A Guest's Opinion

A good friend of mine Jin Kim who shared his opinion about violent video games. His knowledge about video game content tells us a little bit more about violent video games and aggression. The following explains his side of violent video games:

A Dead Argument

In Ronnie's blog he talks about how violent video games might be a negative influence, especially to the younger audience, and that is understandable. Many parents and guardians are scared that violent video games can cause their children to become violent in return. I am here to say that this worry should never happen in the first place. 

Why's That?

First off there is no real proof that violent video games cause violence. There are a lot of studies out there that say either that violent video games negatively influence children, and there are others that say the exact opposite. The only thing that people can say for certain is that they are not certain if violent video games influence anybody.

The main problem with this argument is the question of how children are obtaining these violent video games. How are kids below seventeen obtaining games that require an I.D. to buy?

An article on Parenting.com talks about ten games that should not be bought for kids (Sapieha & Tahnk, n.d.) . The problem with this list is that nine of these games are M for mature and the other one is T for teen. The ESRB rates that M games are appropriate for anybody seventeen and up while T games are okay for those thirteen and up (ESRB rating guide, n.d.). So, if the majority of these games are appropriate for those seventeen and up, why are they on a list of games to not purchase for your kids? These games should not even be on a list, much less considered for it. 

So who is the real culprit of this situation? Is it the parents that buy violent games for their children? Is it the game industry for not better informing people? Is it the government for not putting up better regulations for purchasing games? Maybe there is more to blame than just the violent video game. 

References

ESRB rating guide. (n.d.). Entertainment Software Rating Board. Retrieved from <http://www.esrb.org/ratings

          /ratings_guide.jsp>

Sapieha, C. & Tahnk, J.L. (n.d.). 10 violent video games to avoid. Parenting.com. Retrieved from 

          <http://www.parenting.com/gallery/violent-video-games?pnid=501499#comments> 

Questions & Answers with Experts in Violent Video Games - Part II

How Bad are Violent Video Games?

When it comes to violent video games, the player has the freedom to do whatever he or she wants whether its breaking the law or the rewarding violence they get for killing someone. Are these types of video games a necessary strategy for portraying reality to our kids? According to an article, there lists some positive results for violent video games, but mostly negative results violent video games portray.

In her article, Darcia Narvaez conducts a debate between whether or not video games can be good to kids and adults. She begins her article by writing about the positive effects of video games. She states that "playing constructive and prosocial games like Sims can be 'good for you' with at least one caveat--as long as you have a balanced life with real-life face-to-face friendships and enjoyment socializing."(paragraph 4) This is in fact true, it is necessary for people to chat with friends and family because it makes video games more social.

Narvaez then begins to compare the difference that "violent video games have an even more powerful influence than violent television and movies."(paragraph 5) There are three facts she mentions in her comparison:

1. Her statement regarding the growing attachment "in violent video game play, the player learns to associate violence with pleasure (rewards for hunting another character)."(paragraph 6)
2.  Another reason she points out is that "the player practices violent behavior hundreds if not thousands of times, much more practice than normal activities receive."(paragraph 7) One thing she mentions is the main reason for these change in behavior for children is that "violent games teach children how to behave like a criminal and to intentionally hurt others (e.g., burning people alive in Postal2)."(paragraph 7) She even ends her fact with a rhetorical question, "is this what you want your children  to be practicing for hours on end?"(paragraph 7) Her strategy is basically for her audience to decide.
3. She gives scientific results as to how a child's mind develops by playing these violent video games. She proves with her research that "child and adolescent brains are typically susceptible to addictions as their brains are under development till the middle 20's." (paragraph 8) This type of research she provides is true regarding that "recent brain research is suggesting that any addictive behavior (drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, violence) can harm the final stages of brain development in young adults."(paragraph 8) 

These factual evidence provide much reason for parents to be cautious on what they let their kids play. Its very much likely that children will mistaken these types of games as a means of entertainment they've never seen. If children adapt to this type of violence at an early age, it could cause risk for their health and their behavior towards others. 

Resources:

Narvaez, Darcia (2010, November 9). Playing violent video games: good or bad?  
                                                                  Psychologytoday.com.  Retrieved from:     http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/moral-landscapes/201011/playing-violent-video-games-good- or-bad

Violent Video Games for Combat Specialists

There's a reason why violent video games are recommended for adults not only for entertainment, but for an improvement in motor skills and reflex  While searching for evidence on violent video games, I came across an article that explains how violent video games are preparation tools for military. It would make more sense to sell violent video games to military veterans to practice their motor skills and reaction time, according to the article. This information explains why kids shouldn't play these violent video games at an early age.

Through the middle paragraph of The Week Staff's article, I read an interesting topic saying "Do Army pilots train using video games?" The answer was "yes, as do other soldiers."(paragraph 4) Because of this, "the U.S. military released it's own video game, 'America's Army,' as a (very successful) recruiting tool in 2002, but it's now used to train soldiers, too."(paragraph 4) Regarding aggression from violent video games, there is a topic in one paragraph that says "Are these video games making pilots more violent?" With this topic, we begin to understand the difference in behavior from a child and adult when playing violent video games.  The answer to that topic is that "several studies have linked violent video games to increased aggression in kids, but 'none has definitely proved that they cause it,' says Christopher Beam in Slate."(paragraph 5) These questions and answers in the article provide proof as to why violent video games are meant for adults and military preparation.

It's very interesting to know how well violent video games can be used to train army veterans even when they're not at war. Kids at an early age wouldn't understand the use of strategy and skill with a first-person shooter game. The article proves that its best to leave the violent video games to the adults who understand the ways of combat, and how they can use it in real situations.

Resources:

The Week Staff (2010, April 6). Do video games make army pilots more  
                                         violent? Theweek.com. Retrieved from:
                            http://theweek.com/article/index/201720/do-video-
                            games-make-army-pilots-more-violent

Researching Aggressive Behavior from Violent Video Games

As I said in my recent posts, more kids are growing too attached to violent video games slowly making them aggressive. Today, hundreds of studies are being done on  children and their behavior when playing violent video games. There are many reasons how violence in video games can affect children's behavior according to an article I came across during my research.

An article states recent studies about aggressive behavior. Shankar Vedantam explains in his article how easily our minds can be affected by listening, seeing, and experiencing violent behavior in violent video games. The experiment starts which researchers put college students in groups to "measure how each student in each group feel and how they behave."(paragraph 4)

Vendatam then explains the research comparison begins between two professors from different colleges with "social psychologist Brad Bushman from The Ohio State University"(paragraph 5) and "Chris Ferguson, a psychologist from Texas A&M International University."(paragraph 12) 

He quotes Bushman's conclusion which '"everybody was more aggressive if they'd played a violent game than if they played a nonviolent game, and the more numb they were, the more aggressive they were in blasting their opponent with loud noise through their headphones.'"(paragraph 10)

Vendatam quotes Ferguson's opposition which he concludes "'playing violent video games probably will not turn your child into a psychopathic killer,' Bushman said, 'but I would want to know how the child treats his or her parents, how they treat their siblings, how much compassion they have."'(paragraph 18)

Vendatam's article basically describes research from professional researchers showing different results. Both psychologists experimented on the same age group and both concluded different outcomes which made their argument interesting.

I'ts interesting  to know that there are people who have diverse thoughts on how video games affect people in different ways. It's important to read about experimentation of violence in video games to know about games suitable for your child.

Resources:

Vendatam, Shankar (2011, July 07). It's a duel: How do violent video games affect 

                                                      kids? npr.org. Retrieved from: http://www.npr.org/

                                                      2011/07/07/137660609/its-a-duel-how-do-violent-video-

                                                       games-affect-kids

Why Violent Video Games are for Adults Only

Even though violent video games are constantly played by young audiences, many adults tend to make use of these violent video games. There's a reason why violent video games are meant for mature audiences not just for the content, but for mental purposes. I've researched some few topics for the proper use of violent video games. 

In an article for the purpose of violent video games, Ethan Gilsdorf explains why people need violent video games. His explanation provides reasons as to why violent video games are recommended for mature audiences. One thing I've noticed in his article is that "video game industry spokespeople are quick to note that no credible study shows a direct relationship between TV, movie or video game violence, and aggression."(paragraph 5) While reading this, I'm assuming he speaks for all adults that have more knowledge about violent video games. Interesting enough, he rhetorically questions is that, "paradoxically, could it be that violent video games are an important outlet for aggression?" (paragraph 8) Gilsdorf's topic on violent video games proves that most violent video games are recommended  for adults.

Another article states the proper use of violent video games played by adults. Not only do they mention reasons why violent video games are meant for adults, but for good mental purposes for increase in reaction time and hand-eye coordination. During the study, it stated that "six patients between the ages of 19 and 31 were tracked for a period of one month, in which they played the Electronic Arts (EA) video game 'Medal of Honor' for a total of 40 hours--no more than two hours a day, five days a week." (paragraph 7) The test proved successful in which "five of the six showed improvement in their vision, each moving closer to 20/20 from baseline ranges of 20/32 to 20/100, with improved ability to recognize faces, see small print and judge the direction of moving dots."(paragraph 8) Throughout the article, more facts and evidence provide a reasonable fact of why violent video games are only good for adults.

Because of these reasons, many adults tend to let their children play these games to gain some experience at an early age. I'm not saying its wrong to play violent video games with your child, but it would be a good opportunity to prove the difficulty of maneuvering the character throughout the gameplay. 

Resources: 

Gildorf, Ethan (2013, January 17). Why we need violent video games. Cognoscenti. 
                                                      Retrieved from: http://cognoscenti.wbur.org/2013/01/1   
                                                       7/video-games-ethan-gilsdorf

Violent video games good for your health? 'medal of honor' improves vision on five to 
                                                  six patients born with rare eye disorder (2012, February 21).
                                                  NYDailynews.com. Retrieved from: http://www.nydail
                                                  ynews.com/life-style/health/violent-video-games-health-
                                                  medal-honor-improves-vision-adult-patients-born-rare-eye-
                                                  disorder-article-1.1026273

A Special Message Regarding Violent Video Games

Who Plays More Violent video Games?

With the increase of video games, there's a difference on who plays more video games. When video game companies release video games, the general audience would most likely be the target for best-selling games. The general audience (meaning adults and children) together make up the entire audience for video games rated "E." When it comes to violent video games (those rated "M"), which age group plays the most? There is recent study that I found online that provides evidence on which age group plays the most violent video games. 

In an article by Andrew Leonard, he talks about his experience with his own son when playing violent video games. In the beginning of his article, he describes the daily routines his son accomplishes and what he's allowed to play. The important information that I took note was his consideration of the Entertainment Software Association on who plays more video games. It turns out that boys "under 17 years old account for 18 percent of the overall market for video games (more of double the market share of girls the same age) according to the Entertainment Software Association, an industry group."(paragraph 3) With the research Leonard (2010) mentions, we can assume that adults make up the rest of the 82 percent. Another important fact he mentions about violent video games is that "boys are especially drawn to violent games-far more so than girls."(paragraph 3) Leonard's (2010) experience and analysis on who plays more games would be considered legitimate.

The information Leonard mentions to his audience would be considered true to the fact that most kids play video games their parents would recommend and the fact that most kids purchase violent video games with adult supervision. The percentage Leonard mentions proves that parents are taking necessary precautions about their children and their video games.

Resources: 

Leonard, Andrew ( 2010, March 11). What xbox teaches children about the offline 
                                                                      world. babble.com. Retrieved from:
                                                                      <http://www.babble.com/kid/child 
                                                                      development/violent-video-games-and-kids- 
                                                                      videogames-violence/>

Violent Video Games: The Aggressive Reaction Guide

Everyday, kids will spend most of their time playing violent video games. But when children are told that its time to take a break, they will tend to become rude and will try to act as disrespectful as they can just to continue their game. When this type of situation occurs, what should adults do? Listed below are some interesting facts I found online to keep your children under control after long hours of playing video games.

In the article "Managing Aggressive Behavior in Young Children" by Irene van der Zande, there's a list of a few easy steps to controlling your child's behavior: 

1. "Be prepared that children will sometimes have difficulty staying in charge of their behavior."
2. "Identify and reduce causes of stress that trigger outbursts."
3. "Teach children how to recognize the feelings and actions that lead to unsafe behavior."
4. "Understand and stay in charge of your own emotional triggers."
5. "Be a powerful, respectful adult leader when taking charge of an out-of-control child."

These helpful tips managed to help me and some of my friends who were hooked on video games in our teens. Its amazing how violent video games can affect adolescent minds when they play recklessly. It's our responsibility as adults to "help our kids learn how to stay in charge of what they say and do, even if they are feeling very angry or upset at that moment."(paragraph 63) These tips  give plenty of reasons to watch the kinds of violent video games played by children.

Resource:

Zande, Irene van der (2013). Managing aggressive behavior in young children. 
                                kidpower.org. Retrieved from:  
                                <http://www.kidpower.org/library/article/7-strategies-for-managing-
                                 aggressive-behavior-in-young-children/>

Questions & Answers with Experts in Violent Video Games

During a week of finding evidence for my research, I managed to find some interesting people whom I was given the opportunity to speak with. Each of them had different opinions whether or not violent video games causes aggression to children. Throughout the interviews, their thoughts emphasized my results. 

There were many places I had to check when researching violent video games. To be honest, there were multiple places that rejected my request. Luckily, the places I checked was a couple of stores that sold violent video games and a specialist in physical therapy. The fact that most of these people were parents themselves provided enough evidence to show what kinds of violent video games most adults will allow their kids to play. I provided standard questions about their experiences with video games in order for them to share their thoughts on violent video games. The two stores shared their opinions about violence in video games but both had different views. They said that they have many children come into their stores who cannot purchase these games unless they have either identification or parent/guardian. The specialist however, shared as much of her opinion as she could. I managed to gather as much information I needed to show parents the quantity of children who play violent video games.

By the end of my interviews, the three guests concluded that violent video games can cause slight aggression to young minds unless provided with parental guidance. This process is necessary to most parents concerned about what their kids can play. In conclusion, most children will tend to play violent games by themselves to avoid any distractions, which is another reason why parents should watch what their kids play.

-Note: I would again like to thank these people for their time and opinions
regarding violent video games and aggression:

-Tyler Cordle

-Rick Abel

-Gina Tomaseslei

Can Video Games Affect Children?

 During my research into violent video games, there were hundreds of sources I managed to look up. I managed to find more proof of the fact that video games can cause aggressive behavior to young minds. 

In one blog, Andrea Norcia writes about how video games can make children aggressive and how attached they become with video games. She begins her topic with her explanation of why video games are entertaining. Her analysis on how games work is that players " are encouraged to actively participate as a character by choosing how they will interact with other characters including which weapons will be used while fighting or attacking other characters."(paragraph 1) Throughout the rest of her topic, she mentions several reasons how violent video games can cause aggressive behaviors with proof from various websites and that the "National Television Violence Study (1996) determined that 73 percent of violent video games reward violence as an effective way to handle conflict." (paragraph 4) Her analysis provides evidence  to her audience making her topic legitimate for those concerned about the risks of playing violent video games.

Another website I recently found focuses on child and adolescent minds. It provides cause and effects of violent video games. The site mentions that many "of the most popular video games provide a negative themes and promote:

1. the killing of people or animals
2. the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol
3. criminal behavior, disrespect for authority and the law
4. sexual exploitation and violence towards women
5. racial, sexual, and gender stereotypes 
6. foul language, obscenities, and obscene gestures"(paragraph 2) 

Children that spend too much time playing violent video games "can create problems and lead to:

1. poor social skills
2. time away from family time, school-work, and other hobbies
3. lower grades and reading less
4. exercising less and becoming overweight
5. aggressive thoughts and behavior"(paragraph 5)

Luckily, the site mentions a few steps to help keep your child under control from playing too much video games. By following these steps, "parents can help their children and enjoy video games by:

1. checking the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating to learn about the game's content.
2. selecting appropriate games - both in content and level of development.
3. playing video games with their children to experience the game's content.
4. setting clear rules about game content and playing time, both in and outside of your home.
5. strongly warning children about potential serious dangers of Internet contacts and relationships while playing games online.
6. talking with other parents about your family's video game rules.
7. remembering that you are a role model for your children - including video games you play as an adult." (paragraph 6)

By watching the types of games being released and their ratings, adults can help their children make the right decisions when playing video games.  This way, children can enjoy playing video games  and feel safe from becoming aggressive.

Resources: 

Children and video games: playing with violence (2011, March). American Academy of 
                                                             Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Retrieved from:
                                                             http://aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_
                                                             families/children_and_video_games_
                                                              playing_with_violence

Norcia, Andrea (2013). Violent video games and aggressive behavior. Palo Alto 
               Medical Foundation.Retrieved from:http://www.pamf.org/preteen
               /parents/violentvideogames.html

Limiting Violent Games for Kids

There are many kinds of different video games today that are played daily, mostly the ones that include graphic violence and gore. Due to advanced technology and graphics, game developers are able to make video games a little too real. Because of these developments, game ratings are set for each specific audience. But these ratings are recklessly ignored by the young audience due to their desire for the graphics in the game. Many children today are becoming more attached to video games due to intense graphic and animation. By playing these games, they soon develop different behaviors. Being a victim myself, I too have experienced change in my behavior towards others by playing violent video games.

Through my research, I managed to find various proof of how violent video games affect children's behaviors. An article by Jean M. Twenge (2012) explains how violence in video games can develop aggressive behavior to children. She states in her article that "these studies find that playing violent video games does, indeed, cause aggression." (paragraph 6) Another article by Anne Harding (2008) also mentions the same problem but her research includes a much bigger group which makes her article legitimate. She states in her article that "in every group, children who were exposed to more video game violence did become more aggressive overtime than their peers who had less exposure." (paragraph 9) These articles provide recent study of aggressive behavior of kids from playing violent video games.

With the information I gathered related to gaming behavior, I suggest that people should be more observant of their child's behavior when they're playing these violent video games. Parents should be wary of what they let their kids play and make sure that their children don't spend too much time on their video games. I'm not saying we should ban violent video games for children, but to keep an eye out for any suspicious activities that can develop in a child after playing these types of video games.

Resources:

Harding, Anne. (2008, November 3).Violent video games linked to child aggression. CNN
             Health. Retrieved from <http://articles.cnn.com/2008-11-03/health/healthmag.violent.video.kids_1_violent-video-video-games-game-genres?_s=PM:HEALTH>

Twenge, Jean M. ( 2012, December 21).Yes, violent video games do cause aggression.

Psychology Today. Retrieved from: <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-changing-culture/201212/yes-violent-video-games-do-cause-aggression>