The Drive for Violence Through the Playing of Video Games

Brutal, blood filled, mass murdering, highly interactive video games will have a greater affect on mass media users than a medium such a television. Video games that have now been created during the 21^st century are extremely used by children and teens and sufficiently impact their daily life experiences. Although the affects of video games can be positive, it has also been shown that the daily playing of violent video games can be greatly negative. In a study described in the book, Converging Media, psychologist Albert Bandura researched how children exposed to television violence were more likely to repeat behaviors they saw. The Bobo Doll studies by Bandura proved that when children watched violent events on television, where the violent person was rewarded they were more likely to punch a Bobo doll than children who watched the violent events where the violent person was punished. This study helps prove that the highly interactive violent video games such as “Call of Duty”, “Killzone 3” or “Battlefield 3” negatively affect the aggression of media users. Children find video games increasingly engaging, being one with the killer, motivating, and rewarding, where in the end winning by killing off all of the games enemies. Interactive video games where the media user is intrigued and engaged with the massacre can lead to repetitive behaviors of aggression. Even though some of the outrageous violence can be unrealistic the thousands of teens playing “Call of Duty” thrive over beating out there friends by seeing the blood and veins squirt out of each game character. In an articled called “The Effects of Video Games on Children: What Parents Need to Know” by Douglas Gentile, the positive and negative attributes of video games are discussed to parents. Gentile describes how video games over time are becoming more apparent in households and more violent for teens to use. The risk factors of video games include aggression, poor academic performance, health problems and need for violence. Gentile makes a claim that “practice does make perfect” where video games affect children’s arousal which correlates with the books claim that negative imitated actions are repeated in teens. Media users, mainly teens and children are exceedingly anticipated to repeat what they view, now with video games created teens can actively be involved to express their violent actions. 

The Effects of Video Games on Children: What Parents Need to Know