Should Teenagers Be Allowed To Play Violent Video Games?

Psychological Effects of Violent Video Games on Teenagers

Question:

Discuss about the Argument for Teens Play Violent Video Games.

The issue of whether teenage children should be allowed or restricted from playing violent video games has over the recent past created a heated debate. This is because a group of the world population believes that violent video games increase results into aggressive behavior among the teens while the side of the group believe that violent began a long time before the development of video games[1]. The argument of by the side which believed that violent video games should not be allowed has been supported by a various psychologist. However, other researchers also believe that video game should be allowed so long teens play with boundaries. The content of this paper, therefore, analyses both arguments and conclude on whether the teens should be allowed to play violent games[2].

Violent video games have become so popular among the teenagers in the United States and across the continent. Based on the current rate of teenage children associated with violent video games, the issue of whether teens should play violent video games or not has come to the public’s attention. Various psychological and crime control organizations have come up with various research studies giving reasons as to why violent video games should not be allowed to the teens. Indisputably, teenagers should not be restricted from playing violent video games based on the approved psychological effects of the video games on teens[3]. The Task Force on Violent Media came into conclusion that exposure of teens to violent video games has a link to aggression behaviors among teens, thoughts of resolving issues with violence and without empathy.

I concur with the view that violent video games increase aggression behaviors, thoughts of violence and feelings among children as revealed by according the American Psychological Association’s report. According to Dr. Phil McGraw explanation, teens should not play violent video games because violent video games leads to desensitization among teenagers making them see violence and aggression as the most appropriate way to resolve conflicts at the expense of prosocial behaviors such as peaceful conflict resolutions, offering help to others in need as well as the ability to understand others[4]. .

Moreover, teens should not play violent video games based on the way a child may perceive virtual experience and real life. It has been noted by various crime experts and psychologist that violent video games perform the first-hand role in the killing process. This is because teenagers cannot control themselves to think outside the video games because of the uniquely human brain development. Violent video games give teenagers the first person role in the video game killing process. Video game developers give children the main character in the video game adventures an experience which becomes more meaning and deadly to teenagers in real life situations.

This experience becomes, even more, meaning and worse for children and teens, who usually have rich imaginations. “If teenager would impassively watch violent video game, the effect would be less compared to acting as a character who controls the game adventure by murdering people and destroying what’s in the character’s path. This situation gets real and meaningful to children and teens as their brain forms new connections with violence every day as they learn and memorize what is going on in their favorite games[5]. Video game developers with the current technology are currently developing violent video games with amazing graphics which makes it difficult for children to differentiate between virtual experiences and real daily life. The inability to differentiate between real life and virtual experience has increased aggression among children as they also tend to bring their violent video game roles into real life.

Societal Implications of Teenagers Playing Violent Video Games

Also, violent video games should not be allowed to teens because of its direct rewards to violence and aggressive behaviors. Violent video games are organized into stages where achievement of one stage leads to reward. Some developers of violent video games reward players with gold stars for “nice kills” such as head short and nice comments like “I did it” This results into will let them become custom. According to a psychologist, a feeling of success should come with the accomplishment of positively challenging and difficult tasks. However, most violent games directly reward violent behavior such as killing and destruction.

Such rewards send negative messages to teens who may reflect the virtual experience in real-life situations. Likewise, modern violent games do not merely make teen players destroy virtual reality characters of the fellow players online, but correspondingly grant players with for successful acts of violence which are also rewards as already mentioned. These points usually make teen violent video game players more efficient in killing, unlocking new cruel and more aggressive ways of murdering, and tactics of violent conflict resolutions which some teens end practicing in real life. Sometimes, players will be even praised directly, verbally[6].

Furthermore, teens should not be allowed to play violent video games as the majority of them may not be able to differentiate between good deeds and wrongdoing as presented in the video games. Impressionable teens playing games like the “call of duty” on most occasions end up copying every aspect of the game since they do not know what is wrong as right. Disrespect to women as the majority of the violent video games present female characters as week characters. Also, most of the ultraviolent games portray aggression and violence towards women. The impressionable teenagers end up copying such characters with violence and aggression directed to women. Children also learn aggressive conflict resolution mechanism since video games show children that they can only express themselves physically when they are angry. Research has revealed that majority of the teens push of grab fellow teens when angry instead of expressing their emotions in polite manners trough words. To some parents, this is as a result of the virtual experience teens acquire from the violent videos. The only solution of reducing such behaviors is by preventing children from playing violent movies but allow them to play other games without violence.

On the other hand, some of most current studies have found positive contributions of the violent game on teens which contradicts the negative effects of violent games. These current research reports support the argument of the other side of the public who support of violent video games. The current report released by Psychology of Popular Media Culture indicates that violent video games help teens with fun as well as help them get relieved from stress. This report shows that with parental guidance, violent video games may help boys spent their fun time most healthily compared to parties and other unhealthy activities[7]. This supports the fact that teens can play violent video games as long as they can draw the line between virtual experiences from the video games and real-life situations.

Benefits of Playing Video Games

The teens should also play violent video games help teens with hands and eye coordination. Violent video games also help teen with spatial skills and fine motor development as currently revealed by psychologists. In most of the violent games, teen players are associated with shooting, running and body twist at the same time. Violent shooting games in this manner require teen players to maintain the position of the characters, which directions to move the visual character, movement speed and gun aiming. To successfully achieve game requirements, the player is required to coordinate the hands with the help of the brain. Moreover, the player must also use the eyes and hands leading to an improved visual-spatial ability. Based on violent video games requirement and coordination skills, it is important for teens to play violent video games to develop spatial skills, iconic abilities as well as proper visual coordination. Various scientist suggests that teens are playing violent video games end up to be perfect surgeons and pilots as a result of eye, hand and brain coordination. It is therefore recommended for teens to play a violent video game.

Similarly, playing violent video games help teens with the development of proper resource planning, resource management, and logistics. This is because most of the violent video games present players with limited resources such as limited number bullets in a violent shooting game. Researchers show that teenagers playing violent video games develop resources planning and management skills in real life[8]. Violent video developers claim that limiting the number of resources within the games help players to think deeply about how they can use the limited resources like bullets in the video games and real-life situations.

Apart from the already mentioned benefits, violent video games require the player to perform some tasks ant the same times leading to the development of multitasking abilities, the ability to manage multiple objectives and simultaneously track various shifting variables. Violent video games present teenage players sudden situations which forces them to become flexible and immediately change their play tactics[9]. To successfully achieve the objective of the game, the player of a violent game must learn to stay focused, simultaneously track shifting variables as well as multitask. Since teens can reflect virtual experience in real life, it is crucial for them to play violent video games[10].

Finally, the researchers have also reviled that, teens should be playing violent video games as it helps with the development of quick thinking capabilities, fast situational analysis, and decision making. Violent video games present players with a technical situation where players have to make quick decisions almost every second to meet the game objective of the mover to the next level[11]. According to Rochester university research, violent and action game players make the most correct and accurate decisions per every unit of their time. This reason together with the others suggests that teens should be allowed to play violent video games. Besides, violent video games pother non-violent video helps teenagers with computer skills which they can apply in real life.

Conclusion

The issue of whether teens should play or play violent video games is challenging and still require more psychological and moral research. The content of above has highlighted and discussed various advantages or reasons as to why teens should not play violent games such as the development of aggressive behavior and desensitization. On the other hand, the paper has also discussed various benefits associated with violent video games such as the development of eye-hand and brain coordination. According to my understanding of the argument, teens should not play violent video games until a given age or play violent video game under parental guidance.

Breuer, Johannes, Jens Vogelgesang, Thorsten Quandt, and Ruth Festl. “Violent video games and physical aggression: Evidence for a selection effect among adolescents.” Psychology of Popular Media Culture 4, no. 4 (2015): 305.

Calvert, Sandra L., Mark Appelbaum, Kenneth A. Dodge, Sandra Graham, Gordon C. Nagayama Hall, Sherry Hamby, Lauren G. Fasig-Caldwell, Martyna Citkowicz, Daniel P. Galloway, and Larry V. Hedges. “The American Psychological Association Task Force assessment of violent video games: Science in the service of public interest.” American Psychologist 72, no. 2 (2017): 126.

Engelhardt, Christopher R., Joseph Hilgard, and Bruce D. Bartholow. “Acute exposure to difficult (but not violent) video games dysregulates cognitive control.” Computers in human behavior 45 (2015): 85-92.

Ferguson, Christopher J., Hayley Barr, Grace Figueroa, Kimberly Foley, Alexander Gallimore, Rachel LaQuea, Alexandra Merritt et al. “Digital poison? Three studies examining the influence of violent video games on youth.” Computers in Human Behavior 50 (2015): 399-410.

Greitemeyer T, Mügge DO. Video games do affect social outcomes: A meta-analytic review of the effects of violent and prosocial video game play. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2014 May;40(5):578-89.

Hasan, Youssef, Laurent Begue, Michael Scharkow, and Brad J. Bushman. ““The more you play, the more aggressive you become: A long-term experimental study of cumulative violent video game effects on hostile expectations and aggressive behavior”: Corrigendum.” (2018).

Kattenberg, S. J. “Biopolitical Games: Identifying Obscured Mechanisms in Applied Games.” Master’s thesis, 2015.

Markey, Patrick M., Charlotte N. Markey, and Juliana E. French. “Violent video games and real-world violence: Rhetoric versus data.” Psychology of Popular Media Culture 4, no. 4 (2015): 277.

Verheijen, Geert P., William J. Burk, Sabine EMJ Stoltz, Yvonne HM van den Berg, and Antonius HN Cillessen. “Friendly fire: Longitudinal effects of exposure to violent video games on aggressive behavior in adolescent friendship dyads.” Aggressive behavior (2018).