The Link Between Video Games and Violence in Youth

Introduction

Video games are computerized games common among youth and played on computer screens or television. Video games have become popular among youths as they have positive impacts, such as they are a form of entertainment that provides fun through the participation of players. The games contribute to social connection as the youths come together to play as a team or compete against each other. Many youths also play video games to achieve scores, overcome challenges presented in the game, and master the ability to progress to the next level. Additionally, video games offer the youth an opportunity to explore independence and freedom as they are in charge of the game and make decisions on moves to make. The popularity of the games is also attributed to the gratification offered to players because they accomplish the instructions given and earn rewards at the end. Although video games have a positive influence, this paper focuses on the negative impacts of video games and how they contribute to violence among the youth, together with necessary preventive measures.

Negative impacts of video games

Video games face a lot of criticism because they promote anti-social behaviour and social isolation among the youth. Many players spend a lot of time playing games in closed rooms, thus limiting them from physically interacting with their friends. The games also lower the school performance of the youths because they spend most of their time playing games instead of reading. Playing video games contributes to addiction, where players are always on their screens solving challenges and seeking more rewards (Markey & Ferguson, 2017). Excessive gaming negatively impacts the youths’ health because they are not physically active and may also develop eyesight problems. There have been many debates on the most negative impact of video games which is that video games encourage violent behaviour among youths; hence some people request the games be banned.

How video games are linked to violence among youth

The popularity of video games among youths continues to increase as the games provide visual characters that stimulate participation and sensory experience. Video games are offered in different categories, such as adventure, action, sports, and puzzles, thus providing a learning environment for the youth. However, action games have been highly scrutinized for contributing to and encouraging aggression among the youth, eventually leading to violence. In the past years, there has been an increase in school shootings, such as the shooting in Stoneman Douglas High School, Florida, in 2018, where a 19-year-old student Nikilas Cruz shot and killed 17 people and injured 17 other people. School shootings have been connected to aggression obtained from watching video games that shape the students’ thoughts and feelings. Action games provide gamers with difficult situations that require them to compete and win over the opponent using weapons such as guns and swords that they use as tools to play. Exposure to the weapons reduces the players’ sensitivity and empathy as it helps them win over their opponents, thus satisfying them (Anderson, Gentile, & Buckley, 2007). Also, in video games, the players are rewarded for shooting and killing their opponents, which illustrates that it is right to shoot and kill. Playing action video games has led to some players practicing the aggression obtained from the games in challenging real-life situations. The freedom offered to players in the game influences their aggressive behaviour because they are free to do what they want, which has been witnessed with players fighting their classmates. Video games give players adrenaline, and often they bully others to achieve gratification.

Additionally, video games contribute to social isolation and, in some cases, offer the player an opportunity to plan and execute dangerous acts that harm others. The action video games make players believe that their environment is unsafe; hence, they must be violent by using guns and killing others to protect themselves. Youths violated in school often resort to violence as a protective measure based on what they have observed from the video games (Gentile, Lynch, Linder, & Walsh, 2004). It has been argued that video games cause violence among youths because the players do not know how to separate the violence from the video and reality hence measures to prevent the effects of video games are needed.

Preventing videos games from causing violence among youths

Violence caused by video games can be prevented through parents observing and controlling the games the youths play. Parents’ engagement allows them to restrict children from playing violent games and put age restrictions on misleading games. Also, parents are encouraged to reduce the time used to play video games to less than an hour per day, thus giving the youths time to read and participate in other activities. Youths who do not adhere to the time limit placed should be punished by having their devices taken away. Parents are responsible for continuously monitoring the games the youths play and introducing them to educative games. More so, the youths should be introduced to more outdoor activities that allow them to interact physically with other and reduces the time used to playing video games.

Conclusion

Video games continue to become popular with innovations and technology introducing more exciting and complex games that capture the attention of youths. The games have proven useful among youths by improving players’ cognitive functions, ability to solve problems, social interaction, and entertainment. There have been numerous debates with different parties supporting video games while the other parties oppose them due to their negative impacts. Although video games have positive impacts, playing the games has been linked with causing social isolation, low school performance, and encouraging aggression among youths which has been witnessed in fights and school shootings. Therefore, parents are encouraged to evaluate, monitor and control the type of video games the youths engage with. Parents should also restrict the time used to play video games, encourage them to play games with educational value, and restrict them from playing video games that comprise fights or violent behaviours. The youths should engage in physical activities and games that allow them to interact with others to prevent social isolation. Lastly, game developers should introduce games that cater to specific age brackets and positively impact the youth.

References

Anderson, C. A., Gentile, D. A., & Buckley, K. E. (2007). Violent video game effects on children and adolescents: Theory, research, and public policy. Oxford University Press.

Gentile, D. A., Lynch, P. J., Linder, J. R., & Walsh, D. A. (2004). The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behaviors, and school performance. Journal of adolescence, 27(1), 5-22.

Markey, P. M., & Ferguson, C. J. (2017). Moral combat: Why the war on violent video games is wrong. BenBella Books, Inc..