Closing Statement

Whether you chose to believe me or not, I have used proven facts and studies that show an obvious relation between video games and real-life violence among the young people of this age. I have cited many sources that agree with me and have proven false some sources that disagree. Its important to stay informed about the dangers surrounding you and you loved ones on a daily basis. This is not a topic to be ignored or denied. It is reality and it is a proven problem. Violent video games are destroying the minds of our youth.

So What?

Myth 9. The effects of violent video games are trivially small. 
Facts: Meta-analyses reveal that violent video game effect sizes are larger than the effect of second hand tobacco smoke on lung cancer, the effect of lead exposure to I.Q. scores in children, and calcium intake on bone mass. Furthermore, the fact that so many youths are exposed to such high levels of video game violence further increases the societal costs of this risk factor (Rosenthal, 1986).-Source


This article tries to defend the opposite  side of the argument. They leave a big hole in their argument by changing the subject to how video game can improve the player. this is erogenous and far too vague to support a  true argument. The truth is that video games are dangerous for our current adolescents. 

Fact v. Myth?

here we have an argument that violent video games do not cause violence among the adolescents that play them:

Myth: The availability of video games has led to an epidemic of youth violence.
Fact: According to federal crime statistics, the rate of juvenile violent crime in the United States is at a 30-year low. Researchers find that people serving time for violent crimes typically consume less media before committing their crimes than the average person in the general population. It's true that young offenders who have committed school shootings in America have also been game players. But young people in general are more likely to be gamers — 90 percent of boys and 40 percent of girls play. The overwhelming majority of kids who play do NOT commit antisocial acts. According to a 2001 U.S. Surgeon General's report, the strongest risk factors for school shootings centered on mental stability and the quality of home life, not media exposure. The moral panic over violent video games is doubly harmful. It has led adult authorities to be more suspicious and hostile to many kids who already feel cut off from the system. It also misdirects energy away from eliminating the actual causes of youth violence and allows problems to continue to fester. (Source).

Notice how they mention, "the rate of juvinile violent crime in the United States is at a 30-year low." this is exactly what the next article is defending. 


Myth 11. If violent video games cause increases in aggression, violent crime rates in the U.S. would be increasing instead of decreasing. 

Facts: Three assumptions must all be true for this myth to be valid: (a) exposure to violent media (including video games) is increasing; (b) youth violent crime rates are decreasing; (c) video game violence is the only (or the primary) factor contributing to societal violence. The first assumption is probably true. The second is not true, as reported by the 2001 Report of the Surgeon General on Youth Violence (Figure 2-7, p. 25). The third is clearly untrue. Media violence is only one of many factors that contribute to societal violence and is certainly not the most important one. Media violence researchers have repeatedly noted this.(Source)

its obvious that national crime rate is irrelevant to the fact that video games are causing violence among teens. Violence is a serious issue and should not be denied and/or ignored as the first article was doing.

Clearing the Confusion

Little Big Planet seems to be a harmless E-Rated video game, but here is a screen shot. I don't know about you, but i wouldn't want my 8 yr old cousin playing this game. Compared to the cover of the game, the screenshot looks a bit more violent, don't you agree?

Myth 8. Unrealistic video game violence is completely safe for adolescents and older youths.
Facts: Cartoonish and fantasy violence is often perceived (incorrectly) by parents and public policy makers as safe even for children. However, experimental studies with college students have consistently found increased aggression after exposure to clearly unrealistic and fantasy violent video games. Indeed, at least one recent study found significant increases in aggression by college students after playing E-rated (suitable for everyone) violent video games.

Myth v. Proven Fact

I found an article on MSN about how video games can make your child a better citizen. Lets look into this a bit more. The author defends his point by stating his point when he says, "So, how can playing 'Madden' or 'World of Warcraft' influence your teenager to get psyched about the three branches of government? It’s not as incongruous as it might sound, says Kahne. Game experiences 'can be quite valuable from the standpoint of civic and political engagement.'" you can see here that his argument is weak because he asks a question and does not answer it strongly. The reader might assume that the author will go into further explanation in following paragraph, but the author discretely changes the subject in hopes that the reader didn't notice how he didn't answer his own question.

"Myth 1. Violent video game research has yielded very mixed results.
Facts: Some studies have yielded nonsignificant video game effects, just as some smoking studies failed to find a significant link to lung cancer. But when one combines all relevant empirical studies using meta-analytic techniques, five separate effects emerge with considerable consistency. Violent video games are significantly associated with: increased aggressive behavior, thoughts, and affect; increased physiological arousal; and decreased prosocial (helping) behavior. Average effect sizes for experimental studies (which help establish causality) and correlational studies (which allow examination of serious violent behavior) appear comparable (Anderson & Bushman, 2001)."

Here we have a study that proves five points that were consistently observed throughout their research. 
An increase in aggressive behaviors is an obvious point
Increased Physiological arousal (also known as the Fight or Flight Response) is easy to understand because many violent games put the character's life at risk- it is also very common for the player to die and come back to life many times in a session of playing the game.
and Finally, Decreased prosocial behaivor is a sad, but unforgivingly true statement.  I have even noticed in my own experiences how 'gamers'  become very introverted and selfish.

Its a sad reality that today's youth is being consumed by video games and it IS causing harm to them. Some studies have acquired false information that video games are good for the player, but we have correctly proven that they are far from beneficial.

Video Games and Teaching

Y= m x + b
Why do I know that math formula off of the top of my head? Repetition.

Repetition is one of the oldest and most thorough learning and memorization techniques in the world. Whether it is learning math equations, English, foreign languages, or instruments, none of these things could be taught without repetition. So why would violence be any different? "Gentile & Anderson (2003) state that playing video games may increase aggressive behavior because violent acts are continually repeated throughout the video game."- The impact of video games on children.  Not only are young children viewing violent acts (such as a violent movie) but they are deliberately committing them on their own will. This is what makes the repetition in video games frighteningly effective in teaching violence. 

A research study was done by the Congressional Public Health Summit on the Impact of Entertainment Violence on Children which concluded these main points:

• "Children who see a lot of violence are more likely to view violence as an effective way of settling conflicts. Children exposed to violence are more likely to assume that acts of violence are acceptable behavior. 

• Viewing violence can lead to emotional desensitization towards violence in real life. It can decrease the likelihood that one will take action on behalf of a victim when violence occurs. 

• Entertainment violence feeds a perception that the world is a violent and mean place. Viewing violence increases fear of becoming a victim of violence, with a resultant increase in self-protective behaviors and a mistrust of others. 

• Viewing violence may lead to real life violence. Children exposed to violent programming at a young age have a higher tendency for violent and aggressive behavior later in life than children who are not so exposed."

This study focused on viewing violence. But I'm sure participating in violent computer-generated entertainment is not much healthier for a child.  Repetition of participation in violent acts is a danger to the fragile minds of America's youth.

Get off the x-box!

Here are some fascinating examples of how kids get emotionally attached to the alter-reality that video games create:


Get Off the X BOX!

Get Off the X BOX 2

Why do parents let their children get so attached to video games? Do video games offer any benefits to a growing child's life?  "[Video] games have figured out a way to encourage players to persist at solving challenging problems.''- Eric Klopfer.
 So Mr. Klopfer seems to be arguing that video games benefit the player. And his point seems to be blatantly obvious. What a brilliant observation! Problem solving is a life skill that can be quite tricky for some. So video games are like having your cake and eating it too- the player will be consumed (haha get it?) in the game as a recreation activity and will also be building on a life skill!... not exactly. 

Even president Obama agrees with me in his speech to the American Medical Association. "The second step that we can all agree on is to invest more in preventive care so that we can avoid illness and disease in the first place. That starts with each of us taking more responsibility for our health and the health of our children. It means ... raising our children to step away from the video games." Isn't it obvious that the risks outweigh the benefits? So there may be some benefits, but when considering your loved one who plays video games, you have to ask yourself some questions.


Is it worth it to gain problem solving skills, but live as a violent person?

Is it worth it for all of us to have so many violent adults in our future?

Is it worth it for the player to experience violent bouts of anger and aggression?

aggression with his parents.

aggression with his friends.

aggression with his sister.

aggression with his girlfriend.

aggression with his wife.   

Its not worth it.