Preview

Violence in Video Games

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
578 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Violence in Video Games
Violence in Video Games and Its Affects on Teens

Ever since their conception, video games have contained violence; violence being to cause pain or death onto other beings. From early video games to the most advanced, violence plays an important role. Early games like Wonder Boy and Space Invaders contain violence. Space Invaders involves shooting and killing as many alien as possible. Wonder Boy has our hero killing monsters that vanish upon death. The hero is also subjected to violence as enemies swing swords, and throws rocks at him. The degree of violence in video games is based upon personal preference. Does violence in video games contribute to violent act committed by teens? And, what makes teens turn to violence?

Being exposed to violence everyday, kids become blunt to it and it becomes a normal thing. It a defense mechanism, a form of denial says Dr. Peter Nieman, a Pediatrician. Video games are seen as fantasy but really help to make violence more acceptable in our society says university of Toronto Sociologist Walter Podichak. There are still many questions whether some video games are more violent than some comic books or some cartoons. It' s a problem for some kids who are not connected and are dealing with violent images, they may think this is an appropriate behavior. If they have access to a gun, you may see a problem says Det. Sgt. John Muise, of the Ontario office of victims of Crimes. (Source 3)

Examples of violent video games and their content

In modern day popular video games like Goldeneye 007 (James Bond) bad guys no longer disappear when they are killed. Instead, they react to there gunshot wound by hopping around, rolling around, or just dieing , but the body and the blood remain. In other games like Unreal Tournament and Half Life gore plays a huge factor. In these games when characters get shot or brutally beaten large sprays of blood squirt out, even when explosives are used body parts

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    “When Life Imitates Video” Response: Violent video games are a huge part of the life of many children, perhaps even…

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    People don’t realize that the violence in video games can cause violence in real life. Not all videogames are violent but the majority of them are getting worse as the years go on. In the past 10 years the death rates caused by videogames has gone up.…

    • 428 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the United States video games and violence have become synonymous to each other. Some of the most popular games today tend to be the most violent. This has brought up the issue of video game violence and its relation to adolescent violence. Many argue that video game violence primes anger and aggressive thoughts in the individual using them. But research and proof of this argument has been limited, inconclusive, or contradictory which has brought up debate over the issue. Two scholarly research articles, “Video Games and aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the laboratory and in life.” by Craig A Anderson and Karen E Dill and “Video Games and Youth Violence: A Prospective Analysis in Adolescents” by Christopher J Ferguson, published in 2000 and 2010 respectively, debate this topic and discuss the psychological effects of violent video games on the user. The article by Anderson and Dill asserted that video game exposure increased aggressive traits long-term and short-term while the research article by Ferguson made the claim that outside conditions and factors such as personality traits, family environment, and depressive symptoms far better indicated increased aggression or youth violence than violent video game play. Both articles conducted their own studies in attempts to measure the correlation between video game violence and aggression level. However, Ferguson’s article had a more complete argument, accounting for more outside third variables, expanding upon data from previous conducted studies, and counter-arguing opposing studies and evidence against video game violence. Overall Ferguson’s article provided a stronger argument against video games causing violence and aggression, drawing upon more references and evidence, counter-attacking and pointing out flaws of previous research conducted, and analyzing numerous other factors.…

    • 1577 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Anderson, C. A., Gentile, D. A., & Buckley, K. E. (2007). Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy. New York: Oxford University Press.…

    • 2802 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although on the other hand some people already know some of the positive aspects of video games they still believe that the negative will overcome the positive ones. Some people believe that the connection between violent games, and real violence is also fairly intuitive. In playing the games kids are likely to become desensitized to gory images;which could make them less disturbing, and perhaps easier to deal with in real life. While video games aren't about violence their capacity to teach can be a good thing.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    References: Anderson, C. A., Gentile, D. A., & Buckley, K. E. (2008). Violent video game effects on children and adolescents: theory, research, and public policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.…

    • 3479 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Simulated violence is common in video games making it easy to make a connection when people are watching the violence happen on screen for multiple hours at a time. Studies show that people who commit crimes, such as shootings, play violent video games and acted as if they were in a digital fantasy (Carey). Further studies from the University of Michigan show that observational…

    • 366 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Violence In Video Games

    • 2444 Words
    • 10 Pages

    The controversy surrounding violence in video games stretches back to 1976 and involved violence against stick figures. Over the years, violent imagery has increased in the frequency it appears in games and in the graphic depictions of violence against people and animals. Concerned parents, activists and researchers have long suggested that viewing such material is inherently harmful to children and adolescents and encourages criminal behavior. When people looked for reasons why two teenage boys would murder their classmates at Columbine High School, violent video games were blamed in the press (McKibben,…

    • 2444 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Video Game Violence

    • 1521 Words
    • 7 Pages

    There have been many arguments that have been brought up arguing that violent video games are making kids more violent. Some arguments go as far as saying all video games are making kids more violent. However, the argument can go both ways. People have brought up that video games help kids with hand eye coordination and allow them to vent their frustrations. The earliest videogame has been around since 1958, and this game was a simple game that had no human and no violence in it. As technology became more advanced the videogames became more violent. Starting with a ball bouncing right and left in a videogame called Tennis for Two and ending with an incredibly violent video game that encourages killing other humans in Manhunt 2. There has been much research done on violent video games and their effects on kids, but no outcome has been decided yet.…

    • 1521 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Over the past decade the popularity of video games has exploded. Adults as well as youth play these games. A large part of the video game market is made up of violent video games in which the player can commit terribly violent acts against others in the game. Many have begun to question the affect this kind virtual violence could have on the youth. There have been multiple studies done on this issue but many people are still divided on what to think. Some people think that these violent games have no affect on the youth that play them. Others think that violent video games may make children more aggressive. Still others hold that the games teach youth to commit violent acts.…

    • 1414 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are so many different types of violent games available to consumers. I 've always thought that its not so much that you want to play a game to shoot at someone, ones plays the game because they 're so important in that game, that everyone wants to shoot them. It is that strange moment in the day, where one may actually feel really important. Whether it be in that violent video game, one is simple the focus of attention. With video games become more frequent and violent this does lead some question how far it will go. But video games are the same as any other some other form of entertainment. It 's just the only one being scrutinized for the violent crimes of my generation. Many studies have tried to link video games to violent behaviors but have failed. Nothing conclusive has come from these studies. It 's these countless accusations that haunt the video game community and put a horrible label on…

    • 1484 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Video Game Violence

    • 1094 Words
    • 5 Pages

    On The Daily Show on Thursday, April 26, Jon Stewart made short work of the suggestion that the Virginia Tech shooter, Cho Seung-Hui, might have been influenced by violent video games. (Cho may or may not have played the popular first-person-shooter gameCounter-Strike in high school.) A potential video-game connection has also been dangled after past killings, to the irritation of bloggers. The reports are that shooterLee Boyd Malvo played the game Halo before his sniper attacks around Washington, D.C., and that Columbine killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold loved Doom. Does the link between video…

    • 1094 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Video Games Are Good

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Some may say video games do promote violence and aggression and I’m here to say, you don’t know until you can prove it. Exposing children and adolescents to violent visual media increases the likelihood that they will engage in physical aggression against another person. A single brief exposure to violent media can increase aggression in the immediate situation. One short term affect is that general arousal increases, which tends to increase the dominant behavioral tendency. A long term affect is it decreases the cognitive accessibility of nonviolent ways to handle conflict.…

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Violent Video Games

    • 2439 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Video violence is a major problem in our society. When people are exposed to the violent world of video games, their perceptions of reality are changed from a world with consequence, to a world where consequence does not matter. USA Today Magazine states, that video violence is a major component in the desensitization of mankind (Video violence desensitizes the brain, 2006). Exposing children to the repetitive violence in video games serves as a conditioning for violent behavior. Whether or not the allies of video violence believe that exposure to violent games does not cause a more violent society, teach motor skills and develop excellent problem-solving skills (White, 2004), without looking at the consequences of these games, our society is at risk for increased acts of violence.…

    • 2439 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ultra violent video games, television shows, cartoons, and movies surround children. It is hard to say that our children have not become desensitized and gripped with violence. Today’s video games have become an ever-rushing stream of death and gore; they have become a part of our culture, and have caused the modern young person to become more aggressive and less respectful of…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays