Abstract
This paper aims to consider gaming habit of Greg and what can be done to deal with such problem. Violent video games are popular among children and teenagers, relevant statistics proves this idea. Negative consequences of violent video games, risk factors and strategies that mitigate the possible outcomes for Greg are discussed. Greg’s behavior can be worsened; he may have mental problems, poor academic performance and be aggressive. This work proposes parents to show Greg a good example for him to make him interested in a real world, get a common hobby, spend much time together or send him to a camp. Exposure to violent video games is compared with murders and mass shootings, it was revealed that such games do not lead to such consequences, but they are the relevant risk factor. The key idea is that people should be protected from media, parents should control Greg’s behavior and inspire him to be interested in other healthy hobbies.
Many children and teenagers spend their free time playing video games. Sometimes they negatively impact children because they cannot control their free time, do not fulfill the promises, loose interest in social life and their behavior becomes aggressive. This paper aims to deal with a problem of a little boy Greg, help to his parents and propose effective strategy how to deal with negative consequences of playing violent video games. The main idea is that violent video games negatively impact children’s behavior and academic performance.
Modern children and teenagers often choose video games and the Internet instead of sports. However, their parents rarely understand them and believe that violent video games negatively impact children. The key idea is that exposure to video game violence is associated with lower empathy and stronger proviolence attitudes. If children with lower empathy and stronger proviolence attitudes constantly play violent video games, this exposure will contribute to empathy or decrease proviolence attitudes. Greg does not show violent behavior, he only lies to parents because they do not understand him. Moral evaluation is absent in violent video games, but proviolence attitudes and behaviors are repeated that is a negative idea (Funk et.al. 2004).
Video games are popular among players of all ages. The Kaiser Family Foundation in a study dated by 2008-2009 revealed that 8 to 18 years old spend nearly 73 minutes playing video games every day. A survey conducted in 2003 stressed that very young children (birth to 6 years) play video games on average, 61 minutes per day. Nowadays such figures constantly grow. Most popular games have violent content. Thus, the 2008-2009 Kaiser survey revealed that most of 8-18 years olds play the violent Grand Theft Auto serious, others play Halo that is another violent game. Adolescents also choose violent games. It seems that playing violent video games is a popular leisure choice for children and youth (Trivedi 2015). There is a difference in playing video games between White youth and Black or Hispanic youth. Black or Hispanic youth consume nearly 4½ hours more media a day (Rideout, Foehr, Roberts 2010). Another research revealed that two-thirds of 100 children play video games and boys do it twice as likely as girls do. One in 10 told that he played more than three hours a day and this group was also dominated by boys. The main problem is that children who play less than an hour a day less likely have problems with aggressive behavior than those who do not play such games. From the other side, children who spend more than three hours a day show high levels of aggression and are less academically engaged (Bingham 2015).
Greg is 10 years old, his mind is not formed yet therefore that contributes to danger of exposure to media violence. Video game violence is a risk factor for aggression and violence. It negatively impacts child’s behavior and school performance. Children tend to have problems in society because they spend too much time playing video games and cannot adapt to society, cannot effectively communicate and decide their problems. They often see examples of violent behavior, where all issues are decided through murdering or other similar behavior. It is a negative idea because Greg’s behavior will likely change if the parents do not pay special attention to this problem (Dowd, Singer, Wilson 2005). It should be remembered that computer game is the simulation of a particular activity: racing, aircraft management, strategy, or quests. This activity exists in real life, but it is simplified or hypertrophied in the games to generate interest. Two aspects of the games should be considered. First, the game is a pleasure that requires the repetition of human actions. Second, it is the activity that simulates the game. It may be useful because it trains certain skills.
The key idea is that not all children who play violent video games will likely become more aggressive. The example about mass shootings and potential effects of playing violent video games is not a good example. Thus, a child often has such risk factors if he has psychological disorders, gang membership, drug use, and inflated self-esteem. But Greg doesn’t have such problems, his family members are normal people without any disorders, there is no violence in their family. Playing video games is ultimately a risk factor, but it doesn’t mean that all people who play violent video games, will become violent. For example, smoking elevates the risk of occurrence of the heart attack, but it doesn’t increase the risk. From the other side, there is a risk that parental involvement in Greg’s media habit will stimulate to show aggressive habits (Dowd, Singer, Wilson 2005). Greg’s cognitive and socioemotional developments are good. He is 10 years old, he understands what is happening, has feelings and likes playing video games. His cognitive skills are good, he cannot provide effective problem-solving, he has abstract thinking, and can read.
Some protective factors might mitigate the possible outcomes for Greg. They include controlling of video-gaming, personal strengths and a supportive relationship with parents, and warm family environment is protective factors for pathological gaming. A strong emotional regulation and warm family environment closely relate to decreases in video-gaming (Liau 2015).
If Greg’s behavior continues unchecked, he will probably behave in an aggressive way, his academic performance will degrade. The key idea is that parents have moral and legal responsibilities to prevent danger to Greg (Dowd, Singer, Wilson 2005). Thus, the worst outcome is that Greg may get mental problems if he will not stop spending a lot of time playing violent video games.
Community centers, schools, and social service agencies propose intervention strategies at a community to assist children like Greg. This includes a therapist or treatment program that specializes in the treatment of game addiction. Thus, a summer camp or wilderness program at community centers or in schools will change a normal environment of a child and put him into a situation where he is forced to live in reality without violent games. Such programs include activities that instill confidence, develop positive passions, and improve social skills. Parents should properly choose the right program with a therapeutic element because military or boot camp with highly competitive activities would harm Greg. From the other side, therapeutic boarding schools and wilderness camps that are proficient in treating addiction and behavioral issues may change his life (Treatment Options for Video Game Addicts n.d.).
Parents should also provide intervention strategies to help Greg. Greg’s parents should reveal that video games are a kind of escape from real life, everyday problems, it is a parallel world in which Greg can be a hero, build and conquer civilizations and do everything that he wants. Such problems indicate that the boy lacks communication and understanding of his personal problems, ideas, losses, successes, and dreams. Thus, his parents should communicate with him, share secrets and be honest with Greg. The key idea is to inspire the boy to refuse a media world. The next thing is to make Greg interested in sports and outside activities. He should understand that sport is more interesting that spending all time playing video games. Parent should show an example for him, play tennis, study foreign languages, travel together, be engaged in active workouts and find a common hobby. From the other side, Greg should not play video games more than an hour a day.
The dangers of exposure to video game violence can be compared with the dangers of exposure to murders. Mass shootings at schools suppose that video gamers seem to act out their dark digital fantasy. It comes from the idea that a gaming habit makes them more aggressive. There are no psychological studies that can prove that murder, rape, or assault, murders happen because of a gaming habit. In most cases, school shootings occur because a person feels socially isolated and is bullied (Carey 2013). This information strongly rejects a link between violent video games and murders
Societal costs of video game include neglecting or disappearing of personal relationships. Addicted people provide harmful social decisions and consider gaming as highest priority in their lives. They often feel irritated or offended, and consider family and friends as unnecessary people who interfere in their lives. Addicted children do not develop effective social skills and are rarely able to maintain healthy relationships. The online world seems very attractive for them, rather than the real one (Social Consequences of Gaming Addiction n.d.). From the other side, crime generates costs to society at all social levels. For example, nearly 23 million criminal offenses that were committed in 2007 in the U.S., resulted in $15 billion economic losses to the victims and $179 billion economic losses to the government. Such costs include medical care costs, earnings, and property loss or damage (McCollister, French, Fangc 2010).
References
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