Children 'made more aggressive by video games'

[CaptainXeroid]

This is one of those discussions in which I find myself agreeing with both sides. I think the evidence is clear that children who witness violence are more likely to exhibit violent or at least more aggressive behaviour that children who dont. Whether it's on TV, video games, or real life, children tend to emulate what they see.

However, the fact that not everyone who plays violent video games become violent strongly suggests that other factors may have more of an influence on behaviour. Kreeden mentioned the parents and their involvement with their kids. Luke Wolf said '...It's a shame the media tries to get people to think correlation means causation, and what might be bad for one person is bad for everyone...' Very true statements with which I concur.

The thought to which I keep coming back is that violence has been around a long time, remember Cain killed Abel, so eliminating violent video games is not going to stop it. Good parents need to take reasonable steps to reduce their kid's violent behaviour, and the biggest part is not allowing them to use a scapegoat to diminish their responsibility.

 

[WillieHutch]

In a partially related issue, in the words of the rapper Eminem -

"They say music can alter moods and talk to you,
Well can it load a gun up for you , and cock it too?
Well if it can, then the next time you assault a dude
Just tell the judge it was my fault and i'll get sued"

eminem is a hilarious person to quote on this subject, since he's a role model to thousands, platinum selling artist, has appearances/channels on television/radio but pled guilty to carrying a concealed weapon charge....Criminals arent exactly what i want to endorse/trust.....

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Kids just need to learn games and the real world don't mix. In the real world, I can't shoot, kill, beat up, painfully torture, and mutilate rude customers. If it's a game, someone angers me, and they get to say hi to a bullet from a Magsec-4, someother gun, a fist, blade, fire, or whatever happens to be in my hand.

 

[nutshell]

Research has clearly shown a cause and effect relationship between aggression and and video game playing. If I have time I'll dig up the reports for you all.

Does this mean every kid who plays games becomes aggressive? Of course not. There are other influences as well, however, overall, an increase in aggression has been documented.

 

[The Black Whirlwind]

why is an increase in aggression bad?

 

[nutshell]

why is an increase in aggression bad?

Because it leads to the darkside, Jedi.

 

[jewscout]

you wanna talk about dangerous toys for kids....how about lawn darts!

 

[michel]

Research has clearly shown a cause and effect relationship between aggression and and video game playing. If I have time I'll dig up the reports for you all.

Does this mean every kid who plays games becomes aggressive? Of course not. There are other influences as well, however, overall, an increase in aggression has been documented.

when you think about it, what is the message of the Tom and Jerry cartoons ?

 

[Ryan2065]

Research has clearly shown a cause and effect relationship between aggression and and video game playing. If I have time I'll dig up the reports for you all.

Research has clearly shown that when you compare someone who plays violent video games to someone who does not it shows the person who played violent video games is more violent... To believe that the game made them violent is a fallacy. I kind of believe that if a kid loves a game where you cut off people's heads, he might be more violent than that kid down the street who enjoys barbie.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/08/050810133552.htm

[font=Arial,Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif]Contrary to popular opinion and most previous research, the new study found that players’ “robust exposure” to a highly violent [font=Arial,Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif][font=Arial,Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif]online [/font][font=Arial,Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif]game[/font][/font] did not cause any substantial real-world aggression.[/font]

New study published I think in May, it is actually the FIRST long term study of online videogame playing. The study was done to see if there was a substansial increase in violence, and there was not... The study does not rule out the idea that the online video games cause small increases in aggression though...

 

[Bishka]

I agree with the article, from personal experience. I have two brothers, both younger then me, and they play a lot of shoot 'em up video games/computer games, this was when they were a bit younger then now, but then, after they played the games or watched violent shows they would become violent for a time, beating up each other, going after me and my sister, my mum eventually banned violent things in the household until we got a bit older and a little more mature.

 

[LongGe123]

I don't doubt that video games could well affect some people but I'm with anyone who agrees that you can't say they effect everyone. I've been playing video games since I was about 5/6 and they haven't affected me. I've played some really violent ones too - including Hitman, GTA Vice City (in fact all the GTA games, they were fun). I think we should have a little more faith in kids. They're not all going to start going out and killing, picking up prostitutes and dealing drugs. If anything makes them do that it's falling in with the wrong crowd, not playing it on a game at home. It is a GAME and even kids know that. It's natural that kids to some degree try to emulate what they see - but what should we do about it? We can't just censor everything left right and centre. The weird thing is though is this idea that ALL kids will copy EVERYTHING they see on TV and in games, it's just absurd. THEY ARE VIDEO GAMES, seriously...kids are not stupid...on the whole.