Contemporary generation has been the recipient of vast technological applications including those which are offered in the area of entertainment, leisure and games. Despite the obvious magnanimity of the benefits gained from advances in these facets, there are those which have left an indelible mark in terms of the negative effects that impact on a specifically defined sector of the population. Video games, for instance, have been notorious for contributing to evident changes in behavior of children which are synonymous with the games being played (Anderson & Warburton, 2010; Sherry, 2001). One hereby contends that violent video games are significantly detrimental to children and young adults due to the direct link to aggressive behavior.
In the study written by Bond (2011), the author’s findings revealed that children, in specifically identified stages of development, who have been exposed to violent video games could manifest negative effects especially when these children exhibit other risk factors of deviant, dangerous, or lethal behaviors. Further, in the study conducted by Sherry (2001), the author established a correlation between playing violent video games as a predictor for aggressive behavior. This was also corroborated by Anderson & Warburton (2010) who reviewed other studies on the subject and confirmed that “exposure to violent video games led to an increase in aggressive behaviours, aggressive thoughts, aggressive feelings and physiological
arousal (which is linked to aggressive behaviour), to desensitisation to violence and decreased empathy, and to a reduction in pro-social behaviours” (p.65). The studies were even supported by similar findings from the American Psychological Association (APA, 2005), as well as the
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, 2009) who were noted to have published formal statements asserting these findings.
adults due to the direct link to aggressive behavior as supported by various research studies. The cause and effect of playing violent video games have revealed diverse negative effects, which could have been prevented if children were re-oriented into engaging in more productive endeavors.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2009). Policy Statement—Media Violence. Pediatrics, 124, 1495-1503.
American Psychological Association (APA). (2005). APA calls for reduction of violence in interactive media used by children and adolescents. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Anderson, C., & Warburton, W. (2010). Chapter 3: The impact of violent video games. In W. Warburton, & B. Braunstein, Growing Up Fast and Furious: Reviewing the Impacts of Violent and Sexualised Media on Children (pp. 56-84). Annandale, NSW, Australia: The Federation Press.
Bond, D. (2011, April 1). The Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behavior and the Relationship to School Shootings. Retrieved from University of South Florida: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1062&context=honors_et
Sherry, J. (2001, July). The Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggression: A Meta-Analysis. Retrieved from Human Communication Research; International Commission Association: http://www.icagames.comm.msu.edu/vgma.pdf
