Preview

Video Games: Are They a Cause of Violence and Aggression?

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
696 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Video Games: Are They a Cause of Violence and Aggression?
Video Games: Are they a Cause of Violence and Aggression?

1. Statistic – “In spite of the violence, the violent video games are also the more popular games on the market” (Paragraph 2)

Anecdote – “On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold launched an assault on Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, murdering 13 and wounding 23 before turning the guns on themselves. Although nothing is for certain as to why these boys did what they did, we do know that Harris and Klebold both enjoyed playing the bloody, shoot-'em-up video game Doom, a game licensed by the U.S. military to train soldiers to effectively kill…” (Paragraph 3)

Card stacking/Ethos – “More and more children suffer from and are being treated for anger management than ever before. Now, one can't help but to wonder if these violent video games are even playing a slight part in the current statistics. I believe they do.”

2. I believe the thesis is explicitly said in the introduction paragraph. It reads “Affecting children age 4 all the way to 45 year-old adults, these video games have called for concern in our society regarding issues such as addiction, depression, and even aggression related to the playing of video games.”

3. No, I do not agree with the thesis of this essay. After reading the essay and analyzing the points the author has made to prove her thesis, I can conclude that the facts are bias and/or outdated.

The author states “more children suffer from and are being treated for anger management than ever before,” but statistics from the United States Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics show just the opposite. The agency reports that youth anger and violence is at its lowest levels in 40 years. I infer this is because of the greater recognition, acceptance, and treatment of common mental problems, like ADHD, that once segregated youth and provided a breeding ground for violence. If youth violence is at its lowest levels in 40 years and

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In the past 20 years society has fallen victim to mass murders perpetrated by children, even though overall crime is down. In order to better understand this; social scientists are conducting studies on whether violent video games contribute to this cycle of violence or are they just a tragic coincidence. In “violent Video Games: Dogma, Fear, and Pseudoscience” Christopher Ferguson argues that there is no significant contribution to video game violence and the up-tick in youth violence seen today. However, David Grossmann in “Trained to kill (children who kill)” argues that video game violence not only contributes, but also trains children how to…

    • 768 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Mark and Keisha Hoerrner, "Video Game Violence," Children's Voice, vol. 15, January/February 2006. Copyright © 2006 Child Welfare League of America. All Rights Reserved. Reproduced by permission.…

    • 1360 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Dr Douglas A. Gentile is a researcher who studies the effects of media on children and adults, may it be positive or negative. He has a Media Research Lab at Iowa State University where he conducts his studies. He is an associate professor of psychology at Iowa State University and has over twenty years of experience in conducting research with children and adults. The book is about the effects of violent video games on adolescents, and their school performance. These video games, if violent the children become violent and that if educational, the child will now show any difficulty in learning in school. I learned that while video games are for leisure, it does affect the mind, especially on how one thinks and acts. This show the effects of games when it comes to school, while others do not completely touch on this topic.…

    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dr. Strasburger from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine says that there were normally four factors that applied to school shooters. One, they had been abused or bullied. Two, they had a mental illness. Three, they were socially isolated. And four, that they had been playing violent video games. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter Adam Lanza played video games, but unlike violent video game he was playing a Japan favorite Dance Dance revolution at local a movie theatre. A manager at the movie theatre say’s that he would get so into the game that he would whip himself into a frenzy and the manager would need to unplug the machine just to get him to leave. In the 1999 Columbine High school shooting, the shooter's mothers blamed violent video games as the source of their violence but later to learn that home videos made by the shooter’s show that they were bullied and abused by the jocks at school and wanted to put it to a stop. Whether there is a mass shooting in the United States, it doesn’t take long before pundits suggests violent video games might be to…

    • 1124 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Linda Bernstein’s article “Gaming the Console” addresses the possible effects that video gaming has on teenagers and children. The article supports both sides of the debate: whether or not video gaming has negative consequences. Ultimately, Bernstein lets the reader form his or her own opinion on the subject. Some scientists and experts claim that video gaming is harmful as it may negatively affect areas of the brain, academic and social skills, and can become highly addictive. Other experts argue that some video games are educational and have positive physical benefits.…

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Author and major thesis of the Yes side. Douglas A. Gentile and Craig A. Anderson, Thesis: Violent video games cause several physiological changes in children that lead to aggressive and violent behavior. Pg. 298…

    • 1286 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many people believe that violent video games are contributing to youth violence. On April 20, 1999, 13 people were killed at Columbine High School. The two teen shooters were discovered to be frequent players of Wolfenstein 3D and Doom. These two games are weapon-based combat games.…

    • 376 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In my most recent essay I wrote of the violence attributed to video games in light of various shootings and other tragedies that occurred in the past year or so. In this essay I argued that despite their violent content, video games are not completely to blame for acts of violence committed by children. Throughout this essay I tried to convince the reader by, first, establishing my own credibility with video games, then sharing my own experiences with violent games, and providing both empirical data and valuable insight from trusted sources.…

    • 1740 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Darrions

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Preview Statement (Specifically name main points you will discuss.) – Crimes related to video game violence, how they can make us violent, how they can be stress relievers.…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Paragraph 2: When people say that video games are very influential on the youth of today, they are probably right. But this can be easily solved if parents actually pay attention to the age restriction instead of complaining. Violence in also shown in a video game, but, thinking about it, it is shown on many things. Such as TV shows, movies, news, etc. etc. 0Violence in video games can make people feel more aggressive, but, isn’t it better to express anger virtually in a video game, where nobody is getting hurt, than to express anger by knocking someone off with an angry punch? I think so.…

    • 619 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Video Games Cause Violence

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Video games have always been a great landmark in the history of the human race and how great and advanced they’ve become since their creation. Video games also have their own timeline and certain points in time in which major controversy has arisen. Newscasters have made full reports on how video games are the major contributor to thoughts and actions of violence in the minds of all who have purchased them, either being adults and all the way down to children of all ages. Even though newscasters and reporters may be seen as respected and credible sources this topic has always pinned video games as the culprit but they were never the ones to blame.…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Video games have different purpose for kids to enjoy and to learn from. Most video games are very violent can lead to being aggressive and violent to others. Although reading both sides of the dissuccsuion researches didn’t use just video games to prove there point? Therefore, they can’t say that just video games made the kids more aggressive. Researcher used games, movies and television to support their data and to get there conclusion.…

    • 603 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Once upon a time there was a prince who slayed the dragon to save the girl from the tower then they lived happily ever after, the end. Traditionally that is how a hero is determined, the one who solves the conflict and saves the day. In the play “Oedipus the King”, Sophocles tells a story of a man’s journey dealing with complications that originate from an inevitable prophecy. A tragic hero is a literary character who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. Thus, King Oedipus is a suitable tragic hero in the fact that he encounters a discovery and as a result of the discovery experiences great suffering.…

    • 114 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Final

    • 826 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Violence in today’s society has greatly increased to the youth via video games and televisions. About ninety percent of U.S. kids ages eight to sixteen play video games, and they spend about thirteen hours a week doing so (Harding). Does this consistent image of violence have an effect on their behaviors and the way these kids grow up (Harding)? My task is to argue that kids who play lots of violent video games have more aggressive behavior than kids who do not play violent video games.…

    • 826 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Violent Video Games

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Video games with violent themes are a very large part of the American culture. Children and young adults spend an enormous amount of time playing video games in today’s world. It is a popular belief that video games cause violent behavior in children and young adults. There have been hundreds of studies to either prove or disprove the idea that violent video games cause violent action in real life. In my opinion, the link between violent games and the behavior problems seen in some of today’s youth is just not there. Many of the studies are inconclusive. The studies I have found that are not inconclusive, I find to have unanswered questions and missing variables.…

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays