The Effects of Video Game Violence on Children

The Industry of video games is growing with advancements in technology all the time, and this has prompted games to become increasingly realistic in their nature. This has contributed to making video games incredibly popular with kids, and has concerned parents, causing them to question the motivations behind these video games.

Studies show that kids play video games nearly every day for an average period of over 10 hours a week. Games allow kids the ability to work on skills such as problem-solving and how to confront strategic problems. However, as with any mainstream entertainment today, there is always controversy, and video games are no exception. The scandal caused by these games is a result of only a handful of titles with excessive violence, misanthropic behavior, and drug use.

The worry among parents, teachers, and politicians is based wholly on the assumption that video games are not made for children anymore because of the violence which they promote. The concern around video game violence is completely based on the belief that these titles fuel aggressive action among the children who play them as a hobby.

Research studies have been conducted by organizations, like the American Psychological Association, suggests that the levels of violence found in video games may actually increase the levels of aggression in some children. They concluded that kids who plays video games are a lot more likely to reenact the actions of the characters they control inside the games, especially when the games demand active cooperation from the kids who are playing them. The research also suggested that games are repetitive, and that this will actually increase a child's learning of undesirable and aggressive behavior. The greatest concern over violent games is that these titles are actually rewarding children for violent acts inside the game universe. In fact some games actually work on the basis that more violence conducted by the game's characters will better award the player.

Other research has also suggested that prolonged exposure to violent games may increase the physiological aspects in children, including a rapidly beating heart and possible increase in blood pressures. But many kids are naturally more aggressive than others, video games aside, which prompts adults to overstate the problems caused by games. The children who have a more hostile and reticent behavioral background are more likely to be affected negatively by the blood and gore inside the video games that they play. In fact the research studies proved that kids undergo a greater increase in adrenaline than children who have no history of aggressive behavior.

Finally, the research goes on to suggest that protracted exposure to violent games will increase a number of violent behaviors and thoughts in the kids who are playing them. During short-term period, it is believed that any type of exposure to violent media can increase hostile behavior in kids compared to kids are not exposed to any of it. But this is not quantifiable, and many would say is merely common sense.