Video Games and Violence
“Violent Video Games: Rehearsing Aggression”, is an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education written by Elizabeth Carll explaining that violent video games play an important factor on violence. The article is a response to Christopher Fergusen, an advocate for violent video games, who previously made the article “Video Games: the Latest Scapegoat for Violence”. She focuses on the body of research available to show that violent video games cause violent behavior and goes on to say that limiting access will only allow the parents to control what media their kids have. However, Carll acknowledges that not everyone that plays these games will become violent. She writes, “Obviously, not all people who play video games will commit violent crimes. However, for a subgroup of vulnerable individuals predisposed to violence and aggression, playing violent video games may provide opportunities to rehearse a recipe for action.” By writing this, Carll confines her argument to a select few that will become violent, but not to the majority of video game players. In America there are over 155 million people who play video games, 50 million of which are violent (Essential). …show more content…
This shows that out of the 50 million players only a few are committing crimes and that it could be a coincidence. Carll argues that there is a subgroup of vulnerable individuals that might commit crimes after playing violent video games, however, would those individuals commit a crime without video games if they are already vulnerable? Violent video games are good for the clear majority of players and have great benefits such as stress relief, friendship, and kindness. Crime is inevitable and is in every society. According to government statistics youth violence is in its lowest in 40 years (Youth). This is while video games have gone up in sales by just over 200% in the past decade (Essential). The correlation hardly shows that video games cause violence when there are more video games and less crime. However, this is not to say violent video games have no cause in crimes. Violent video games can be an inspiration to commit a crime for someone who is on the edge of committing a crime. Some would say that violent video games cause crimes, but these games could reduce crime by reducing stress. Cheryl Olson, a researcher who studies children and violent video games, and her colleagues did a study on 42 eighth grade boys who played violent video games and found that “Boys use violent games specifically (a) as a means to express fantasies of power and glory, (b) to explore and master what they perceived as exciting and realistic environments, and (c) as a tool to work out their feelings of anger and stress” (69). According to Olson playing violent video games had a positive impact on the boys by allowing them to live out fantasies and relieve stress. Furthermore, Olson et. Al. argues that “there is potential for games to help socially awkward children gain acceptance and self-esteem” (70). The ability to play with others allows friendships to build along with self-esteem. While playing a video game anyone can stand out and give people with social anxiety the ability to interact others without real life implications. Furthermore, multiplayer games specifically cooperative modes reduced aggression. A study done by Jessica Jerabeck, a researcher for the University of Texas, and Christopher Ferguson, a psychologist that focuses on video games and violence, found lower aggression after playing with another person in a violent video game. The study consisted of 100 undergrad students who played a variety of violent and nonviolent video games and then had them perform violent acts using hot sauce as a medium. This method had strangers give hot sauce to each other with varying …show more content…
However, many of these individuals could have another trigger if video games were not present. One step to stop these individuals is for parents to moderate their children’s habits that could lead to crimes. Adding laws to prohibit or limit violent video games could be resolution for these individuals, nonetheless, this would prove difficult because video games are considered free speech. Therefore, this means video games violent or not are protected under the First Amendment. Overall, violent video games are beneficial and can improve friendships, self-esteem, and even lower
“Violent Video Games: Rehearsing Aggression”, is an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education written by Elizabeth Carll explaining that violent video games play an important factor on violence. The article is a response to Christopher Fergusen, an advocate for violent video games, who previously made the article “Video Games: the Latest Scapegoat for Violence”. She focuses on the body of research available to show that violent video games cause violent behavior and goes on to say that limiting access will only allow the parents to control what media their kids have. However, Carll acknowledges that not everyone that plays these games will become violent. She writes, “Obviously, not all people who play video games will commit violent crimes. However, for a subgroup of vulnerable individuals predisposed to violence and aggression, playing violent video games may provide opportunities to rehearse a recipe for action.” By writing this, Carll confines her argument to a select few that will become violent, but not to the majority of video game players. In America there are over 155 million people who play video games, 50 million of which are violent (Essential). …show more content…
This shows that out of the 50 million players only a few are committing crimes and that it could be a coincidence. Carll argues that there is a subgroup of vulnerable individuals that might commit crimes after playing violent video games, however, would those individuals commit a crime without video games if they are already vulnerable? Violent video games are good for the clear majority of players and have great benefits such as stress relief, friendship, and kindness. Crime is inevitable and is in every society. According to government statistics youth violence is in its lowest in 40 years (Youth). This is while video games have gone up in sales by just over 200% in the past decade (Essential). The correlation hardly shows that video games cause violence when there are more video games and less crime. However, this is not to say violent video games have no cause in crimes. Violent video games can be an inspiration to commit a crime for someone who is on the edge of committing a crime. Some would say that violent video games cause crimes, but these games could reduce crime by reducing stress. Cheryl Olson, a researcher who studies children and violent video games, and her colleagues did a study on 42 eighth grade boys who played violent video games and found that “Boys use violent games specifically (a) as a means to express fantasies of power and glory, (b) to explore and master what they perceived as exciting and realistic environments, and (c) as a tool to work out their feelings of anger and stress” (69). According to Olson playing violent video games had a positive impact on the boys by allowing them to live out fantasies and relieve stress. Furthermore, Olson et. Al. argues that “there is potential for games to help socially awkward children gain acceptance and self-esteem” (70). The ability to play with others allows friendships to build along with self-esteem. While playing a video game anyone can stand out and give people with social anxiety the ability to interact others without real life implications. Furthermore, multiplayer games specifically cooperative modes reduced aggression. A study done by Jessica Jerabeck, a researcher for the University of Texas, and Christopher Ferguson, a psychologist that focuses on video games and violence, found lower aggression after playing with another person in a violent video game. The study consisted of 100 undergrad students who played a variety of violent and nonviolent video games and then had them perform violent acts using hot sauce as a medium. This method had strangers give hot sauce to each other with varying …show more content…
However, many of these individuals could have another trigger if video games were not present. One step to stop these individuals is for parents to moderate their children’s habits that could lead to crimes. Adding laws to prohibit or limit violent video games could be resolution for these individuals, nonetheless, this would prove difficult because video games are considered free speech. Therefore, this means video games violent or not are protected under the First Amendment. Overall, violent video games are beneficial and can improve friendships, self-esteem, and even lower