Violence in Video Games
It seems that every time you turn on the news there is a new violent event the world is reeling from. After the initial shock of the incident, everyone wants someone to blame for their heartbreak. There has been an uprise in studies condemning video games containing violence for many reasons, including those who partake in the games experiences “decreases in prosocial behavior, empathy, and sensitivity to aggression” (Albanese). As someone who grew up playing video games such as Mortal Kombat, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Brothers, etc., I found the premise of many arguments against violence in video games ridiculous. I do not consider myself a violent person, despite inflicting “fatalities” on my opponents and having the on screen prompt to “FINISH HIM!” when …show more content…
We as a species have a seemingly innate desire to listen to drama, to get involved, to make sure our thoughts are heard and valued. While the media sources talk only of the negative impacts of video games, there are many positives to picking up a controller. According to research done by American Psychologist, “Playing video games, including violent shooter games, may boost children 's learning, health and social skills” ("Video Game Play May Provide Learning, Health, Social Benefits, Review Finds"). Many people seem to think that video gaming is a waste of time and is often viewed as “lazy” or not intellectually stimulating, however in reality there are a number of benefits to cognitive skills such as memory and reasoning according to numerous studies. Children’s creativity also increased when played video games as opposed to other media such as computers or cell phones. A commonly held belief is that video gamers are socially isolated when playing. While this may be true for single-player games, many children choose to play multiplayer games with friends or people around the
It seems that every time you turn on the news there is a new violent event the world is reeling from. After the initial shock of the incident, everyone wants someone to blame for their heartbreak. There has been an uprise in studies condemning video games containing violence for many reasons, including those who partake in the games experiences “decreases in prosocial behavior, empathy, and sensitivity to aggression” (Albanese). As someone who grew up playing video games such as Mortal Kombat, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Brothers, etc., I found the premise of many arguments against violence in video games ridiculous. I do not consider myself a violent person, despite inflicting “fatalities” on my opponents and having the on screen prompt to “FINISH HIM!” when …show more content…
We as a species have a seemingly innate desire to listen to drama, to get involved, to make sure our thoughts are heard and valued. While the media sources talk only of the negative impacts of video games, there are many positives to picking up a controller. According to research done by American Psychologist, “Playing video games, including violent shooter games, may boost children 's learning, health and social skills” ("Video Game Play May Provide Learning, Health, Social Benefits, Review Finds"). Many people seem to think that video gaming is a waste of time and is often viewed as “lazy” or not intellectually stimulating, however in reality there are a number of benefits to cognitive skills such as memory and reasoning according to numerous studies. Children’s creativity also increased when played video games as opposed to other media such as computers or cell phones. A commonly held belief is that video gamers are socially isolated when playing. While this may be true for single-player games, many children choose to play multiplayer games with friends or people around the