Violence in Video Games and its effect on Children Essay Example for Free

Violence in Video Games and its effect on Children Essay At the onset of technological innovations, various form of entertainment also evolved. One of the hottest forms of past times today is the video games. Before video games were only played over the television with the use of joystick, but today video games can be played through computers, PSP, among others. In addition, video game today is upgraded in a sense that the players can be online, meaning the enemy is the player on the other station or account. Significantly, most video games today involve violence. Through time, the nature of the video games has been associated with the violent behaviour of the children. Body According to psychological researches, children are likely to be aggressive after playing violent video games. The vulnerability of the children is one of essential factor which causes them to be influenced easily. The impact of playing video games interferes with the developmental stage of the child, as they try to internalise what they see and experience from video games to real life (Gummer, n. pag. ). In addition, the video games is said to be a good teacher in a way that it motivates, grabs attention, and make players capable of performing better (Vorderer and Bryant, p. 367). As a teacher, violent game is capable of teaching brutality and encouraging the children to adopt such strategies in their own lives (Bartol and Bartol, p. 389). Furthermore, violent videogames strongly manipulates the behaviour of the children on has been based on three reasons. Firstly, video games allow the player to actively interact with the enemy, which means the player himself is engaged in the fight. Secondly, video games reward only behaviour that is violent (American Psychological Association, n. pag. ). Lastly, children repeatedly behave violently as they play violent video games time after time. According to research, children are devoting an average time playing video games almost 13 hours per week for boys, while 5 hours for girls (American Psychological Association, n. pag. ). The research also showed that most of the children prefer violent games. In addition, surveys showed that 80% of games in the market are violent (Taylor, p. 10). The exposure of the children to violent video games likely results in the development of aggressive feeling, behaviours, and feelings (American Psychological Association, n. pag. ). Furthermore, exposure to such form of entertainment deteriorates the emotional ability of the child to show carefulness and concern. In dealing with the problem, parents and the community plays vital role. The parents need to know the kinds of games that their children are playing. The time spent in playing video games shall also be monitored and be lessened, instead the children should be encouraged to allot more time in their studies. Furthermore, the parents should not insist video games by limiting their children’s access to violent video games. Conclusion When video game was introduced in the market, its negative effect on children has been a subject for debate. Today, the debate has not yet ended. Instead, video games become more popular among children. It is even being upgraded to entice more consumers. It has also been developed to actively engage the player. Nevertheless, despite denial, violent video games are proven to have a negative influence in the behaviour of the child. This is because they tend to internalize and overtly apply their experiences in real life. Works cited Bartol, Curt, R. , and Bartol, Anne, M. Introduction to Forensic Psychology: Research and Application. London: Sage Publications, 2004. Gummer, Amanda. â€Å"Violence in video games and its effect on children. † The Market for Computer and Video Games. 19 August 2008 http://www. mcvuk. com/opinion/93/Violence-in-video-games-and-its-effect-on-children â€Å"Violent Video Games Psychologists Help Protect Children from Harmful Effects. † American Psychological Association. 19 August 2008 http://www. psychologymatters. org/videogames. html. . Vorderer, Peter, and Bryant, Jennings. Playing Video Games: Motives, Responses, and Consequences. Routledge, 2006. Taylor, Jim. Your Children Are Under Attack: How Popular Culture is Destroying Your Kids Values, and How You Can Protect Them. Sourcebooks, Inc. , 2005.