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Do Violent Video Games Cause Behavior Problems?

Social scientists have revealed that a significant number of kids between twelve and

seventeen years play various kinds of gaming. However, it was shocking to notice that over 60 %

of the kids engaging in video games prefer the action and adventure genre, which in most cases,

involves violent content (Khalil et al. 131). Additionally, over 90 % of electronic games that

have been approved to be suitable for kids may contain violent scenes. The worrying statistics

have made mental health specialists and psychologists reveal that exposure to video games with

violent content negatively affects kids' behavior. There are different video games available,

ranging from action, puzzle, racing, and advanced adventurous. School-going kids are

participating in playing video games frequently. Participating in violent video gaming is

associated with lethal violence, criminal behavior, and increases the potential of later

delinquency. In this context, the paper discusses that statistics have caused psychologists and

mental health specialists to state that exposure to video games with violent content negatively

affects children's behavior.

Parents play an essential responsibility in video games played by their kids. Parents

purchase video games for their kids and fail to monitor how they play the games (Rillera et al.

180). Violent video games have various effects on school attending adolescents. Children who

participate in playing brutal videos can sometimes be aggressive and violent. Video games act as

entertainment medium for school kids but have also gained admiration among most individuals.
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Boys participate more in video gaming at a tender age than girls. Besides, most boys prefer

intense electronic games while girls engage in playing racing games. Boys are more likely to

part6icipate in video games for long hours as compared to girls. Boys can take approximately 3-5

hours while girls 2-3 hours (Khalil et al. 333). While girls prefer video gaming on phones, boys

prefer play stations. The interference from parents while playing violent video games makes kids

aggressive compared to those engaging in non-violent video gaming. Psychological

transformations are likely to occur to these aggressive tendencies hence affecting the children

school performance and pro-social behaviors (Rillera et al. 180). However, this problem is

mostly encountered in boys than in girls sine they are the most likely to participate in violent

games. Parents need to adopt stringent procedures to confirm that the games played by their kids

do not involve violent content. Besides, parents should never purchase intense electronic games

to potentially save their children from adopting hostile behavior, which results in negative

impacts on psychological development. Since gaming is essential to the children growth, parents

need to set aside sometime for the children to play the non-violent games hence improving their

brain development (Rillera et al. 181). Also, should emphasize more on school activities to assist

their children in improving their academic performance. Children should be prevented from

excessively engaging in video gaming.

Ratings play a significant part in video games played by kids. In most cases, children fail

to read the ratings of a specific video game and instead gain interest in popular and infamous

games (Scott, David and Simecka 605). Video games bought from stores must be assessed by

the Electronic Software Ratings Board and rates to ensure that their content is appropriate for

teens and children. The ratings must also be included conspicuously on the game packing.

Children should not play games with content made for individuals above the age of eighteen.
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Such video games contain prolonged scenes of intense violence, graphic nudity and sexual

content. Other video games include strong language that should not be seen by children.

Nevertheless, most ratings reveal that a specific video game's peculiar traits demonstrate that it

contains violent content. When kids are exposed to such violent media, they become numb to

violence, express aggressive behavior, and imitate violence. Violent images influence young kids

and those with learning, behavioral and emotional challenges. Children ought to be adequately

trained to view the ratings of a particular video game before participating in playing.

Online gaming for kids is associated with various advantages and disadvantages. One of

the benefits is that children get to play and connect with their friends online in a secure manner.

Children perceive video gaming as a social activity that establishes a common ground for them

to make friends, hang out, and get structured time. Some video games promote problem-solving,

learning, and assist in the advancement of excellent motor skills and coordination. Besides, the

content in some video games such as Age of Empires and Age of Mythology inspire the interest of

children in international relations, geography, world history, and ancient cultures. Additionally,

some video games encourage children to participate in physical exercise, which is essential for

their health. Video games also allow children to share the joy of competition. Moreover, video

games spark creativity among children. The moral behavior of a child can be affected is a child

engages in video gaming with strangers (Scott, David and Simecka 608). Linking to the internet

allows adolescents and children to participate in video gaming and engage in deliberations with

unidentified peers and adults. Most popular video games stress undesirable themes promoting

foul dialect and indecent signs, violence and sexual exploitation towards women, criminal

behavior and disrespect for the law and power, and the abuse and use of alcohol and other drugs.

Such themes are likely to result to mental health concerns hence affecting the child development
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(Scott, David and Simecka 609). Parents can use the parental settings to ensure that their kids

only benefit from video games and guide them to avoid developing aggressive behavior. They

should guide their kids on what they should play and have a proper check on the video game

while minimizing their playtime.

Advancement in expertise eased the procedures for underage children to access adult

video games. Most parents purchase video games for their children without considering the

content available in the video game and its impact on the child (Rillera et al. 181). Children are

exposed to nudity, use of drugs, mature humor, and violence at a very tender age when open to

video game rated for adults. Besides, some store associates allow children to buy adult games

without checking their identification and fail to notify the parents of those kids. Parents should

be informed to monitor what their kids play and advise them accordingly. Children should not be

allowed to play games meant for individuals over their age. Additionally, most kids just enjoy

video gaming as long as it fun to them. They do not consider whether the content in the game

affects them. Children should only be allowed to play games rated for their age, which does not

include violent content.

Children can develop violent behavior once they mimic characters in video games. Some

of the kids assume that impersonating their favorite characters is acceptable in society. Violent

video games result in aggressive attitudes among teens, which worsens with time as kids

regularly play video games. Video gaming is also associated with diminishing the sense of

empathy among teenagers. Most of the children who engage in video gaming have low levels of

understanding, which is associated with aggression and social maladjustment (Rillera et al. 182).

Video games that contain prosocial content result in prosocial behavior, making children select

such video games frequently. They believe that what they see characters do in video games is
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acceptable in the community and can develop such characteristics and behaviors. Other children

go to the extent of coping with the modes of dressing and other traits from the video game

characters. Kids construct their behavior while playing through what they observe around them.

When children spend most of their time playing violent video games, it damages their behavior

and results in adverse effects. The mental health status of a child can also be impacted by gaming

since the results of every game affects the mood of the child directly (Scott, David and Simecka

611). Some of them become angry after losing a game and may end up behaving abnormally.

Besides, children learn through copying what they see while playing, which makes them imitate

and copy acts in video games. Video games involving fighting make kids repeat the fighting

techniques they observe in the game in their healthy lives. Video game conventions have been

established where children can cosplay. Gaming conventions enables individuals to view the

latest reveals, get to play demos for upcoming games, and meet a person with the same love of

the medium as them. Most video game conventions require participants to ensure that they have

a pair of pro-gaming style computer glasses so that the blue light does not ruin their convention

experience. Video gaming conventions are all about competition. Some of the biggest video

game conventions worldwide include PAX, Electronic Entertainment Expo (E 3), Gamescom,

Tokyo Game Show, Blizzcon, and Dreamhack. The video game conventions have huge prizes

and tournaments. The conventions engender a sense of real-world community.

In conclusion, most social scientists assert that subjecting children to continuous

exposure to violent games leads to violent behavior. Parents and ratings play an essential role in

determining whether children engage in extreme video gaming. Some children go to the extent of

mimicking their favorite video game characters and may hurt other kids. Stakeholders must take

an active part and curb the continuous use of violent video games by underage children.
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Works Cited

Khalil, Salman, Farheen Sultana, Farzana Alim, Khursheed Muzammil, Nazim Nasir, Atiq ul

Hassan, and Syed Esam Mahmood.“Impact of Playing Violent Video Games Among

School Going Children.” Indian Journal of Community Health, vol. 31, no. 3, July 2019,

pp. 331–337.

Rillera Marzo, Roy, Amaluddin Ahmad, Sudip Bhattacharya, Fong Yee Mun, Johari Abdul

Rahman, Shihnas Bte Anwar Batcha, Sharveenie Rajiswaran, and Lew Chin Hon.“Effects

of Playing Violent Video Games on Teenagers’ Behavior -- An Experience from

Malaysia.” Indian Journal of Community Health, vol. 31, no. 2, Apr. 2019, pp. 179–184.

Scott, David, Simecka B.“Mental Health Concerns in the Digital Age.” International Journal of

Mental Health & Addiction, vol. 15, no. 3, June 2017, pp. 604–613.