It's here! The next big blog I had promised! It's based off of some findings and research I had to do for my juvenile justice class, but I figured it would be interesting to talk about all the same. I'm curious to hear all of your views and opinions and maybe even get some feedback I don't know about or failed to mention! Anyways... ENJOY!
The big question: Are Video Games Linked with Violence?
Mass shootings take place each year. Since 1982, there have been at least 62 mass shootings across the country. Some of the mass murders include Columbine in 1999, Virginia Tech in 2007, and the Connecticut shooting in December of 2012.Every time a violent tragedy occurs in the United States gun control and video games are once again the discussion of public vernacular. In fact, one of the many debates that circulate the controversial topics today is whether or not media, influences violence and negative behaviors. For some they say that video games can make people violent over time, but for others they say it is impossible to link such games to such criminal behavior.
However, we can't help but wonder why. With all these shootings there seems to follow a huge press story and even when we look at the rising popularity of these games and the rate of crime, the growth of video games has led to a parallel increase in the number of studies evaluating their impact on our minds.
It is true that video games make up a huge part of entertainment for children and young adults today. Video games are a social activity, a means for entertainment, and a way to release frustrations or pent up aggression. These games serve as an escape, a place to connect and meet others without judgment or pain, but do these games and their systems contribute to the rate of crime?
I have played most of these games. And while I don't particularly find them all favorable, I usually notice that I prefer the thrill of adventuring and side missions more than I enjoy actually shooting at people. The thing is, people have great difficulty judging influences on events especially when they all seem to be happening so fast.
Such games, like Mortal Kombat you fight to win and often there are intense and gory fighting scenes. With games like the Halo series and Call of Duty or Black Ops you have no motive to kill, but are rewarded for attack damage. With a game like the Uncharted series you kill because you are being pursued and you're on a quest to uncover various historical mysteries. With Grand Theft Auto you are the bad guy and you score points by stealing cars, running away from the law and causing mischief with the cops. In L.A. Noire, you are the investigator to violent crimes and sometimes have to be brutal yourself. But I don't think it is necessarily these games that cause the crime.
The single cause of mass shootings can be the result of many different
things. Studies seem to show a direct correlation with exposure to video games
and academics, decreased empathy, and a higher possibility to consider violence
when dealing with issues, particularly with youths and those with behavioral or mental problems. Whether this extends to real-life cases of mass
shootings, however, is uncertain. Researchers ignore evidence that doesn't fit with preconceived notions of what classifies someone as a violent video game player. I think the media is to blame. Why do companies pay millions for product placement and advertising in video games if the media has no influence over behavior? Perhaps one solution is to further the restrictions for marketing children or how we market children. Furthermore, news stories are more likely to deny the harmful effect of media violence. If they deny it after all, the games will sell and they will make a profit. The entertainment industry is probably reluctant to admit that they are marketing a harmful product.
Of course, you can't back up an experiment or hypothesis without evidence and statistics. Here are 22 charts & graphs on video games & youth violence to back it up. http://videogames.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=003627 The charts and graphs are split into gamer demographics of age and gender, video game sales, and youth violence trends.
Perhaps we should consider social factors as well within the research. While it seems likely that violent movies and games play an attributing role in increasing violent behavior among the young and, more specifically, those with behavioral problems, I do not think it is the cause. Rather it raises the question of how these two behaviors can be linked if youth violence has declined over the last several years during the same period violent video games gained a rise. Also, I think the bigger issue is why it is acceptable entertainment to kill human beings? I understand the right of freedom of expression, but does violence have to surround us in every aspect of the media?
It is almost upsetting that all our top selling video games in this day and age concern mass violence. I guess it's because it's almost a sense of escape and a way to take out your stress out on imaginary beings. Although I don't believe video games directly relate to these shootings, these rating systems should be me made more use of, especially by parents. Parents should know what their kids are playing and viewing in all media. Like you said, it's sad when you see kids ten years younger than us knowing more about drugs and sex than we do.
ReplyDeleteThe debate over video games and violence seems to me just another re-run of the debates we've had over time about Hip-hop lyrics and violence, Heavy Metal lyrics and violence, violent movies, horror comics, and every other hot-button "moral panic" over the past 50 years. Instead of analyzing these materials and looking at the context in which the acts represented take place, narratives are turned into laundry lists of bad things, and the assumption is that to show us bad things is to endorse them. And then, as a final step, as Mrs. Flanders always used to say on The Simpsons, "Won't somebody PLEASE think about the children?"
ReplyDeleteOur society is all about media. American culture is all about media, so there is a correlation between media and the agressive acts done by people. Nowadays, I feel like violence and agression is so common that people no longer censor it on television, even cartoon, or on games. I think the only way to control agression in people is for parents and gaurdians to really watch what children play, watch, and listen to. Proper parental guidance is needed. If there is parental guidance from the beggining, then I beleive there will be less agression in people and exposure to violence.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the responses guys! I appreciate hearing what you had to say.
ReplyDeleteBrian, I can't agree with you more that it is an unsettling feeling knowing that violence is so prominent in the games children are playing. And the most popular among them is Call of Duty. There are more than 40 million copies of Call of Duty in the U.S.
Professor Potter, I agree with your statement too. We are hardwired for adrenaline and violence simply sells. One article I read said, these games force us to pay attention and are an easy way to create a conflict within a story. It doesn't help that most times violence and sex seem to be the two things that people always want to know/or hear more about.
Saman, I think you are right too. If parent's play an active role then there probably wouldn't be as much exposure. Often times however, such mediums play the role of babysitters and dangerous people draw dangerous conclusions, where the rest of us see only entertainment.