Position Paper
Position Paper - Media and Society
Introduction
Video games industry is a well-recognized and growing sector, and there is a huge excitement surrounding the introduction of the every novel game. These games have a huge impact on the behaviors of the user regardless of the age. Now these games are being used most frequently in the educational world, and it is perceived that these video games enhance the specific skills of children such as emotional skills and intellectual skills that help students in achieving academic goals (Loo, 2014). Here, the major aim of the paper is “to find out that do video games really contribute in building some specific skills or they encourage violent behavior?”. Hence, the thesis statement of the paper is that “video games encourage violent behavior”. Several researches shows that video games have a significant impact on the behavior of users and video games encourage violent behavior rather enhancing intellectual and other academic skills. For example, in 2011, a man who was involved in the killing of 77 people in Norway, when testified, found that he prepared himself for assault by playing the shooter video game. An extensive range of research concluded that violent behaviors and violent games are strongly associated. However, multiple researches declared simultaneously that either these games have no connection or contributed in decreasing crime (Weigel, 2015). Hence, the study will attempt to present the facts in the support of the thesis that “video games do contribute to violent behaviors and encourage violent activities”. Further, the expected argument and satisfactory answer to that argument is discussed.
After the research of more than 40 years, some might think that the debate of the violation of media is over, but that is not true. There is a wider range of studies that have been presented and many researchers with the increased use of violent video games are continue to present their research result and debate on the topic. It is found that many countries including the United States are thinking to limit the sales of violent video games to minors as they restrict the sexual context to minors because enough evidences have been provided to them that violent video games encourage aggressive behavior. The social theory about the potential effects of the violent video games says violent video games augment violation, as they teach players the ways to reinforce violent tendencies and to be violent (Hall, Day & Hall, 2011).
It is clear from the scientific evidence that people who play realistic violent games for 45 minutes had a huge improvement in the feelings of arousal and aggression. It is clear from the study conducted by Bushman and Anderson (2009) that exposure to violent video games or violent media affect the health negatively and enhance the risk of obesity, poor image of the body, and the use of substance. Multiple studies suggested that the negative effects of violent video games vary with certain populations, but do exist on overall users of video games (Hall, Day & Hall, 2011).
Possible argument and its answer
The possible argument that can take place during the debate can be about the studies that present the positive impact of these violent video games on players. To answer this question, several studies have been followed. It has been observed that most of the studies that present positive impact of video games over players by demonstrating that video games enhance intellectual, emotional and other sorts of specific skills in people that also help them in educational achievements; do not deny the negative impact of video games. However, these studies either not discuss the negative impact entirely or partially accept that these games have a negative effect (Price-Mitchell, 2013; Hughes, 2014).
References
Bushman, B. J., & Anderson, C. A. (2009). Comfortably numb desensitizing effects of violent media on helping others. Psychological Science, 20(3), 273-277.
Hall, R. C., Day, T., & Hall, R. C. (2011, April). A plea for caution: violent video games, the supreme court, and the role of science. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 86, No. 4, pp. 315-321). Elsevier.
Hughes, E. (2014). Effect of Video Games on Child Development. Retrieved July 20, 2016, from https://my.vanderbilt.edu/developmentalpsychologyblog/2014/04/effect-of-video-games-on-child-development/
Loo, K. (2014). 7 Ways Video Games Will Help Your Kids in School. The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kara-loo/7-ways-video-games-help_b_6084990.html
Marr, B. (2016). Pokémon GO: The One Serious Problem Everyone Should Worry About. Forbes. Retrieved July 20, 2016, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2016/07/19/pokemon-go-the-one-serious-problem-everyone-should-worry-about/#6ce444b5297e
Miller, R. L. (2015).The Legal Environment Today - Summarized Case Edition: Business in its USA: Cengage Learning.
Price-Mitchell, M. (2013). Effects of Video Games: More Good than Bad for Youth Development?. Roots of Action. Retrieved July 20, 2016, from http://www.rootsofaction.com/video-games-for-kids-more-good-than-bad-for-development/
Weigel, M. (2015).The contested field of violent video games: Research roundup. Criminal justice, culture, internet. Retrieved July 20, 2016, from http://journalistsresource.org/studies/government/criminal-justice/value-violent-video-games-research-roundup
