Smith 1

Colin Smith Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1103 September 10, 2013 Topic Proposal: Are Video Games our Downfall? Introduction/Overview I will be examining how the relationship between violent vi eo games o! all sorts an the rates o! violent acts committe aroun the worl is increasingl" becoming more connecte # More an more cases aroun the worl are being brought to the public$s attention critici%ing violent vi eo games !or being the cause o! violent crimes being committe b" chil ren an "oung a ults# &his has been a rising issue !or "ears with the increase in technolog" an more realistic epictions being presente to chil ren through these games# Some argue that there shoul be an altogether ban on violent vi eo games or at least stricter rules an regulations !or minors tr"ing to purchase these games# In 200', the (merican (ca em" o! )e iatrics !oun that pla"ing violent vi eo games has shown an increase !rom 13* to 22* more li+eliness o! someone committing a violent crime# ,owever, -r# )atric+ Mar+e" claims that stu ies examining whether violent vi eo games are irectl" relate to h"per aggression are con ucte wrongl"# ,e sa"s that most stu ies .having one group o! people pla" a violent vi eo game while another group pla"s a non/violent vi eo game# (!ter a short game pla" session 0usuall" aroun 11 minutes2 participants3 aggressive thoughts or behaviors are assesse 4

Initial Inquiry

uestion!s"

Smith 2 Some o! m" top 5uestions regar ing this topic are: ,as there been an" cases where violent vi eo games have o!!iciall" been lin+e to a violent crime6 7ill stricter rules an regulations trul" lea to lower crime rates with chil ren6 I! violent games o spar+ aggression, is it enough to ma+e these +i s commit the crimes the" o6 )erhaps i! violent games are ta+en awa" !rom these +i s then that might in ee spar+ violence out o! !rustration an bore om6 &hese are all things to ta+e into consi eration when politicians call !or these laws#

#y Interest in t$is Topic I am intereste in this topic because I want to +now i! there is an" truth to the claims# I have pla"e these t"pes o! vi eo games an I have notice times o! increase aggression but nothing compare to the lengths some people o! gone# I alrea " +now that vi eo games o increase aggression but I see+ the answer to how much# I wish to learn the true science behin the stu ies an what is actuall" being measure within the brain# Since I am a ps"cholog" ma8or here at 9:C Charlotte I +now this topic will help me gain a !urther un erstan ing o! the brain an human actions#

%e&t 'teps ;or m" next step in m" research I will start b" researching all violent vi eo game relate inci ents an start !rom there# I will research the age, gen er, an social li!e o! each perpetrator an even loo+ into what games the" pla"e # I will then go to the o!!icial vi eo game rating website an loo+ at what elements these games contain# I will also explore the bac+groun s o! the perpetrators an see what their !amil", social, an romantic lives were li+e# I !eel li+e a lot o! elements go into to the acts committe asi e !rom 8ust the violent vi eo games 0i! the" are a !actor at all2# <ut m" goal is to !in out the relationship between these games an violence an to

Smith 3 iscover all o! the ps"cholog" involve so I can have a better un erstan ing o! the ps"chological e!!ects#