DIGC 102 Information search assignment report
How does video game violence affect children?
With more and more video games being accustomed to use blood scenes and violent stories to attract players, video game violence has already become a serious social issue, which especially has a negative effect on children.
Most online sources, which I found from the search engine Google, Altavista and Yahoo, show that video game violence can make children aggressive. A piece of news from an online media msnbc, which was searched from the search engine Google, claims that violent games can lead to an increase in emotional arousal and have a bad impact on children’s self-control, inhibition and attention (Kalning, 2006).Besides, Kalning also claims that the relationship between video game violence and brain function should be paid more attention by children’s parents (Kalning,2006).Another source I found from the search engine Altavista is from a website Wikipedia, which is like an online encyclopedia. It quotes “video games are significantly associated with: increased aggressive behavior thoughts, and affect; increased physiological arousal; and decreased pro-social (helping) behavior” (Wikipedia, 2009). In addition, a Yahoo search also found that children can become aggressive, because the violent video games always require children to play the role of a shooter or perpetrator, and make children repeat violent activities. Walsh adds that playing more violent games has more possibility to make children behave negatively (Walsh, n.d.).
However, some online sources show that there is no believable relationship between violent video games and violent activity. A journal article searched from the database OvidSP, points out “even if children with more problematic behavior are simply more likely to prefer violent games, playing such games is not likely to improve behavioral problems”(Funk, Buchman, & Germann, 2000, p. 238). Besides, I found that some writers consider that video games are only the common social setting for children, which cannot lead to violent activities when I searched the search engine Altavista.On the website Wikipedia, those writers also use a study conducted in Australia to demonstrate that violent games only have impact on children who are already predisposed to violence (Wikipedia,2009).
Moreover, I found a web page from search engine Dogpile. The author of that web page highlights the advantages of video games for children rather than disadvantages. The writer says video games can make children exercise brains and eyes due to linear thinking, dexterity and good coordination during playing games and children can also improve socialization skills and perseverance skills (Pratt, 2008).
A Clusty search bout video game violence found that blogs may pay more attention to why video games like depicting blood and adopting violent stories to catch players’ eyes. Sensei explains in his blog, “Violence is one of the easiest ways to motivate and capture our attention” due to humans’ nature of facing danger. He also believes comedy is another reason (Sensei, 2009).
Finally, academic and scholarly writers focus on relating video game violence to media violence. Grossman and DeGaetano (1999, pp121-122) claim “…any form of aggression on the screen has the potential to make children more aggressive. The more graphic and horrific the violence, the more likely the negative effects.”
In conclusion, video game violence indeed has a negative impact on children. However, it is difficult to make children far from all the violent video games because of the need for children and the interest for video game industry.
Bibliography
Funk, J. B., Buchman, D. D. & Germann, J. N. (2000). Preference for violent electronic games, self-concept, and gender differences in young children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry,70, 233-241, accessed 15/08/2009, OvidSP database.
Grossman, D & DeGaetano, G 1999, Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill, Crown Publishers, New York.
Kalning, K 2006, ‘’ Does game violence make teens aggressive?’, Msnbc, 8 December, accessed 15/08/2009, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16099971/
Pratt, B 2008, The Advantages of Video Games, accessed 15/08/2009, http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/the-advantages-of-video-games-395921.html
Sensei, Z 2009 ‘Video Game Violence’, weblog post, 1up, 23 April, accessed 15/08/2009, http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8986730&publicUserId=5827035
Walsh, D n.d., Video Game Violence and Public Policy, accessed 15/08/2009, http://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/conf2001/papers/walsh.html
Wikipedia 2007, Video Game Controversy, accessed 15/08/2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_controversy
