Violence in our society has increased significantly over the period of time; people have completely forgotten the values which ones made a peaceful world. This has happened because of a lot of reasons, one of the biggest reasons is the violence portrayed in movies and especially video games. The demand for violent video games is constantly increasing and the producers of such games have found this to be a very lucrative business. This paper will throw light upon the effects of violent video games and how the same impacts the society.
Gaming consoles like Xbox, PS3 and others have become very popular these days and there is a huge demand for games like Hit man, Max Payne etc. Such games have a very negative impact on the mind-set of the young children who play such games. The fictitious events are often considered reality by innocent children who lack a proper sense of direction. The events portrayed in the game change the mind-set of young children.
Children very often try stunts on their friends which are shown in violent video games. Playing violent video games increases aggression among people who play it and there are no two ways about it. “One study reveals that young men who are habitually aggressive may be especially vulnerable to the aggression-enhancing effects of repeated exposure to violent games,” said psychologists Craig A. Anderson, Ph.D., and Karen E. Dill, Ph.D. “The other study reveals that even a brief exposure to violent video games can temporarily increase aggressive behavior in all types of participants” (Violent Video Games Can Increase Aggression, 2008).
“On average, there is a significant tendency for the studies to yield an increase in aggression by those who have played the violent games,” said Craig Anderson, an Iowa State University professor and leading researcher on the effects of media violence.” (Violent Video games under Attack, 24 November 2008). There are enough evidences which prove that playing violent video games give rise to violence in the society. This is extremely bad for the society, it is high time that this is realized and something should be done about it sooner rather than later.
Every coin is two sided, playing games also has benefits. It relaxes a person and it is very entertaining to play games. The relaxation derived from playing games is immense and cannot be out into words. Research also proves that playing games makes the mind sharper and the response rate of the mind goes up by a significant level. “Nottingham Trent University professor Mark Griffiths said they can be a powerful distraction for youngsters undergoing painful cancer treatment. He also argues games can help develop social skills for children with attention disorders including autism. Mr Griffith’s claims are made in the British Medical Journal out on Friday. The professor of gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University said more research must be done into both the positive and negative effects of gaming. (The Positive effects of games, 2008).
Violent games should be banned considering their impact on the society, so far we have been the architects of our own destruction by letting such games take over our society but this should not be the case any further. It is high time for us to do something about it. Suitable changes should be made in the law to restrict such games from becoming available to the public.
References
- The Positive Effects of Games. In Only a Game. Web.
- Violent Video Games can Increase Aggression. In Media Information. Web.
- Violent Video Games under Attack. In Wired. Web.