression as their basis for their behaviour, like getting into fights and physical retaliation. The US children also showed this same behaviour, especially due to the influence of their peers as some played the games their peers played while in the study. Harding expressed that the result of the study is a strong indicator of aggressive behaviour which is why it is important to stop this aggressive trend immediately .
Other studies have also supported the aggression connection of video games to children as noted by Deborah Brauser for Medscape News. According to the study Brauser raised in her article, it is noted that there is a reduced cognitive activity in the brain as the gamer continues to play the game. The German group headed by Dr. Gregor Szycik, noted that their study indicated that from the participants of their study, there is a great change in brain function for those who have been submerged into violent video games as compared to those who did not play the games, especially after playing. Through the use of a functional magnetic resonance imaging system, the group noted a high level of aggression on violent video game gamers, indicating its brain impact. Through more research, the group intends to present the result on how influential violent video games are to the gamers, especially in children. They also note that it is important to understand how the brain is affected by these games since it will explain how the brain functions together .
There are those who contest to the violence seen in video games such as the Michael Gallagher’s position over the violent content of video games to children. Gallagher, in light of a recent decision of the Supreme Court to ban video game sales in California, stated that violence in video games is undermined by research and the stereotypes surrounding it. However, in the statistics of the FBI with regards to youth violence, it depicts a decline in years video games thrived in popularity. This shows that there is still a question as to the evidences presenting that video games’ influence over children. Video games are a form of entertainment, which is why it is customary that they are created to give gamers the optimum performance and quality to give them entertainment and pleasure . Another article supports Gallagher’s position that video games are not violent, and in fact helpful for kids to develop socializing behaviour towards others. In the article written by Daniel Siegberg for CBS News, video gaming is a fact of life for many teenagers despite the stereotypes of gamers who play alone in the dark. Most games played by these gamers are from racing, puzzle and sport genres, thereby disproving the notion that American young gamers prefer violent content for video games. As video gaming consoles enable chatting and partnerships in these games, it enables children to work together and learn. Siegberg also stressed to parents that they should relax as children do learn in games .
Video game regulations are not enacted, which still causes younger gamers to buy higher rated games
Video game sales nowadays show the trend as to how many young gamers get new types of games each year. In the review done by Jim Taylor in his study about popular culture, video game sales each year reach up to $20 billion. This reflects the number of US households that have children owning a particular video gaming platform reached up to 67%. He stressed out that some of the games sold yearly are educational video games, which enable players to hone their critical thinking skills and learning, however, the preferences of most children and young gamers are still violent video games with an estimate of 80% of the gaming group. Surveys have founded out that some games, such as those with mature ratings, target younger gamers under 17 years old. What is troubling for most parents and experts is the fact that most of these mature games and higher rated games are now easily purchased by young gamers. Children ages 13 to 16 years old can buy these mature rated games almost every time they visit a video game store without company. The concerns have been raised regarding this lax security over these high rated games and even pointed out that parents have lapses on their children’s interest by allowing them to purchase these games.
The lapse of security and regulation is argued by most of the video gaming industry as they state that their goal is to give children what they want in their gaming experience, not give them something detrimental and influential for their behaviour. They also believe that these young gamers are aware that the game is not real. For these video gaming companies, it should be the parents who must regulate their children’s spending when it comes to their video game preferences. The industry also argues and denies that they are selling violent video games, a contradiction to the research that state otherwise . Parents have argued about this remark by the video gaming companies as noted in the article written by Timothy Winter for US News Opinions. Winters point out that violent video games are very harmful to children, and must not be allowed to purchase these games without supervision. The problem is that the very industry that profits from these games influences the government to create lapse in enforcing their laws. Video games are also capable of enabling the child to become engaged in each violent act needed in the game. The government’s position is also with flaws since it does not cover online games, which are not purchased .
The government also continues to regulate these games as noted by Nancy Dowd, Dorothy Singer, and Robin Wilson as video game regulation offer a guide for game buyers so that they can understand the games which is available for a particular gaming group. The game rating system is similar to movie ratings so that parents can understand the content of these games, whether they may be too violent or just right for their children. Under the Entertainment Software Rating Board, the video games available in the market are categorized into various categories which cover a particular age group. However, the problem with the ESRB system is the fact that supporting policies and laws to enact these categories are non-existent. The categories are also inappropriate in some games as games are only evaluated based on the videos rather than the storyline and gameplay. One example to this is the game series “Tony Hawk”, a known teen-rated skateboarding game which exhibits blood, mischief, and suggested connotations. However, the rating can be contested as the blood from the game only comes from the character’s injuries .
What is needed to reduce the influence these video games to children, and to regulate it is a strategy that would cover numerous sectors that enables aggression to develop in children and to other gamers. Elias Aboujaoude and Lorrin Koran stated that tighter regulation and regulation of distribution of violent video games is only a part of the strategy to monitor the influence of these video games to children and reduce cases of child violence and aggression. The main goal that must be considered is that violent games must be limited and if possible, prohibited for sale in the regular market wherein children and teenagers are capable of purchasing them even without guidance. Present regulations are also filled with lapses which are why it is necessary to review these policies to reduce the cases of children getting their hands on violent video games. Parents and various related groups must not keep fighting each other in pointing who is at fault for youth violence and aggression, instead, they should work together to decrease the influences of video games to children. Parents must also watch their children closely as they can ensure that their children and teenagers with high probability of exhibiting anger, aggression and violence would not gain access to violent video games. Without these considerations, there is a possibility that the number of child aggression and violence cases will increase .
Analysis
There is not much difference in terms of the position of popular press in presenting the issue of violence pertaining to videogames and its effects to children compared to the presentation shown in scholarly articles. What differs from both forms of sources is the fact that popular press tends to present a neutral stance over the issue as compared to the scholarly articles and books used for this paper. This neutrality is seen in the article written in CNN, US News and USA Today which all indicated the counter-argument to the violent content of video games which is said to affect children and make them violent. This neutrality is only seen in the position by Taylor as they also presented the counter-arguments presented by other studies in terms of the violent content of video games which influences children. They have also indicated some of the arguments against Anderson and Butcher’s presentation of the issue. This neutrality and the openness of these various authors present that there is still a “What if” in the issue of violence in gaming that must also be taken into account. Like television programs, some video games available in the market also target gamer groups and have content far from the bestsellers, which have violent content in its own form.
The data presented in both types of sources shown a possibility that too much of something can cause complications and changes that can become a hindrance in the future. However, it also shows that there is a possibility the results will not be same for all young gamers. The findings also presented the irony that video game companies present. It is true that they don’t always release video games that are relatively violent in content and they are properly rated before they are sold in the market. Nevertheless, with the capacity of technology to alter one’s perception of reality and violence, there is still a hint of connotation of violence in them. It is also noticeable that popular media did not entirely present results and evidences from the studies they have quoted, only stating that the studies pointed out that there is a risk in video games for children like the article written by Harding for CNN. Scholarly sources like Anderson and Bushman’s article, also presented one sphere of the entire argument, foregoing to take into consideration the other positive effects of video games in children.
Conclusion
The tendency of video games to cause aggression and violence amongst children and teenagers is a topic that must be addressed properly. However, an open mind about the topic is also necessary as the arguments of its violent nature can be contested due to the current trends. On the one hand, the nature of video games to produce realistic and violent content can indeed cause changes in children’s behaviour and outlook. They tend to be pulled in the fantasies these video games bring them and pushes away their sense to understand why these games should not be imitated or re-enacted. Regulation of these games is also a noteworthy problem that must be addressed to prevent children and teenagers from purchasing games that are rated for more mature and older gamers. On the other hand, not all children can be affected by the violent content of these video games and the available games in the market are not just about video games with violent content. Ratings are also implemented justly to show which games must be bought by younger and teenage gamers. The resolution of this topic is far from over, but it is important now that parents and adults help their children to understand the nature of these games and find ways to prevent them from becoming violent due to their gaming habits.
Works Cited
Aboujaoude, Elias and Lorrin Koran. Impulse Control Disorders. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print.
Anderson, Craig and Brad Bushman. "Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behavior, Aggressive Cognition, Aggressive Affect, Physiological Arousal, and Prosocial Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Scientific Literature." Psychological Science 12.5 (2001): 353-359. Print.
Brauser, Deborah. Violent Video Games Linked to Aggression, Disminished Cognitive Function. Medscape News, 3 June. 2010. Web. 14 March. 2012
Dang, Jimmy, Jin Lee and Chau Nguyen. "Playing with Ethics: Video Game Controversy." Hovorka, Dirk. The Ethical Imperative in the Context of Evolving Technologies. Boulder: Ethica Publishing, 2007. 137-148. Print.
Dowd, Nancy, Dorothy Singer and Robin Wilson. Handbook of children, culture, and violence. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2006. Print.
Gallagher, Michael. Video Games Don't Cause Children to be Violent. US News Opinions, 10 May. 2010. Web. 14 March. 2012
Harding, Anne. Violent video games linked to child aggression. CNN News, 3 November. 2008. Web. 14 March. 2012
Sieberg, Daniel. Are Video Games Actually Good for Kids? CBS News, 18 January. 2011. Web. 14 March. 2012
Taylor, Jim. Your children are under attack: how popular culture is destroying your kids' values, and how you can protect them. Naperville: Sourcebooks Inc, 2005. Print.
Winter, Timothy. The Government Should Stop Kids from Buying Violent Video Games.US News Opinions, 10 May. 2010. Web. 14 March. 2012
