A Summary and Critique of “Why We Need Violent Video Games”
Video games were conceived of when digital reality merged with human imagination. Although it is frequently blamed for social problems, there are still a large number of proponents for it. Ethan Gilsdorf, an American writer, critic, and journalist states in his article “Why We Need Violent Video Games” that violent video games are essential and beneficial not only because they help people to channel out their negative emotions but also satisfy their psychological needs such as desire for “adrenaline-rich” actions (83).
Gilsdorf introduces his article with the tragic Sandy Hook shooting and then elaborates his ideas throughout the text. The author expresses that beside gun regulation, video games violence became the “scapegoat” for the massacre (82). Gilsdorf conveys that there are numerous unknown factors causing the violent behaviors among unsettled young men; he points out that the murderer, Adam Lanza—who did not even play violent games—demonstrated multiple personality traits. Furthermore, the spokespeople for the video game industry claim that no convincing research proves a clear connection between violence in video games and atrocities. In addition, the …show more content…
However, his arguments do not stand up under close scrutiny. Obviously, the author pays too much attention to the Sandy Hook carnage as he forms his conclusion. In other words, there is no alternative example to back up his opinion. In the notorious Columbine High School massacre, two culprits are addicted to the first-person shooter video games such as Doom, which attributed to the notion that addiction to these games is the underlying reason for savage actions (Korah). Moreover, Gilsdorf not only provides no scientific data, but also paraphrases the words of the spokespeople for the video games industry without contributing any specific background information about the
Video games were conceived of when digital reality merged with human imagination. Although it is frequently blamed for social problems, there are still a large number of proponents for it. Ethan Gilsdorf, an American writer, critic, and journalist states in his article “Why We Need Violent Video Games” that violent video games are essential and beneficial not only because they help people to channel out their negative emotions but also satisfy their psychological needs such as desire for “adrenaline-rich” actions (83).
Gilsdorf introduces his article with the tragic Sandy Hook shooting and then elaborates his ideas throughout the text. The author expresses that beside gun regulation, video games violence became the “scapegoat” for the massacre (82). Gilsdorf conveys that there are numerous unknown factors causing the violent behaviors among unsettled young men; he points out that the murderer, Adam Lanza—who did not even play violent games—demonstrated multiple personality traits. Furthermore, the spokespeople for the video game industry claim that no convincing research proves a clear connection between violence in video games and atrocities. In addition, the …show more content…
However, his arguments do not stand up under close scrutiny. Obviously, the author pays too much attention to the Sandy Hook carnage as he forms his conclusion. In other words, there is no alternative example to back up his opinion. In the notorious Columbine High School massacre, two culprits are addicted to the first-person shooter video games such as Doom, which attributed to the notion that addiction to these games is the underlying reason for savage actions (Korah). Moreover, Gilsdorf not only provides no scientific data, but also paraphrases the words of the spokespeople for the video games industry without contributing any specific background information about the