This game is so cool! I can do whatever I want. I can rob the bank, I can hit other people with a baseball bat, and I can kill people. Why do I kill? Because I'm the boss and because I can! This is just a game! These are some thoughts that come into my mind when I play Grand Theft Auto. Many kids in America play many violent games. In fact, forty-two percent of children play at least an hour per day ("Video Games Cause Aggressive… 2). Many people believe that violence in the media doesn't affect a child's behavior at all. Well, I am opposing that viewpoint. Getting rid of some violence in the media will greatly affect children behavior.
Many people don’t believe that viewing some violent acts in the media doesn't really influence the way a person acts. Children learn by observing, imitating, and making behaviors by themselves, which are greatly influenced by the media (Clark 1). Children learn very easily. They spend many of their free time in front of the T.V. Parents tend to use T.V. as a babysitter for kids. Televisions are colorful and fun! Most human are drawn into the mysterious world of the media, starting since they were a little baby. "When television debut in the 1990's, two-third of television sets were owned by families with children less than twelve years of age". Children are theoretically more susceptible to behavioral
influences when they are actively participating than when they are observers ( Clark 2). I spend most of my after school time locking myself in my room, playing video games. Not just fun video game, but I play violent video games. The amount of time that children spend playing video games is increasing. Research shows that sixty percent of children report that they can play video game longer th...
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(Violent Video Games Are…" 1). So, when a parent thinks that their child is asleep in his room dreaming of sweet dreams, he might actually be playing games that involve hurting other people. Parents do not pay attention to relevant researches, and ratings. Every single parent should start using the ratings. They will join the ninety four percent of parents that find the rating helpful (Video Games Cause Aggressive…" 4).
There are many other options than viewing violent entertainment. A kid should play sports and enjoy outdoor. For example, a kid can lose can calories playing tennis than watching movies that are violent. Bloods and gores are for adults who are mature enough to handle them. It is not appropriate for children. So, make kids active rather than making them violent. It will be great for children to grow healthy and violence less.
At this day in age we bask in the luxury of having easy access to advanced technology at our disposal. From the World Wide Web, to cell phones, music, movies and video games the human race has thought of any and everything to keep us entertained. Over the years studies have shown reasonable concerns regarding the long-term effects of video games. These games can desensitize gamers to real life violence, which is usually seen in the younger crowd. The studies especially hit on the games containing player-on-player violence. Though these games are extremely entertaining and can get kids to settle down for a while, if not properly supervised, they can produce adverse effects. Other studies have shown that video games can be used as way to yield positive outcomes such as, good problem solving skills, cooperation in a group and the ability to flow. Although there has been psychological research on children learning through the actions of others some believe that children are automatically able to distinguish between what is just a game and what is reality. The longer they are allowed on their game system the more they become convinced that their games are real. Some researchers believe violent video games can channel the aggression of the child but the parents are to blame for what happens to the child after playing an excessive amount over a period of time. Children can become preoccupied with these violent video games which have been proven to be the cause of poor social skills, uncontrollable aggression and a false reality.
Gina Marchetti, in her essay "Action-Adventure as Ideology," argues that action- adventure films implicitly convey complex cultural messages regarding American values and the "white American status quo." She continues to say that all action-adventure movies have the same basic structure, including plot, theme, characterization, and iconography. As ideology, this film genre tacitly expresses social norms, values, and morals of its time. Marchetti's essay, written in 1989, applies to films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark and Rambo: First Blood II. However, action-adventure films today seem to be straying farther away from her generalizations about structure, reflecting new and different cultural norms in America. This changing ideology is depicted best in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers (1994), which defies nearly every concept Marchetti proposes about action-adventure films; and it sets the stage for a whole new viewpoint of action in the '90's.
... much while watching television. It’s important for children to play, read, do homework and talk to other children and adults for healthy development. Most parents believe children are imitators and those who watch violent shows are more likely to display aggressive behavior and violence in the media, television programming, video games and movies are a growing concern.
In “Television Harms Children”, Ann Vorisek White claims that the intellectual and cognitive development of children who frequently watch television is threatened. To support this claim, she points to the findings that “the more television children watch, the weaker their language skills and imaginations” (White, 2006). Before the brain fully matures around age 12, it is in the stage of rapid development. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) “recommends that children under the age of two not watch TV or videos, and that older children watch only one to two hours per day of nonviolent, educational TV” (White, 2006). A study from the AAP (as cited in White, 2006) found that the average American child watches four hours of television every day. Considering "expression and reasoning are not automatic" abilities, young children who routinely watch television eventually become "passive and nonverbal" to stimuli in their environment (White, 2006). Since the normality of curiosity and imaginations of young children are the foundation of how they learn, remaining passive for extended periods of time affects their intellectual and moral development.
Television has become a big part in children’s day-to-day lives especially in the 20th century. Children in this century rely on television to keep them entertained and educated instead of entertaining and educating themselves by participating in activities, which will teach them a lot more in life then the actual television. There is no doubt that children are most easily influenced by television because of the different content that they watch as well as the amount of time consumed watching TV. The television does have an emotional and intellectual development on children but this all depends on the content that they’re watching and the way that they absorb the information that the show is trying to send out. Different programs will portray
... for children. Children are exposed to 20,000 advertisements a year. The average child watches 8,000 televised murders and 100,000 acts of violence before finishing elementary school. By the time children graduate from high school, those numbers more than doubles. Furthermore, television is shown to influence attitudes about race and gender. Pro-social and anti-social behaviors are influenced by television.
One article points out that video games have a big impact on children’s lives and that many of the games played are violent. Researchers have found that “nearly all children spend time playing video games” and studies have found that “8th graders spent an average of 17 hours per week playing video games” (Tamborini 336). Moreover, 68% of the most popular video games contain violence (Tamborini 336). So it is clear that many children have access to violent video games and they have a big impact on their lives simply because of the amount of time spent playing them.
“As video games have become more violent and more sophisticated and the sales of video games has skyrocketed in the last few decades, youth violence has plummeted,” Ferguson says, citing evidence compiled by various federal agencies (Adams 3). Violence in video games is not a new issue. It has been debated and argued since the release of the first violent video game. As time has progressed, so has the evolution of violence and strong language within video games. Ratings have become more relaxed, and the lines between T (Teen) and M (Mature) rated games has gotten closer together. Violent games are becoming the normal and accepted of all games, and are being demanded by the gaming industry more heavily. Parents have always shied away from these games for their children, regardless of age. However, kids are getting these games whether they are the correct age (17+) or not. Young kids, less than ten years of age are playing horribly violent games and parents are fearing the repercussions. But video games are not to be blamed for child violence. Violence in video games does not cause children to become violent people later on in life.
Children, especially younger children, are impressionable, but with proper guidance from a parental source in regards to television viewing, kids are not likely to act out violent television images.
American Psychological Association. "Violence on Television. What Do Children Learn? What Can Parents Do?" APA Online. www.apa.org/publicinfo/violence.html. Accessed October 23, 2001.
Why let your children be taught bad habits and horrid behaviors? One way to stop the building aggression from young adults, is just to not allow underaged buyers to get introduced to the violence, and manage what games the teens can buy. Violent video games have effect on teenagers emotions and controllability and are very dangerous to the minds of innocent young adults. Kids spend excessive amount of time in front of T.Vs on these games, when they should be outside interacting with other children and learning how to bond and react well with others. Also, they teach frightful behaviors and lessons. Don’t allow your child to participate in violent games, keep them safe!
“90% of pediatricians and 67% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that violent video games can increase aggressive behavior among children” ("Do Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth Violence?”). Pediatrics and parents are aware that kids that play violent video games see a change in their behavior. Many cases they see the kids with anger problems and causing them to do violent acts. Violent video games have been around for many years where some older titles, such as ‘Mortal Kombat’ and 'Grand Theft Auto’ both are some of the most controversial ones. The video game industry has been growing and with the large amounts of violent video games being produced. “Total US sales of video game hardware and software increased 204% from 1994 to
A survey of 1,102 adolescents found that 97 percent had played video games in the past day. Although most parents checked the censor’s rating before consenting their child to obtaining it, 50 percent of boys and 14 percent of girls favored games with an "M" (mature) or "AO" (adult-only) rating, which suggests a high degree of violence. Social scientists believed that children are more probable to mimic the actions of a character with whom they identify. In violent video games, players participate as a character, and even choose which weapons they’ll use while fighting other characters. Similarly, repetition increases learning. Video games involve a great deal of repetition. If the games are violent, then the effect is a behavioral preparation for violent activity. Violence in society is not solely caused by violent media. But research shows that continuous exposure to violent media causes people to believe that violence can be an acceptable, positive way to solve problems.
Most people think that video games are harmful and waste of time. As a result, the main question of the research is how video games can influence on children and many minor questions come to mind about video games: Do video games influence a child’s psychological development and make them more aggressive and violent? Do video games affect a child’s grades? What are the influences of video games on children? Many people don’t have much information about video games and how video games may effect on people’s behavior, health and mind.
Sometimes, children think that is a normal thing in our real life, by watching only a single violent program, which can increase aggression on children and become violent, aggressive, and vicious. Usually, U.S. children begin watching television at a very early age, sometimes as early as six months, and are eager viewers by the time they are two or three years old. The amount of time that children spend watching television is very interesting because like four hours a day, 28 hours a week, by the time they graduate from high school, children spend more time watching TV than any other activity, besides sleeping. However, children that watch many programs in which violence is very real, parents show no affinity toward violence and that is why the child thinks that violence is not bad. Normally children cannot tell the differences between real and unreal, that is why young viewers are unable to realize that when a character attacks someone it is real and should not be imitated by them.