Does Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth Violence? | Teen Ink

Does Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth Violence?

May 28, 2014
By Anonymous

At an age to where I start noticing issues and start developing my own opinion, I have experienced and witnessed a topic that has connected to both my family and I. I have noticed that my own brother has turned into a more aggressive human being. Part of it might just be a normal thing for boys when they grow up. However, he has told me multiple times of how he knows what type of gun is the deadliest weapon and/or how he learned a new way to kill the bad guys. What he has learned is not just violence, it is also racial terms, profanity (etc.) He has learned some of these things from music and television, but most of it is from what he claims to be Call of Duty or Assassins Creed. Violence in video games can impact the child’s thinking. Although playing video games reduces violence in adolescent boys by serving as a substitute, it is actually true that young children are more likely to confuse fantasy with real world violence because of how young and immature their minds are. Violence in video games has led to school violence because it persuades kids into thinking it is okay to cause pain, it is allowed for all ages, and kids can interpret violence in the wrong way.

To the argument that I am presenting here, there is the other half of the situation I still yet have to consider. According to research and articles of this topic that support violent video games, playing violent video games reduces violence for adolescent boys by being used as a substitute for aggressive playing and also having them be able to establish a status in the peer group without causing physical harm. (Olson, Kutner, & Warner) This allows boys to be boys

and still play roughly but online instead of “horsing around” and causing physical harm toward one another. Based on some other information, Video games with violence help create a healthy alternative and different opportunities to understand the consequences and rules of causing pain or violence towards others. (Salonius-Pasternak and Gelfond.) In other words, they can be used
As a creative outlet for any emotion. Instead of actually pursuing these actions, they can let out all of their emotions such as anger upon a game of violence. This could be used as an excuse to be allowed to cause pain virtually.

The side of supporting violent video games can sum up a good explanation on why it is socially acceptable to allow these games for kids just so that they can use it as a “mental outlet” from causing harm. However, this could cause the child into thinking a certain way. Violence in video games can create for the player a feeling of pleasure when they see pain and they also reward the player for simulating violence. As you say that is okay for kids to use this system so that they don’t need to cause harm, it is just increasing their mindset into thinking it is okay to kill and cause pain in other people. Instead of suggesting better games for their outlet, we, as a society, are allowing kids to experience and feel the need that is okay to kill. This is just causing a bigger problem. Also, especially at such a young age, they won’t be able to fully understand if what they are doing is okay.

Violence in video games has affected our generation of children by starting school shootings, bullying,(etc.) One event that occurred was,” The young men who opened fire at Columbine High School, at the movie theater in Aurora, Colo., and in other massacres had this in


Common: they were video gamers who seemed to be acting out some dark digital fantasy.”(Carey) A thing that is used as a form of recreation for kids has changed the face of video games for kids. Once a child is involved with the video game, there is a chance to where he/she can get obsessed or competitive with other players. That could possibly be a cause to the aggressive behavior that could be brought to school. He also states how after long periods of
Time to where you have adapted to it, there is a high chance that you can be involved with a violent crime such as rape, murder, etc.

Violence in video games has been with us since the 1980’s and we have taken control of it and used it as a device of fun for all ages. However, games such as Wii Play or Cooking Mama haven’t brought us to question games such as Call of Duty and others. There are plenty of stories and investigations of children that have brought terror to their school by bringing a gun because perhaps they became more aggressive. This might have all came from just a weekend to 3 years of killing virtually. Based on how popular and loved these games are there is little to no chance of getting rid of them or put them to the side. However, we should compromise to find a solution to where our children won’t grow up to only crave death among others. Perhaps we should actually pay attention to ratings and have the parents make the choice. Or even something such as keeping control on what is being sold to the public. Either way, we should put an end to extremely harsh video games that can change the mind of an 8 year old to the mind of a serial killer.



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