Raven Phalen-Price

Chris Wyman
English 111
4 November 2014
The Effects of Video Games
Throughout history there have been many different socially accepted activities that
have been considered detrimental to the development of the adolescent psyche. Some have
been completely unfounded but others hold a certain truth to the reality of things. From
listening to rock and roll to playing video games, there have always been certain activities that
cause unrest in the parenting world. In todays society, the playing of video games has been
been commonplace and in some cases, are apt cause for parental caution. There are common
contributors such as ADHD or forms of psychotic illnesses that can cause children to lash out.
As well as stressors in a child or teenagers environment that do not represent an underlying
emotional illness, but can provoke aggression. In todays society adolescents displaying all of
these factors are playing video games. Playing games that involve violence can help contribute
to aggression in an adolescents everyday life.
Playing violent video games during crucial times of human cognitive development can
cause an increase in bellicose behavior. Many studies have been conducted throughout the
years that connect aggressive actions with violent media, such as movies/television shows, the
internet, and video games. Being exposed to this kind of aggression can interfere with the
learning of social rules, understanding right from wrong, resolving conflicts without violence,
and thinking about the consequences and fairness of actions.

In todays society it is commonplace for children and teenagers to play video games, on
average, 13.2 hours a week. Thirty-six percent of children ages zero to six years old have been
exposed to video games and the violence that often goes hand in hand with them (Witt 76). The
main problem here is that by age six, their brain grows to around eighty percent of its adult
size. They have begun to interact with individuals outside of their family and are often faced
with the dilemma of having to solve conflicts. If children have been exposed to violent media,
such as video games, they are more likely to resolve their conflicts aggressively. For example,
imagine being a youngster playing outside at recess and being picked on to the point of crying
by an older student. In many cases, the younger child would react by running away and telling
an authoritative figure what had happened. However, children who have been exposed to
aggressive media would most likely resort to violence by either trying to shove the bully away
or using some other form of pugnacious action. This behavior expresses a shift in the way
children think and react to the world around them and an affinity towards more aggressive
cognitions, attitudes, and behaviors.
However, while violent games are on one end of the spectrum, there are also many
educational video games that have positive effects on children. If played for a reasonable
amount of time, some games can help develop better critical thinking, increase social
development, improve hand-eye coordination, and in some cases be an emotional outlet
(Weber). The only problem is the habit of adolescents to completely envelop themselves in
their preferred gaming worlds. There is a fine line between the expansion of knowledge
through gaming outlets and the fixations that some children have. These obsessions, when
directed at video games that portray violence, can cause a blur in the line between the real and

virtual worlds. Children might start solving their problems in ways that cause more aggressive
end points. As Nicholas Carr said in his article Is Google Making Us Stupid,
The human brain is almost infinitely malleable. People used to think that our mental
meshwork, the dense connections forming among the 100 billion or so neurons inside our
skulls, was largely fixed by the time we reached adulthood. But brain researchers have
discovered thats not the case.

People are always adapting to the world around them, but especially children. Most children in
todays society were born with video games already in their lives, but it is good to be aware of
the fact that a lot of them portray violence.
Another problem is the fact that most parents do not necessarily pay attention to the
video games their children play. This can have a major effect on what children are exposed to.
In a report written by Jesse Schell, a professor of entertainment and technology at Carnegie
Mellon University, she stated that, If more parents would take the time to play the same things
their children are playing_or even better yet, play with them_it would benefit both parents and
children. The honest truth is that video games are not inherently bad for you, its the way you
play them and at what stage in your life youre playing them that provides the risk. People who
are older have a lesser chance of being affected by the violence portrayed in many video
games, it is mainly those whose brains are still in the beginnings of development that should be
worried about.
The beginnings of aggressive behavior in adolescents can be spotted easily and should
be watched for. In many cases, if it is seen it can be stopped. Parents should play close
attention to their children and somewhat monitor what games they are playing. There is a very
small gap between beneficial video game habits and detrimental ones.

Works Cited
Witt, Jonathan. "Socialization." Soc. Third ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2014. 72-97. Print.
Weber, Lisa. "Positive Effects of Video Games On Children." Global Post. Demand Media,
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Feb. 2014. Web. 4 Nov. 2014. <http%3A%2F%2Feverydaylife.globalpost.com

%2Fpositive-effects-video-games-children-16317.html>.

Schell, Jesse. 97 Percent of Children Play Video Games. Huffpost. 17 Oct. 2008. Web. 8
Nov. 2014. http://huffpost.com/us/entry/126948
Carr, Nicholas. Is Google Making Us Stupid?. Exploring Relationships: Globalization and
Learning in the 21st Century. MMCC. Boston, MA, 2013, 370-377. Print