Since the release of Mortal Kombat and the subsequent need to have games rated according to particular criteria, it seems like everything has changed in the world of video gaming.
People started becoming more aware of their contents, as well as the way it affected anyone who was in contact with it. This isn’t because it is the first time they appeared, but more due to the fact that everyone became more aware of the underlying meaning of the video game mission. Since then, numerous researches have been conducted with the sole purpose of identifying the correlation of violent video game contents with real-life aggression, specifically emphasizing the recent number one global concern of school shootings.
According to an article from the Center for Educational Neuroscience in London, an institution that identifies and analyzes all kinds of cognitive data, patterns and corresponding behavior, correlation must be distinguished from cause. Their claim is that correlation is found between children and youngsters’ proneness to violence with their affinity to violent video games. In turn, it is just as possible that these games can provoke a more direct and destruction-oriented social behavior.
Statistical data in the US shows that over 90% of children indulge in violent video games, with a rise in percentage when narrowing the age ground to five years, 12-17. Yet, this information does not lead to arguments allowing anyone to direct their blows at the video gaming industry. In fact, it goes to show the exact opposite of what most people are so firmly convinced in – a violent first-person shooter game does not turn children into “mass murderers”. After all, if all 97 teenagers out of a group of 100 were to play the same violent video game, there is no guarantee that they – or any one of them – would be even slightly affected by the contents.
Short-term effects could still provoke some kind of an angry outburst, as video game players are estimated to maintain the same aggression in their mind for as much as 4 minutes after the end of the game. What is more, they are expected to continue in this line of thought for up to ten minutes, as shown in a study by Christopher Barlett among others.
As for the matter of long-term effects, one of which is presumed to be the instant urge to kill and demolish, has been claimed to result in the rise of students opening fire on their school and classmates. In order to even come close to turning this into a factual statement, it is necessary that we are aware of all aspects, and one crucial involves the drive to play such games rather than the aftermath of the activity.
After all, if someone has the need to kill another living being – animal or human – it is very unlikely they would stop and play a game or two instead of following such a primal instinct. Hence, the drive to engage in violent video games is much more similar to that of a daring ride at the theme park or extreme sporting like bungee jumping.
Now that we have touched upon the concept of a death threat in video games, there is only one conclusive argument left to be laid out. Namely, according to the American Psychological Association (APA)’s research done a couple of years ago, video game violence affects the player’s mind in a unique manner. Aside from its arousal in a way, there is one effect that may remain present in the player’s perception for much longer periods of time – desensitization.
This is a technique often employed in psychological treatment, particularly related to overcoming traumatic experiences or phobias in general. The subject is directly exposed to the source of the problem, under controlled circumstances, in order to allow them to become comfortable around it and become less sensitive to its presence.
In the same manner, violent video games have been identified as a powerful desensitization catalyst. They expose children and youngsters to all kinds of violence, animal abuse, race and gender discrimination, and criminal intentions. Moreover, now that technology has advanced significantly, graphics and sound effects making it all too similar to everyday life, video game players are practically used to seeing blood splattered across their desktop screen. This sets the grounds for accusations directed at the violence in video games as a primary cause of making a whole generation less sensitive, agreeable and emphatic.
In the case of ‘young teenage first-person shooters’, people are more than ready and willing to find a link between the youngster’s affinity towards this video game genre and their actions. Considering the statistical data mentioned above, there is no scarcity of this tendency, making it all too easy to identify the motif behind the murder.
“I grew up playing video games ... first-person shooter games, and I would never, ever dream of taking the lives of any of my peers.” This statement by Chris Grady, a survivor from the most recent shootings in Florida, was quoted in a CNN article as a counter-argument to the president of the USA, Donald Trump. What was being countered was his claim in the large accessibility of violent video games which have promoted and spread their content into other media forms, most often movies.
While there is some truth in the lack of more stringent regulations when it comes to sharing violent video game content, this first-hand survivor paints a different picture to the whole idea. This isn’t to say that one isolated case is likely to resolve a mountain of problematic case scenarios, but it does offer some insight into the ways psychology is adapting and accepting them.
All in all, mass rise in school shootings is a rather pressing issue, demanding proper reaction rather than theoretical stipulations. With so many holes and inconsistencies in this one, people are left wondering who next to blame for the loss of their young ones.
Sources:
"The Truth About Violent Video Games and Kids", Eileen Kennedy-Moore Ph.D., psychologytoday.com
"Do video games lead to violence?", Susan Scutti, cnn.com
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Garethk1979
6 years ago
Video games are supposed to be to helkp develop hansd eye coordination and to develop quick decision making skills as well as being a recreational pasttime. Its ridiculous to entertain the idea that they make us violent. Its probably quite the opposite aactually.
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Garethk1979
6 years ago
Video games of all kinds are basically to develop hand eye coordination and develop quick thinking skills as well as being a tool to kill time during recreational periods. i grew up playing street fighter 2 and motrtal kombat and im the opposite of violent. Its proposterous to think they affect us as adults.
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Alex and R
6 years ago
Video gaming is supposed to make you feel relaxed, creative, content, happy, entertained... that's why it's called gaming, not subliminal indoctrination. There are more benefits of playing than handicaps and sharpening the focus or experiencing a positive influence on one's concentration are just some of them. Think how...
Video gaming is supposed to make you feel relaxed, creative, content, happy, entertained... that's why it's called gaming, not subliminal indoctrination. There are more benefits of playing than handicaps and sharpening the focus or experiencing a positive influence on one's concentration are just some of them. Think how many cognitive problems in real life were you able to solve thanks to stimulating first-person shooters, strategies, RPGs or third-person action-adventure games. Quality gaming can also encourage deep thinking, better your motor functions and overall orientation in space. Violent gamers as someone here mentioned probably exist, but I am convinced that their destructive nature or cruel background has to do everything with poor upbringing, bad parenting and unsolved psychological issues... thumbs up for a good article and even better discussion!
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jade
6 years ago
I can't say that I am aware of any one or more specific reason or reasons that cause mass killings. I do know for sure that it has been happening since the Old Testament and it was started with God. God flooded the earth, killing everyone, everything, except for Noah and those in the ark. Even after the flood, God...
I can't say that I am aware of any one or more specific reason or reasons that cause mass killings. I do know for sure that it has been happening since the Old Testament and it was started with God. God flooded the earth, killing everyone, everything, except for Noah and those in the ark. Even after the flood, God commanded countless armies of men to slaughter entire towns, villages and territories. Is there an answer, a way to stop what has been going on since the beginning of time? It is almost laughable to say that the cause of mass killing, anywhere, is related to violent video games..........
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Mila
6 years ago
It is already proven a long time ago by scientists that violent games don't provoke violence in children. Still, just sitting in front of some screen (either watching tv or playing games, etc.) has a negative impact on children's development in general...
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LadyEnygma
6 years ago
Hi Everyone I have to say no. I have a son, whom is now 27 and he has been playing violent game i.e. Resident Evil since a young age. It has never made him violent or react with violence. We could say the same for horror movies. Many "copycat" killers out there based on Horror films. Its about the parenting and teaching...
Hi Everyone I have to say no. I have a son, whom is now 27 and he has been playing violent game i.e. Resident Evil since a young age. It has never made him violent or react with violence. We could say the same for horror movies. Many "copycat" killers out there based on Horror films. Its about the parenting and teaching them the difference between reality and fantasy. Mental Illness has also come up in these situations. My son as well as myself have Bipolar Disorder. Neither one of us is violent. There are a lot more factors to these mass shootings, but I will not indulge here.
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Andreas_V
6 years ago
Yeah, just putting a blame to video games/musicians or bands or whatever is plain lazy, simplifying and socially irresponsible. It's the easy way out, with potentially catastrophic consequences because the correct causes and culprits are overlooked and ignored. I agree that pop-culture, or at least large chunks of it, has...
Yeah, just putting a blame to video games/musicians or bands or whatever is plain lazy, simplifying and socially irresponsible. It's the easy way out, with potentially catastrophic consequences because the correct causes and culprits are overlooked and ignored. I agree that pop-culture, or at least large chunks of it, has become needlessly aggressive and morbid (I just don't get all that fascination with the macabre) but very few are really that impressionable to actually go on a killing rampage just because they did in a video game (one could argue, in fact, that listening to aggressive music and playing such games would work as "letting off a steam" and venting out - so as to not commit anything like that in real life). Psychological and mental hygiene is something that we, as a society and civilization in whole, have neglected completely. Maybe, for start, we ought to stop overstimulating ourselves with everything, because everything is media nowadays.
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Sylvanas
6 years ago
Interesting read! I have to say this video game bashing is becoming ridiculous. I've been playing video games for most of my life, over 20 years. In my virtual adventures, I've slaughetered countless zombies, humans, animals, monsters, ghosts you name it. Never have I, nor any of my gamer friends, thought of killing a...
Interesting read! I have to say this video game bashing is becoming ridiculous. I've been playing video games for most of my life, over 20 years. In my virtual adventures, I've slaughetered countless zombies, humans, animals, monsters, ghosts you name it. Never have I, nor any of my gamer friends, thought of killing a person in real life. I never had any violent outbursts, homicidal thoughts due to wielding imaginary weaponry in a game! If anything, most gamers I know are completely docile people, true pacifists and forward-thinking individuals. If a gamer child developes murderous tendencies, or even commits a violent crime after playing a game, it is because the child already has some underlying emotional and psychological issues that could have been triggered by any external stimuli. Let's ban games, movies and other media, return to dark ages and live in fear, beacuse there are sick people out there who might get crazy ideas.
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