Video games. Good or Bad?

        Video games, the thing that dominates a good amount of today’s kid’s time, the very thing that parents fear. Video games are often viewed in a bad light for it is often believed to cause desensitization in children, as well as increased levels of violence. Not all scientists and researchers seem to have the same opinion. Games have greatly evolved from their basic, modest beginnings, from simple systems and games to advanced, in depth, worlds and graphics. Today’s games feature online multiplayer, 3D models, motion control, and much, much more. (Oxlade 7, 10, and 35)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

In a generation where we are advancing faster than ever, what will future games hold? Will we have games so detailed that it seems almost real? Or might we have a completely immersive virtual world? Today, video games are being used to train soldiers and pilots. Even simulations are being used to train firefighters (Oxlade 42). The dark side however, is that there are numerous games whose content are being called into question. With games like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto finding their way into the hands of children, the fear begins to seem warranted. Games like these often include violence, gore, themes and situations unfit for children. What might have been just an innocent game, could now be turning into something sinister. Are video games a harmless and sometimes even, a beneficial pastime? Or is it creating a generation of empathy lacking children?

            About 90% of people 8 to 16 in the US play video games (Harding). There are studies that suggest violent games lead to an increase in aggression. 90% is quite a scary number when put into that context. While the debate is rampant, and it is undeniably a controversial topic, theories and studies continue on, both for and against.

One common belief states that the predominance of violence in some games causes real life aggression. Researchers at the University of Bonn write that the brain activity patterns within heavy gamers were different than that of non-gamers (Scientific Blog). “Compared to people who abstain from first-person shooters, they show clear differences in how emotions are controlled.” Whether this causes people to repress certain emotions, or outwardly express them in an uncontrolled or even unhealthy manner; if this is true then it is a cause for concern.

MIT professor Henry Jenkins argues that video games do not cause anti social acts. Henry Jenkins acknowledges that 90% of boys and 40% of girls play but with a huge percentage such as this, an overwhelming majority do not commit anti social acts. Based on a 2001 US Surgeon General’s report, triggers for school shootings were not centered on media exposure (Jenkins). Rather, they seem to be centered on the perpetrator’s own mental stability and home life. The panic that is fueled by shootings and video game linked “violence” makes the situation all the more harmful. This leads to more hostile adult authorities and because of this, it misdirects them from the source of youth violence. This only allows the problem to grow and fester.

 It seems that if one side ends up being right, another, and a bigger, problem will be born. If games are causing increased aggression, what can we do that about it? The video game industry is very large and generates billions of dollars every year. It would be devastating for a lot of people. If video games don’t, then what causes the violence we long pinned on violent video games? Assuming it’s not video games and today’s generation of children is still growing more and more aggressive, then what is the cause and why is it happening? Is it something recurring among the people of the United States?

            Desensitization is another valid concern for parents and scientists alike. Does the violence included in some games desensitize people to the real thing? The researchers at the University of Bonn seem to think so (Scientific Blog). The researchers gathered 2 different groups of people, 1 group consisted of 21 people who play first person shooter games for 15 hours a week and a group of people who abstained from playing video games completely.  These groups of people were plugged up to brain scanners to record their brain activities. They were given video glasses and shown a variety of pictures. The pictures picked and used, were pictures that would reliably trigger emotions within the subjects. Both groups’ amygdales (a brain processor for negative emotions) were both successfully stimulated and both groups responded with strong emotions. However, the left medial front lobe (the brain structure that is used to control fear and aggression) were less stimulated than that of the group who abstained from games. The conclusion that the researchers reached was after their daily exposure of violence from games has led them to become accustomed to it.

 However, based off of their research, it is not all dark. The researchers discovered that the first person shooter players had higher activity in memory recall and in their working memory. The results might not be set in stone as the researchers have acknowledged that more research will shed more light. Henry Jenkins suggests that research done by scientists might just simply be to narrow. He suggests that there is a link within studies but there is no casual relation. In this case, studies like these would suggest only that “aggressive people like aggressive entertainment.” He also states that IF there is a consensus, it would be that video games could be a possible risk factor, along with other possible real world variables. There is no research that suggests that video games alone can cause increased aggression, though desensitization might still be possible.

            Video games have long been a controversial topic, which has been acknowledged by both sides. Further research is needed to determine if video games are a public issue.

But what can be done about it if it is? 

Works Cited

Harding, Anne, “Violent video games linked to child aggression” CNN.  11 November

2008. Web. 2 February 2012.

Jenkins, Henry, “Reality Bytes: Eight Myths about Videogames Debunked” PBS. Web. 

2 February 2012.

Oxlade, Chris. New Technology Gaming Technology. Mankato, Minnesota:

Smart Media Apple, 2012. Print. Pages: 7, 10, 35, 42

Scientific Blog “Violent Video Games Linked to Brain Changes and Decreased

Emotional Control.” Science20.com. 12 October 2011. Web. 2 February 2012.