Do Violent Video Games Increase Adolescence Violence
After protestors dragged Death Race machines out of arcades and burned them in parking lots, production of the game ceased. (Jeffrey Hendricks, Steven Jacobson, & Natalie Leopard, 2014). However, video game advocates contend that a majority of the research on the topic is deeply flawed and that no causal relationship has been found between video games and social violence. Jeffrey Hendricks, Steven Jacobson, & Natalie Leopard, 2014). Using sociological imagination helps us find the relation between increased aggression in youth’s and violent video games.
It is essential to understand the effect of the relationship between youth’s aggression and violent video games because it offers a view into people’s fear of the unknown. In this paper will examine how our fear of loss of control can cause mass confusion and misinform the public on a minor issue. Even though video games are thought to make young people lazy, resistant, and feed bad habits, games sales continue to grow. Even the top ten most played and sold games are violent. Take GTAG (Grand Theft Auto) for example.
A game series that was started in 1997 is one the most played and popular game series of all time. Last fall, in GTAG g’s release is sold 1 billion copies in a matter of three days. The main point of the game from the initial game was only to steal cars, make money, and cause as much chaos as possible while doing it. However, as the games continued it began to grow and become more dynamic in features. All the while gaining a following of irritated parents who were citing the game caused children to re-intact the crimes they saw in the games, though they continued to buy them.
The problem with this claim was that, not only was it a blowout of proportion fear, but it seem as though the angry mass only feed the economic growth of the game culture. According to Jeffrey Hendricks, Steven Jacobson, & Natalie Leopard game sales Of video games have more than quadrupled from 1995-2008, while the arrest rate for juvenile murders fell 71. 9% and the arrest rate for all juvenile violent crimes declined 49. 3% in this same period. Also, 97% of 9-17 year-olds throughout 2008 purchased and played violent video games.
So looking at the information, it is showed that over time aggression in youth has gone down. It is mostly because of the ability to express emotions through the video game itself. The virtual reality allows for people to meet their need of fitting in a society and openly expressing their emotions without being criticized for doing it. There are some effects of only playing video games though (Portrait, Josh T. , Frizz K. Gregory, & Sod “Bell” Radians, 2014).
Studies of children exposed to violence have shown that they can become: “immune” or numb to the horror of violence, imitate the violence they see, and show more aggressive behavior with greater exposure to violence. Children and adolescents can become overly involved and even obsessed with videotapes. Spending large amounts of time playing these games can create problems and lead to: poor social skills, time away from family time, school-work, and other hobbies lower grades and reading less, exercising less, and becoming overweight, aggressive thoughts and behaviors.
The effects shown above help show that too much video game violence is bad for young people and stifle their growth. A theory behind why video game culture strives and survives may be because of the ability to meet needs not meet in the real world. Elise stated in her blob article “every one of our behaviors, including deciding to sake action of pulling out your cellophane to check Backbone, is driven by a constant deficit of one thing or another. Generally speaking, humans have a need to feel affiliated with others”.
While what most of what she is saying is based off a Harvard psychologist named Henry Murray, she illustrates that we humans need to interacted with one another and games allow us to do that without any stipulation. Video game enthusiasts have more knowledge surrounding the video game culture than those that do not play or have not experienced video game culture. In addition she highlights the certain needs that need to be meet Intimacy – The need for warm, close, communicative interactions with others. Power – The need to control situations and have an impact on other people.
Achievement – The need to accomplish goals and be superior to others. Defense of Status – The need to defend yourself, avoid humiliation, and make up for failures by trying again. Materialistic- The need to collect, build, retain, and organize. Informational – The need to learn and grow. So, it makes it easier to engage friendly conversations and learn about people from other countries and about people who share a similar hobby to you. Non- video game players make judgment calls without prior knowledge to the subject and listen to what the news says without any investigation if their word is true.
The people on the outside make it difficult to approach them because they already have a shield around them and are less likely to engage in games because Of the misconception around them. Using the idea of Functionalism games are supposed to entertain and provide an escape to video game players while also realizing the difference between the two realities. Developers are suppose to make the game fun and help meet the needs of the individual playing them. Using Symbolic Interactions people create their need to play video games and feel safe doing so.
What happens in virtual reality depends on the player, giving the player choice making all rules in reality null and void. Symbolic Interactions describes violence well enough. It purely relies on the player and depends on the situation they are in. Functionalism makes it a 50-50 between the player and the developer; with symbolic interactions control is ultimately given to the player and sakes the player feel like they own the virtual world they are in. Social Conflict Theory does not provide the gamer with a safe haven from public opinion.
It lessens the feel of the game to the player and isolates them from society norms. In this paper I have researched video history and the start of video game violence’s effect on the youth’s aggressive nature. Honestly speaking there is good and bad sides to violence in video games in general. Too much of a good thing is bad. However, there isn’t much support for violent video games having a huge impact on child behavior. Also, people intention to but violent video games for their children despite citing that they cause aggression problems.
