Vaughn 1

Nic Vaughn Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1103 Dec 4, 2013

Are Violent Video Games A Plague of Aggression?

In the

! the e""ect that #iolent #i$eo games ha#e on the beha#iors o" %i$s , teens an$

&oung a$ults has been up "or $iscussion an$ come about in #arious hea$lines ' (his has become a big $eal because the ma)orit& o" &oung people to$a& pla& man& o" these graphic #i$eo games an$ shoul$ be more a*are o" the in"luence , i" an&, that the& ma& encounter' +#er the &ears, man& ,uestions ha#e come up about the I$ea that #i$eo games can reall& lea$ up to such $rastic $ispla&s' !o "ar numerous ne*s, politicians, researcher anal&sts ha#e argue$ o#er i$eas such as i" #iolent #i$eo games are $irectl& lin%e$ to #arious crimes cause$ b& the teenager *ho been %no*n to pla& #iolent #i$eo games' (he case o" the Ne*to*n, Connecticut shootings also has been a %e& $ebate on *hether #iolent #i$eo games actuall& cause their pla&ers to ha#e an increase in aggressi#e beha#ior or thin%ing patterns - shoul$ there be more restrictions on the bu&ing o" #iolent #i$eo games- an$ i" it reall& is the #i$eo games themsel#es that are the problem.

+ne o" the most hotl& $ebate$ ,uestions is *hether graphic #i$eo games ha#e been %no*n to cause an increase in aggression ' I m&sel" am an a#i$ #i$eo game pla&er an$ ha#e not

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notice$ an& changes o" m& o#erall beha#ior' I/m )ust m& o#erall mello* eas& going sel" an$ e#er&one *ho %no*s *ith me can agree' 01eah, Nic is a reall& chill gu&' 2e ne#er reall& gets angr& or shouts' It/s great,3 sa&s m& "rien$, 4le5 6ro*n' (hough I ha#en/t notice$ an& changes in m&sel", I can see some truth to the e""ect o" a raise in aggression *hile pla&ing graphic #i$eo games' 7or instance, *hile pla&ing the games *ith brother an$ I beat him or something happens an$ $oesn/t ,uite go his *a& he becomes a bit agitate$ an$ grunts out o" anger or sometimes beats his controller'

8hile arguments can be ma$e that m& brother is )ust an o#erall all brat an$ spoil sport, beha#ioral stu$ies ha#e sho*n that a lot o" these #iolent #i$eo games can ma%e the pla&ers ha#e an increase in aggressi#e attitu$es: 9(here is a causal lin% bet*een pla&ing the "irst:person shooting games in our e5periment an$ brain:acti#it& patterns that are consi$ere$ as characteristics "or aggressi#e cognitions an$ a""ects' (here is a neurological lin% an$ there is a short:term causal relationship9 ;ene 8eber, 4ssistant <ro"essor at M! , states in her article, Do Violent Vi$eo =ames ;eall& Cause 4ggressi#e 6eha#ior , It has also been anal&>e$ that e5posure to #iolent #i$eo games increases ph&siological arousal an$ aggression:relate$ thoughts an$ "eelings in the pla&ers an$ that the pla&ing o" #iolent #i$eo games also $ecrease pro:social beha#ior ?Craig 4' 4n$erson an$ 6ra$ @' 6ushmanA'

4nother topic that has been $ebate$ is *hether or not the e5cess a#ailabilit& o" #i$eo games has le$ to an epi$emic o" #iolent beha#iors seen in &outh ' (hough #i$eo games are

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primaril& targete$ to the &ounger generation, #i$eogames are not a main cause o" #iolent beha#iors' 4 <ro"essor at MI(, 2enr& @en%ins *rites in his article that the i$ea o" this being an epi$emic is o#erl& "antasi>e$, the "act is that accor$ing to the 7e$eral Crime !tatistics, the rate o" &oung #iolence in the nite$ !tates is at an all:time 30 &ear lo* ' (he "act that #i$eo games are

to blame is highl& unli%el& ' (hough ma)orit& o" &oung people *ho ha#e committe$ crimes ha#e been %no*n to be a#i$ #i$eo game pla&ers , o#er ninet& percent o" all bo&s an$ "ort& percent o" all girls in the nite$ !tates are more li%el& to be #i$eogame pla&ers'

@en%ins goes on to *rite ho* in 2001 the ! 4ttorne& =eneral reporte$ that the strongest ris% "actors "or &oung #iolence in such cases li%e school shootings is more centere$ on mental stabilit& an$ the ,ualit& o" home li"e ' @en%ins also continues to state ho* the moral panic o#er #iolent #i$eogames has been causing more harm to %i$s *ith "actors such as these 0It has le$ a$ult authorities to be more suspicious an$ hostile too man& %i$s *ho alrea$& "eel cut o"" "rom the s&stem' It also mis$irects energ& a*a& "rom eliminating the actual causes o" &outh #iolence an$ allo*s problems to continue to "ester3 ?@en%insA' (his brings up the ,uestions on *hether the *hole #i$eogame #iolence thing is e#en real, )ust something that $ue to o" the populace/s "ear o" it reall& being a problem is actuall& causing the #iolent actions that *e hear about'

4nother "iercel& $ebate$ i$ea is i" #iolent #i$eo games causes it/s #ie*ers to ha#e a complete $esensiti>ation to real *orl$ e#ents' 0Classic stu$ies o" pla& beha#ior among primates suggest that apes ma%e a basic $istinctions bet*een pla& "ighting an$ actual combat3 2enr&

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@en%ins points this out in his article 0;ealit& 6&tes: Eight M&ths 4bout Vi$eo =ames '3 0<la& allo*s %i$s to e5press "eelings an$ impulses that ha#e to be care"ull& hel$ in chec% in their real: *orl$ interactions3 ?@en%insA' (hough apes aren/t e5actl& the same as humans , the&/re gro*th is ,uite similar to ours, &oung people learn the $i""erence bet*een real an$ unreal at aspects o" li"e ' Man& people belie#e as %i$s pla& these #iolent #i$eo games it is sense $esensiti>ing them to real *orl$ e#ents' (hough this is a common belie" sho*n in the me$ia , researchers ha#e "oun$ the opposite to be true' 04 chil$ *ho respon$s to a #i$eo game the same *a& he or she respon$s to a real:*orl$ trage$& has sho*n s&mptoms o" being se#erel& emotionall& $isturbe$3 ?@en%insA' 8hen a chil$ pla&s a #i$eo game the& *oul$ react the same *a& the& *oul$ i" it *ere to be real ' (hrough research 1oung chil$ren seem to ha#e %no*n the $i""erence bet*een *hen the& are pla&ing an$ *hen something is a real scenario'

;ecent stu$ies an$ arguments ha#e also suggeste$ that graphic #i$eo games cause pla&ers to e5perience e#ents "rom slight changes in moo$ to o#erall encouragement to %ill other "ello* citi>ens aroun$ them' (he N;4 has state$ that in the case o" the Ne*to*n , C( shooting *as in"luence$ b& o#er e5posure an$ encouragement "rom graphic #i$eo games' ?Cormac 7osterA (hough this e#ent is trul& a trage$& , the N;4/s statement is un)ust $ue to the "act that there is no current scienti"ic e#i$ence that #i$eo games are lin%e$ or e#en the cause o" real li"e #iolence ' (he N;4 has ma$e it almost a goal to shoot $o*n ,uestions o" guns that become issues $ue to these crimes, instea$ the& tr& an$ pin the #iolence o" #i$eo games as the main reason *h& such crimes are committe$ in the nite$ !tates'

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In man& o" the cases that are brought to ,uestion , li%e in the case o" Ne*to*n, Connecticut shooting, the perpetrators ha$ been %no*n to pla& man& #iolent #i$eogames ha#ing to $o *ith *ar to robbing an$ mur$ering ci#ilians' (here ma& be some truth to then some o" the N;4/s accusation o" #i$eogames inspiring this #iolence' 2enr& @en%ins, a <ro"essor at MI(, inter#ie*e$ Da#i$ =rossman, a "ormer Militar& <s&chologist an$ moral re"ormer, about the i$ea o" #i$eo games un%no*ingl& train our &oung generation to %ill ' Da#i$ =rossman gi#es in"ormation about ho* the militar& is currentl& using #i$eogames in certain curriculums to train sol$iers- 0(he militar& uses games as part o" a speci"ic curriculum , *ith clearl& $e"ine$ goals, in a conte5t *here stu$ents acti#el& *ant to learn an$ ha#e a nee$ "or the in"ormation being transmitte$' (here are conse,uences "or not mastering those s%ills ' (hat being sai$, a gro*ing bo$& o" research $oes suggest that games can enhance learning3 ?@en%insA' In @en%ins/s article =rossman goes on to claim that the generation o" &oung people *ho pla& such games, li%e the militar& uses to train sol$iers 0shoot an$ %ill,3 are similarl& being brutali>e$ an$ con$itione$ to be aggressi#e in their e#er&$a& social interactions'

pon "urther in#estigation an$ researching I ha#e "oun$ man& people *ho ha#e "oun$ e#i$ence that argue against the N;4/s statements an$ biase$ opinions o" the crimes' Eri% 2ue& the senior #ice presi$ent, go#ernment a""airs, o" the Entertainment !o"t*are 4ssociation states in his article 0#i$eo games represent an CD0 billion *orl$*i$e in$ustr&' 6ut #iolent crime has $ecline$ $ramaticall& as the games ha#e gaine$ popularit&' I" games cause$ #iolent

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beha#ior, ho* coul$ the crime rates go $o*n *hile game sales *ent through the roo"3 ?Eri% 2ue&A' 2ue& ma%es man& #ali$ points in his article *ith the research he has $one ' 2ue& later goes on to sho* ho* the international sales an$ crime $ata in countries that consume more #i$eo games per capita than in the nite$ states ha#e ha$ "ar lo*er instances o" gun:relate$ crime'

6eing there is no scienti"ic ba%ing lin%ing #iolent #i$eo games to the crimes themsel#es it seems that some people are tr&ing to "in$ something to point their "ingers at something to "in$ an ans*er'

(hough it ma& seem the N;4 ma&be tr&ing to point the&/re "ingers at #i$eo games an$ sa& that it is at "ault "or the entire inci$ent ' 4lthough it/s not entirel& possible that #i$eo games are the cause o" the shooting it can ha#e pla&e$ a small in"luence in the inci$ent ' (he& bo&s *ho cause$ the shooting ha#e been %no*n to ha#e some mental $isor$ers an$ a trouble$ househol$ ' (he bo&s *ere also a#i$ #i$eo game pla&ers an$ pla&e$ man& o" *ell:%no*n #iolent #i$eo games on the mar%et' It is %no*n that pla&ing #iolent #i$eo games can be the cause o" short term ba$ habits, but is it possible that the& ma& create longer term habits as *ell ' 0<la&ing the games can an$ $oes stir hostile urges an$ mil$l& aggressi#e beha#ior in the short term ' Moreo#er, &oungsters *ho $e#elop a gaming habit can become slightl& more aggressi#e "or instance at least o#er a perio$ o" a &ear or t*o '3 6ene$ict Care&, a science reporter "or the Ne* 1or% (imes goes on to e5plain in his article 0!hooting in the Dar% '3 6ene$ict goes on to tell ho* researchers ha#e been "in$ing long term beha#iors to be occurring more o"ten in &ounger people an$ those *ho are mentall& $isable$' (hese ne* "in$ings ma& pro#e that the #i$eo games alone *here not the

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sole culprit to their )u$gment but ma& ha#e been a small contribution to it in combination to their mental sanit& an$ rough social en#ironment'

(hough #i$eo games cause an in"lu5 o" aggression in their pla&ers it is unsure *h& man& unspea%able crimes are committe$ e#er& &ear, but I belie#e it is not the #i$eo games themsel#es that alone cause the #iolence' (here is more e#i$ence to suggest that the& are not the root cause to these #iolent acts, though it is possible that the& ma& ha#e a small role in the contribution to the in"luence o" them' (his *hole $ebate *ell *orth loo%ing "urther into an$ *atch gro*ing to see *here the "uture o" #i$eo games *ill lea$ ' I "or one hope that *e "in$ a reason other than #i$eo games, other*ise I ma& nee$ to "in$ m&sel" a ne* hobb&'

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8or%s Cite$ Eri% 2ue&, Vi$eo =ames Don/t Cause Violence, ***'s"gate'com, *eb' Cormac 7oster, Do Violent Vi$eo =ames ;eall& Cause Violent 6eha#ior, ***'rea$*rite'com, *eb' Craig 4' 4n$erson an$ 6ra$ @' 6ushman, E""ects o" Violent Vi$eo =ames on 4ggressi#e 6eha#ior, 4ggressi#e Cognition, 4ggressi#e 4""ect, <h&siological 4rousal, an$ <rosocial 6eha#ior: 4 Meta:4nal&tic ;e#ie* o" the !cienti"ic Giterature, pss'sagepub'com, *eb' ;ene 8eber, 4ssistant <ro"essor at M! , 4rticle b& 4le5 Dut&, Do Violent Vi$eo =ames ;eall& Cause 4ggressi#e 6eha#ior, #oices'&ahoo'com, *eb' 2enr& @en%ins, <ro"essor at MI(, ;ealit& 6&tes: Eight M&ths 4bout Vi$eo =ames Debun%e$, ***'pbs'org, *eb' 6ene$ict Care&, !cience ;eporter "or Ne* 1or% (imes, !hooting in the Dar%, ***'n&times'com, *eb'