When we were younger, a lot of us played video games to pass the time. Most of us even believed that one day we can become a mushroom eating plumber or have breathtaking strength to destroy enemies. But as we got older, those fantasies fled from our minds and we learned the fact that we can never be that. Video games no longer have an effect on us in our youth. While it may seem that video games contribute to youth violence, it is actually true that exposure to violent video games has not been found to be the cause of youth violence.
One cannot disregard that 60% of middle school boys have that have played a mature game has hit someone else compared to the 39% that didn’t play. “Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl K. Olsen, Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth about Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do, Apr. 2008” 12Violent video games have also been found to desensitize youth from real-life violence. For example, in 1999 there was a school shooting at Columbine High School. The boys who committed this horrific massacre played violent video games such as Doom and Wolfenstein 3D. Are the people trying to say that video games caused a massacre?
Although video games are said to desensitize the youth from real life violence, you have to figure out that when someone murders innocent lives, you can’t blame it on a video game. For example, let’s just say that someone that is good at Madden Football expects to be just as good at football in real life because they can play the game well. The point is reality is what it is. There is no pause button, there is no hiding, and there are no second chances. It is actually found that violent juvenile crimes have declined 49.3% in the same period that video game sales quadrupled. (ProConorg Headlines. ) “Studies have actually shown that violent games allow players to express themselves. It’s an outlet for them. All of these violent actions that are said to have been inspired by playing violent video games are nothing but the expressions of issues unrelated to video games.” (Guillareme de Fondaumiere, MA, former president of the French National video game Association.) That could be reason why youth violence has declined. They use video games as an outlet, thus spending less time outside causing trouble and more time inside in their own little world. Lastly, the youth arrest rate has dropped 71.9% from 1995 to 2008. (Entertainment Software Association)
Video games may be the cause for violence or not. It all depends on the person you are. You choose to make your own actions and you can only control yourself. You should know right from wrong. Ultimately, in violent actions, or just in real-life, the choice is yours.