The sounds of gunfire and screams fill your room, your screen is filled with blood and gore, and just like that, you end the day and go to sleep. Violent video games have been a very controversial topic since 1976. There have been studies that supposedly prove that video games cause violence. But in recent studies, it has been proven that violent video games have hardly any effect on someone. The following analysis will focus on how violent video games have little effect on children’s minds.
The first video game that was ever created was a pong game in 1958, it was the very first video game in history. Genres are always changing and genres are always being created, this goes for video games the most, today we have a wide range of game genres. But the most popular genre that has also sparked the most controversy is the action genre, usually, in this genre, it contains blood and gore. For example, in Mortal Kombat, “ The player controls a character’s arms and legs so he or she kicks and punches an opponent… his or her character has the option of killing the loser.” (Gimpel 6). Of Course, children shouldn’t be exposed to these types of games but even if they are, they usually learn that violence is wrong from school and other adults that are close to them.
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The number of people that play video games is astonishing, with 1.2 billion people playing video games worldwide, which is 17% of the world's population (Nayaka 8). Of those 1.2 billion people that play video games, 72% are age 13-17 (Nayaka 8). With so many people playing video games, the amount of money that people pay for these games and consoles. In 2015 alone, sales in the gaming market reached $91.95 billion worldwide. With millions of people gaming and billions of dollars being spent on this activity every year (Nayaka 7). This benefits the economy and also creates a way for children to learn how to save and work for their money to get the things they want like video games. This will also drive them to be good children so that they can get a new video game, which leads them to want to pursue a good job to get what they want.
The things that grab most of the children’s attention are actions, kids love action, but not all types of action are suitable for children. There are different subgenres when it comes to action, there is a less realistic action like superhero games and street fighters. Then there is the violent action, like Call of Duty and Mortal Kombat, that have gore and blood. The graphics get more realistic each year, and every year the games get more blood and gore implemented into them. The reason for this is the ever-expanding technology, and because of the consumers themselves. Most people who play video games always want more blood in their games, not because of their violence but because they want something new. Then they advertise their game in the best way possible, making it almost impossible to buy the game. There is no need for any age group to worry about violent video games, like dr. Whitney DeCamp said in “Do video games lead to violence?”, “discovered that playing video games, no matter how bloody, did not predict violent behavior.” (Scutti 1).
What people don’t realize is that most of the time when children get angry at their parents for turning off their games is usually because it frustrates them greatly, and for bad parenting. Kids who get aggressive when they are removed from the game have probably been allowed to play for long periods every day. This causes them to feel cheated because they got to play for maybe 6 hours yesterday, but only 4 hours the next, which makes them frustrated and stressed. A good parent should sit by them or have them play in a common area so that they are nearby and can be supervised (Fishman 1), but most of the time they aren’t vigilant of what their child is playing or watching. Some parents buy their kid's games that contain violence, blood, gore, sex, theft, and drugs but don’t even know it nor do they bother checking the rating of the game to see if it’s suitable for their age (Fishman 1). Most of the time kids are exposed to graphic content mostly because of their parents not paying too much attention to what their kids are receiving as entertainment
Video games can also help children develop good skills that they can use in the real world. When they play games they learn good hand-eye coordination, which can help them in a job like a surgeon or a machinery operator. It can improve their reflexes, which is very important when on the road or in dangerous areas, it can even save their lives in some cases for having that increased reaction time. It also helps them type because after constantly typing into chat it will help you be able to type without looking and type quickly without messing up. This also opens up a whole range of careers in coding and computers where being able to type is key to doing well. Video games, violent or not help children make a future decision of what they want to be, and some games can help them practice. Most people who play video games also have good problem-solving skills which help them in school and in any job like a civil engineer that builds roads, bridges, and buildings in remote or hard to reach areas. Or a robotic engineer can make a robot that can help astronauts in space, or pick up a heavy piece of equipment or rubble of a fallen building. The people who talk in online chats in the games also learn how to communicate well with others, which can help them become an entrepreneur or a salesman who sells items to foreign customers. They can also pick the gaming industry and design their console or even make their own game.
Yes, video games do cause aggressive thoughts though, but not for the reason that most people think. Most people think that because someone plays a violent video game, it means they in attitude are aggressive or have a bad temper, or even capable of murder or crime, or if they are young, a potential school shooter. But that's not necessarily the case, yes they can get angry or lash out, but it’s not because of the violence, but because of the hard levels or bosses. During holidays, when new video games are released the theft rates rise (Cunningham 1), and many blame that on video games, but what they don’t realize is that most people close down their stores during the holidays, which makes it easier to break in and steal. Another example is when you're stuck on a level that you feel it's impossible to beat, it stresses them out because no matter how much work or skill they put into the level they still can’t get past it (Fishman 1). Another example is when a player is the last one alive on a team and it's a one on one at an even game, all they need is one win to beat the other team. But one mistake, one minor flaw in the player's movement that he has done in the past but has had no consequence, causes him to lose focus, and just like that they lost the game, the frustration is then amplified when the team flames you for throwing the game.
One really bad thing that video games have on children is the time in the game, some may even call it an addiction, even though it isn’t. Most reason that both adults and children have for playing video games is the limitless possibilities inside the game. But in most cases, people spend too much time in the game and end up struggling to catch up on the real-world work. That's another reason adults hate video games, it’s because it wastes people’s time when they can be doing something productive, instead of doing futile progress in a game. Some find it hard to manage their time more than others. Some can never just say “one more game” without playing for the rest of the day, and it has a major impact on one’s life, and sometimes it also affects the people around him.
In the end, violent video games do not cause violence, but they do usually benefit the player in the future with helpful skills needed in life.
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