Introduction.
Behavior development in children is acquired through a learning process. Psychological findings on the effects of environment on the behavior of children reveal that a child learns and adapts from the environmental exposures. For instance, children who grow up in assaultive families where both parents fight are more likely to develop the same behavior on their peers or even once they grow up. This relates to watching violent games and movies. Most of these movies exhibit aggression, crime, hate and resentment. Children who watch these games are likely to absorb these behaviors in one way or another and develop characteristics that do not suit proper behavior. Violent video games lead to a cumulative effect on moods and empathy which develop poor behavior and if this is not properly intervened, may result to be criminals in the society. The results of violent video games on the overall behavior of children are discussed below.
Violent video games increase the eye-hand coordination of players and research supports that such coordination triggers action from the players. The players are tempted to become participants by imitating what their favorite characters. The players become aggressive while handling all sorts of matters. Psychological analyses indicate that violent video games lead to psychological arousals that impact on the feelings and thoughts of the players. They eventually become pre-social since their behavior does not match in societal expectations or with their peers.
Secondly, most violence games reward violence with points or allow players to advance to the next levels. In some games, players are rewarded by some praises like “marvelous shot” after successful attacks. This elevates interest to continue playing games and elevates aggressive feelings and thoughts, anger and emotions for the losers. Take an instance where a child is always on the losing side; the results are anger which lead to aggressiveness. In addition, the video games watching violent acts being repeated continually reinforces the pattern of aggressive behavior as indicated by the psychological learning theory. Such children result to violence engage in fights with their peers more frequently and are observed to be in frequent confrontations with their elders. This also leads to decline in school performance which affects the child’s future that may orient towards criminal activities.
Conclusion.
The debate on the impacts of violent video games on the overall behavior of children is yet to be concluded. Research indicates that watching such games increase the innovative character of children. The games also make the children active and fast in making appropriate moves and decisions. They also reduce idleness and boredom that may induce negative behavior. The games assist in development of positive behavior among kids.
However, the negativity associated with the games lead to a conclusion that they have a significant risk on children’s behavior. The results of watching such games are peer influences that increase the risk of crime in society. Parents and guardians should always watch out for the video games that their children play. Since the popularity of the video games is high, eliminating then totally from the children may be a hard task. It is, therefore, crucial for parents to know the ratings of the games that their children play and also set limits on how often the children play. This would reduce the chances of the negative impacts of the games among the children.
