GAMING YOUTH VIOLENCE

Gaming Youth Violence

Gaming Youth Violence

The progressively realistic features and marketing of video games has increased their over-whelming popularity among youth. 79% of American children now play computer or video games on a regular basis [and] children between the ages of seven and 17 play for an average of eight hours a week (Jones & Smith 2003). Crueland gory video games have been a constant debate among parents, educators, and government officials, and although youth with a history of aggression are more prone to the affects of violent video games, this doesn't mean there is a lack of harm to the ?normal? children of society. When focusing on the influences of videogames, we must remember that parents have the ultimate authority when it comes to controlling the behavioral affects violent video games have on society's youth.

A meta-analysis focusing on the effects of normal American children initiates a debate on prominent and reoccurring information when comparing violent and non-violent games. As mentioned in Walsh's article, studies measuring the physiological responses have shown that violent games increase physiological arousal including heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. These physiological effects are alarming, as they are the same types of physiological reactions bodies have when engaged in a fight. Also, studies measuring cognitive responses have shown that violent games increase aggressive thoughts. Children subjected to brutal games tend to interpret ambiguous social cues as being of hostile intent such as depression, negative self-perceptions, and peer rejection. Similarly, studies measuring pro-social attitudes and behaviors after playing violent video games have shown that they decrease a player's tendency toward positive behaviors like helping others and changing emotions. Finally, studies measuring aggressive actions after have shown that vicious games increase aggressive behavior.

Furthermore, when looking at a particular study of eighth and ninth graders, ?students who played more violent video games were more likely to see the world as a hostile place, to get into frequent arguments with teachers, and to be involved in physical fights (Olson 2004). Many researchers and psychologists believe that sadistic video games are not to be blamed for these types of behaviors; instead, the cause is a previous aggressive personality that is attracted to more violent games. While this may be true to a certain extent, this study found that exposure to fierce video games is a significant cause of physical fights, even when student's hostility level and amount of game playing are controlled. Children with the lowest hostility scores are almost10 times more likely to have been involved in physical fights if they play a lot of violent video games than if they do not play violent games (38% compared to 4%) (Walsh 2007). This study concluded that children who're more hostile but do not play violent video games are less likely to be involved in fights than children who're less hostile but play a lot of violent video games.

However, forcing an attack on all video games is useless; some games simply require a bop on the head or ...