Preview

Videogames Is the Cause of Violence and Crime

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
535 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Videogames Is the Cause of Violence and Crime
Videogames is the Cause of Violence And Crime
In 1990’s, video games evolve into virtual reality experience for young video game players. Most video games let the player become as a “first person shooter” who have the ability to shoot and kill their opponents in the game (Porter & Starcevic, 2007). According to the Harvard Mental Health (2010), adolescents who play video games for routinely have the potential to develop aggressive personalities. In 2008, Pew Research proves that 97% of young individuals play video games that contain violence that brings a concern to the public (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2010). Various types of studies prove that adolescents who play video games routinely develop hostile behaviors and generate more crime.
Video Games and Hostility
Young adults who are exposed frequently playing video games have developed violent attitude (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2010). According to Mental Health Letter (2010), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) did a study that aggressive and violent young adults are influenced from the destructive context of the video games. A study proved that aggressive of the video games lead young adults to various of personality disorders such as being anti social and prone to destructive personality (Porter & Starcevic, 2007). Because adolescents tend to have great imagination, they have the ability to envision themselves as part of the game (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2010). Therefore, Harvard Mental Health Letter (2010) claims the young adults develop their aggressive behaviors and actions from the video game’s characters that routinely kill and destroy their opponents. Moreover, the adolescents are capable to disconnect themselves from their own reality (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2010).
Video Games and Crime
According to Harvard Mental Health Letter (2010), a study illustrated that young adults aggressiveness led to create of various types of misconducts. In addition, young individuals

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Body Paragraphs

    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In recent years, we’ve heard on the news of youth crime increasing. According to Cheryl K. Olson, M.P.H., S.D., “it is impossible to know exactly what caused these teens to attack their own classmates and teachers … one possible contributing factor is violent video games.” It 's very difficult to document whether video and computer games contribute to violence such as criminal assault. However, we can conduct a study on how violent games may contribute to some types of violence and aggression and to the beliefs, attitudes, and interpretations of behavior that support them. “Another issue is whether and how the effects of video game violence might be compounded by exposure to violence in other media. Cautious interpretation is necessary, since there is always the risk of confusing cause and effect or correlation with causation.” (Nov/Dec 2002). Technology is constantly changing and advancing, with Internet and console gaming, so researchers have to make intervention efforts more resultant, and to focus on which children are at risk of such behavior. We must focus on developing direct educational and policy interventions based on solid…

    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good 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
  • Good Essays

    The video games phenomenon is somewhat new in this modern society. Although they often to be entertaining, the contents have become more violent and disturbing as computing technology has become much more advanced. These days, the popularity of violent video games has caused an increase in controversy. Parents and experts feel that some games are just too violent and they think that the violent will spill over into the real world. However, I strongly believe violent video games do not cause an increase in aggression in adolescents. In fact in many ways violent video games benefit the children that are playing them.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In today’s society video games can cause many behavior problems. The violence in video games can affect children in many ways. Violent video games affect a person’s brain and health. At last, violent video games also affect the player’s personality in various ways.…

    • 325 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    After review of the publication, Game On, a Harvard Health Letter, I discovered that the social and cultural ramifications of video games are of high debate upon many parents and adults. Games are played by people of all ages and sexes but the vast majority of “gamers” are teenage boys. This is worry some considering they are attracted to action games with bloodshed, violence and explicit content. In Grand Theft Auto, a best seller, the players sell drugs on the streets while shooting at gangs and buying prostitutes, what we in America consider violent behavior. Thirty years of research prove that media violence promotes aggressive behavior in young people however, due to the amount of additional underlying factors which can be ruled in such as substance abuse, cultural beliefs, abusive parents and innate personalities, it is very hard to establish a direct connection between the violence stemming from these games and other things. Through research of brain scans they have proven that thoughts of aggression and violent shooter games will activate the brain in a similar way however, directly showing a link to the games and violence in the real world has not yet occurred. Although some claim that games have real benefits it seems they are more so to promote aggressive behavior. With more and more people becoming addicted to the games, game “detox” has erupted to help the one in twelve young people affected by…

    • 2257 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    How and why does mass media influence aggressive behavior? More specifically, does playing video games cause aggressive behavior? Because children and teenagers spend an increased amount of time each day viewing/playing video games, they are shaping their values, attitudes, and behaviors. For people who do act out aggressively, the results can be deadly. Monthly, the news is filled with blood-chilling accounts of crimes committed due to a copy-cat obsession with violent video games. This paper will present a brief review of literature and reveal the difficulties in answering this question with certainty.…

    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Halo, Call of Duty, and Gears of War are just three of many grossly popular video games today, and they have one main thing in common: violence. Whether one is shooting down Nazi soldiers on the beaches of Normandy or sawing apart Locust drones on the planet Sera with his or her lancer, one is engaging in extremely violent video-game action, and probably having a lot of fun doing so. With the rapid growth of intensely violent games, parents and politicians across the nation have begun to protest against violence in video games and have even gone as far as to say it is the cause of violence in America’s youth. Is this really true? Are video games the problem? Just like the rock and roll movement of the 1950’s being blamed for youth delinquency,…

    • 1941 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Video Game Violence

    • 1399 Words
    • 6 Pages

    “If video games do increase violent tendencies outside the laboratory, the explosion of gaming over the past decade from 3.2 billion in sales in 1995 to $7 billion in 2003, according to industry figures, would suggest a parallel trend in youth violence. Instead, youth violence has been decreasing.” (Hoerrner 49). A video game is a game played by electronically manipulating images produced by a computer program on a television screen or display. Violence is behavior involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something. Some video games have violent and mature content in them. People claim that the violence in video games can cause aggression in people. Others claim that the violence in video games has nothing to do with aggression in people. It is also argued that violence in video games has nothing to do with the rage already existing inside of people. Video games do not cause violence because gamers understand that video games are not real, that video games release daily frustration and are inspiring.…

    • 1399 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Gentile, D., Lynch, P., Linder, J., Walsh, D. (2004) The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behaviors, and school performance. Retrieved November 11, 2006, from www.psychology.iastate.edu…

    • 1748 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Today's games depict some of the most horrific acts humanly possible and allow players to earn rewards for acting them out. Some children find it difficult to separate reality from video game. As studies have shown, children that spend a vast amount of their time playing violent video games demonstrate less prosocial behaviors, have hard times interacting with their peers, and display aggressive behaviors (Bushman Anderson, 2009).…

    • 836 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
  • 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
  • Powerful Essays

    Does violence in video games promote violence in children is a question that has been discussed in the media for more than 15 years. Every time a new video game is launched there is discussion regarding many issues such as aggression, violent behavior, social skills, depression, and addiction. All these issues are believed to be related to playing violent video games. Violent video games enlarge these problems by demanding the portion of brain that takes action, instead of reasoning, to concentrate on the chronic need to extirpate to continue in the game. Violent video…

    • 1795 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Video games are being blamed more and more for violent acts people cause after playing them in extreme amounts. These violent video games are becoming more popular around the world among children, teens, and young adults. These games promote aggressive acts like shootings, theft, and drug use. As video games get more sophisticated and realistic, it becomes more like the real thing which desensitizes people to the violence, blood, and gore.…

    • 1536 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Gentile, Douglas A., and Craig A. Anderson. "Violent Video Games: The Effects on Youth, and Public Policy Implications." Handbook of Children, Culture and Violence. D.G. Singer, 2006. Web. 28 Apr.…

    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays