RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

Do video games propagate violence?

Hira Sajjad
Osama Fayyaz
Omer Tariq
Ali Naeem
Hamza Saleem
Shoaib Ayub

MS. JAVARIA SIDDIQUE

ACADEMIC WRITING SSC 204
3rd September, 2016
LAHORE SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS

RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

Abstract
The overall purpose of this study is to find out whether the video games promote violence
among the youth of Pakistan or not. This paper covers all the aspects of relationship
between video gaming and violence. This paper draws upon both the primary and
secondary sources. Primary sources include: an interview from a psychiatrist and a gaming
zone owner. In addition to that, questionnaire survey was conducted to get an opinion of
public. As far as secondary sources are concerned, newspaper articles, journals, published
experimental results were consulted, used and analyzed. The questionnaires were
distributed to 100 people out of which 99 responses were received. 51 males and 48
females filled the survey, so this research has a balance of opinions between the male and
female population. After analyzing all the data, the research has come to conclusion that,
gaming is not the only factor which promotes violence, there are many other factors, like
movies which depicts war or any other violent element.

RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

Introduction
Background
With the advancement of computing technology, much has been put into the development
of video games. Video games are becoming increasingly complex, detailed, and intriguing
to a growing international audience of players. The use of fantastic settings of different
campaigns and storylines ranging from top rated games to old school simple games like
Mario and Donkey Kong, provide a certain element of attraction for the gamers, even
serving as a learning experience for them. Video games provide stress-relieving
entertainment and are very addictive. Now, as we know everything carries positive and
negative impacts, moving on to the gaming, the question arises whether the video games
incites aggressive behavior, violence or not. Violence in video games is propagated through
the use of graphic and gore content, ranging from bloodshed to various methods of crime.
Statement of the problem
Video games are promoting violence among the youth of Pakistan.
Scope of study
This research is conducted to identify whether the video games are promoting violence or
not. This study covers the teenagers of Pakistan, who are hardcore gamers. Some people are
biased in filling the questionnaires or they dont pay proper attention while filling it, which
will prove to be a limitation for our study.

RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

Literature Review
In order to probe about the matters arising from the gaming, many researches have been
carried out, where experts have conducted experiments on groups of individuals in order to
accept and reject their hypothesis regarding the effect of video games. An article published
in 2011 By: Roanna Cooper, MA and Marc Zimmerman, PhD, MI-YVPC Director cites
many experiments carried out on the elementary school students. Almost all of the
researches carried out, indicated a positive relation between video games and aggressive
behaviors. Results indicated that children who played more violent video games early in a
school year changed to see the world in a more aggressive way. Moreover they become
more aggressive verbally and physically in later years.
In an article published on 17th august 2015 by Zoe Kleinman Technology reporter, BBC
News contains the logic behind why video games promotes aggressive behavior. The reason
is not concentrated around the element contained in the video games, rather it tells about
the frustration involved in not able to play the games. Moreover, the need to come out top
on the scoreboard also incites aggression among the players.
An article published in 2013 by Pete Etchells on 'The guardian' links the role of violent
video games with the aggressive behavior. The author gives examples of some recent
incidents that took place and are claimed to be the results of violent video gaming.
According to the article, violent gaming leads to aggressive behavior at least in the short
run. However, the author also says with reference of another research that if violent games
are played but with a positive mission in it (e,g saving the humans from a zombie attack)
then the games dont lead to an aggressive behavior because the gamer's intentions are
good. Moreover, the author gives more references and gives value to both the ideas that
violent gaming leads to aggressive behavior and also that it does not.
Troy Deskins article, published in 2015 contains many references from the previous
researches on the same subject such as by William Martins in 2009; he found out that
females are given sexualized secondary character in video games. Women are seen as
sexually submissive objects that can influence individuals thoughts, reinforce gender
stereotypes, and gender roles (Stermer & Burkley, 2012). The highly violent content of
video games is cultivating a problem of derogating women, hostile sexism and increasing
negative attitudes of men towards gender equality.
All of these articles focus on the studies carried out internationally, in United States of
America or in other countries. No such research has been carried out in Pakistan. What we
are going to do is to find about the mentality of youth in Pakistan. Furthermore, we will be
inquiring whether the content of video games incites aggressive behavior or the aggression
is related to the competition, which arises while playing head to head against someone.
Research Questions
Major Research Question
How can games lead to increased violence amongst Pakistani Youth?
Minor Research Question
How does gaming impact psyche of an individual?

RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

What kind of aggressiveness is projected within games?

How can playing of games cause aggression?
How can the problem be reduced?

Methodology
This research consisted of both the qualitative and the quantitative data. The survey
distributed to 100 people had following results. The target audience chosen was people
from ages 16-25. This included university students and the people who play games. This
age group was chosen because video gaming is popular among this age group. So, they
would give a better opinion for the research questions. The results were interpreted through
the pie charts, which helped in drawing analysis regarding the types of video games
preferred by the audience, or if the games promote violence or not and which platforms do
most people use as a medium of playing games.
Also interview was conducted from a psychiatrist who his practicing his medicine at the
National Hospital Defence. Second interview was conducted from a gaming zone owner of
Console Zone situated in Johar Town Lahore.
Analysis of Data and Discussion
Gaming is the most common hobby, in youth, all over the world. According to a study
nearly 1 in 10 young gamers displayed behavior patterns similar to addiction. Whether your
child is an avid gamer or rarely picks a controller, it is important to understand the effects
of gaming on a human mind. Gaming impacts both positively and negatively on an
individual. Let us first consider the gains from gaming: Games are an excellent work out
for brain, since some games require a higher level of thinking and tactics which makes
brain more efficient. It generates a sense of obedience in a person because they have to
follow instructions in games as well. A better Problem Solving ability can also be seen in
many gamers along with better driving skills in real life. Those gamers who grow up to be
Pilots or Drivers, are considered as more productive than those kids who do not played
many games. A more efficient Multitasking ability is another plus point for gamers, since in
combat games such as Call of duty, players have to find enemies by roaming around, and
killing immediately as soon as they see someone, for this they have to aim and run at the
same time, this makes them better at Multitasking. Furthermore, better estimating skills,
fast decisions, quick thinking and accuracy are some other benefits from gaming that makes
people more skilful in real life. Gamers performs their tasks with more concentration level,
since it helps them focus better on their actions, this assists them in real life tasks when they
perform it with higher concentration, they may perform them more quickly and accurate
than Non-Gamers. It also improves the memory of an individual, as they have to remember
their achievements and their goals they have fulfilled, to focus on their next aims. Games
also enhances the Managerial ability of a person. A well experienced player of competitive
games such as Fifa or Age of Empire knows how to manage his team or army in case of a
challenge, therefore it makes them mentally prepared for tough situations and to think of
most effective ways to deal such circumstances, this makes them good at managing.
Multiplayer games strengthens the bond between players, and they feel more attached to
their partners who play games together. These people also tend to involve in less quarrels
amongst each other in real life. Last but not the least, games makes learning fun for

RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

children, since they enjoy playing, they are unintentionally gaining enough knowledge from
these games, which same thing if taught to them from a book, becomes quiet boring for
them. Apart from all these benefits of gaming, games also impose some adverse effects on
the players; Firstly it is a wastage of precious time, players spend hours sitting in front of a
screen and enjoying their games, however the opportunity cost of this time could be very
high. They could have spent this time in other activities such as studying, which could be
proved more productive. Therefore, it can be argued to some extent that gaming makes its
users more or less anti-social. Furthermore, it also corrupts the mind of an individual,
since they learn very wrongful activities from games such as stealing, abusing and beating
as well. They then practice these activities in real life and thus commit crimes. Those who
get arrested for such crimes lives on then with a criminal record which causes issues for
them in gaining employment. According to one report by Media, the main reason behind
violence is Violent Games. High aggression and short temperedness are some other major
issues experienced in addictive gamers. Those gamers, interested in combat games
experience high levels of anger while playing as well as in real life. This leads to major
health issues such as depression, strokes, nerve compression, muscular disorder and many
more. One of the major health issue faced by most gamers is obesity, since gamers stay
more at home or at one place rather than being out and playing in parks etc. Due to this,
they tend to indulge in less physical activities and suffer through obesity. Apart from these
issues, one should always find time to spend with their family for a better living and to
strengthen their relation with each other. No doubt, an addictive gamer would find it too
boring to sit and have a chat with their family members, or discuss their daily routine or
problems with them. Therefore it is complained by many parents that inventions of better
and better games, result in a loss of contact between
With the significant proportion of people seeking education till their late twenties, there has
been a noteworthy change in the standard of living since last two decades. The teenager
nowadays does not value the conventional lifestyle of his/her parents. The rapid
technological revolution has allowed many of them to use personal computers,
smartphones, game consoles and other electronic devices. The amendment in lifestyle has
revealed a considerable number of students playing video games more often than any other
activity they do. On one hand, 10 years earlier or so, video games were helpful as a
powerful teaching tool for children. As mentioned in C.A Anderson and W.A Warburton,
(2012), they have been used to teach algebra. (Corbett, 2001), biology (Ybarrondo, 1984),
photography (Abrams, 1986), and computer programming (Kahn, 1999). C.A Anderson and
W.A Warburton (2012) believe that some video games have promoted physical activity and
exercise. However, this study is focused on what kind of aggressiveness is projected within
video games. Usually, the type of video games that are being excessively played determines
the aggressive behavior in Pakistani youth.The researcher D.H Pink believes that exposure
to violent-sexist video games decrease empathy in the players for female violence victims.
The video games such as Grand Auto Theft (GTA) are being programmed as highly antisocial games in which male characters have been depicted as masculine, dominant, and
aggressive men. The female characters are given less importance in terms of respect and are
seen as sex objects. This trend has remained in the favour of male players. As mentioned in
T. Deskins, (2015) the research conducted by Leonardo (2003) revealed that male
characters in video games were designed to regularly engage in physical violence.The
exposure to anti-social video games is leaving a harmful impact on children and adolescents
today. They have been given a sense that in real world, a woman does not have equal status
to those of men. Men do not show any emotions of benevolence, sympathy, and affection

RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

towards women. D.H Pink researched that feelings of anger and rage are encouraged in real
men because they are associated with high status and power. Traditionally, women are
encouraged to put themselves in the second place to men and are expected to be submissive
and dependent on men. The two entirely different beliefs, from the perspective of both
genders, on roles of men and women is causing violence. The video games reinforce this
stereotype that men are rough, aggressive and tough. Anderson & Bushman (2002) (as
mentioned in C.A Anderson and W.A Warburton, 2012) state that violence is aggressive
behavior that has extreme harm as its goal. The research conducted by C.J Ferguson,
Rueda, Crus and D.E Ferguson believe that individuals exposed to violent media will more
often engage in violent behavior. He found out that males are more aggressive than females
and choose to play more violent video games.
It is widely believed that children imitate characters from the media they see, those that are
attractive and heroic. This is condemned in real world because video games such as GTA
leaves no space for recovery after harm is done to someone. As mentioned in C.A Anderson
and W.A Warburton (2012), an 18-year-old youth in Thailand stabbed a taxi driver to death
trying to find out if it was as easy in real life to rob a taxi as it was in the game (Reed,
2008). In 2003, William buckner, 16, and his step-brother Joshua, 14, killed a man and
seriously wounded a woman shooting at cars in Tennessee (Calvert, 2003). Also in 2003, an
18-year-old killed three police officers following to arrest him for a carjacking. On being
re-arrested, he said these words: Life is like aa video game. Everybodys got to die
sometime. (Leung, 2005). That particular killer had been influenced by GTA III.
Therefore, it has been suggested that the portrayal of aggressive characters in video games
have become increasingly realistic (Gentile, 2007).The violent video games support the
committing of crimes in children such as killing the women on their way to get extra
rewards. It is surprising to note that these acts go unpunished and in contrary, earn players
extra rewards, having a negative impact on the players especially children under 18 do not
recognise this type of harm.
Video games created their entry within the early Nineteen Seventies. The primary
generation of games used easy shapes and had borderline interaction. The primary game,
Pong, tried to simulate ping pong using 2 rectangles as paddles, and a little square as the
ball. The paddles could be controlled by an individual player. This game displayer no
violent acts or things. Although the primary widespread games to be thought-about violent
was PAC Man. This game consisted of a small circle with a mouth that attempted to devour
tables and destroy ghosts. Despite the fact that this hardly ever seems violent by means of
modern-day requirements, its changed into one of the first games to contain destruction of
any type. In the past 30 years, video games have had a serious impact on however
individuals pay their time on the primary generation of video games were nothing over
straightforward geometric shapes, one or additional of that might be controlled by the sport
player. With the discharge of the Nintendo amusement system within the Eighties and
Sonys PlayStation within the Nineties came new generations of games, with higher
graphical and additional capabilities. Till the recent revivification in interest in video games
within the past decade, analysis on the subject was lowest. The best recent contribution has
been Anderson and Bushmans (2002) general aggression model (GAM), that explains each
the event of aggression and individual variations in condition to the influence of violent
video games owing to the numerous biological and physical changes that occur throughout
time of life, exposure to violent games ought to have an effect on the processes that operate
at intervals the GAM. So as to regulate the result of computer game violence, one should
initially perceive the result its on the brain, as well as within the areas of aggression and

RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

hostility. The Aggression model (AM) tries to provide an explanation for each, the
improvement of aggression and character variations in susceptibility to have an effect of
violent video games. In line with the AM, both situational and personological variables
engage to have an effect on someone's inner state (Anderson & Bushman 2002). The
internal state contains cognitions, feelings and arousals. All 3 of these items influence each
other, and each has an effect on an individual's interpretation of a violent act. Once the
brain's interpretation is entirely complete, decision-making tactics begin to arise.
The model also states that violent video games have both short and long term effects.
Within the short term, the video games are a situational variable, inflicting a growth in
violent cognitions, affects and arousal. The long term outcomes are just hypothesis, as
inadequate studies have been performed to test its impacts. This is because of the factuality
that research in this topic is fairly new, so no longitudinal facts are available yet. Anderson
and bushman (2002) hypothesized that violent video video games have an effect on
behavior by way of selling aggressive beliefs and attitudes, as a consequence creating
violent schema, a behavioral scripts, and antagonistic expectancies. In addition, they claim
that it desensitizes individuals to aggression. This could be visible on a massive scale if one
looks on the development of violence in video video games over the past 20 years. When
Super Mario Bros. was first released in the 1980s, it was reviewed as a violent video game.
Even though the game was eminently fictitious and featured a very cartoon-like look, the
main persona broke blocks and tried to defeat his enemies by bouncing on their heads. The
Super Mario Bros collection hardly appears violent as compared to todays standards.
Current games for instance Mortal Kombat characteristic realistic graphics and controls,
however also severe blood and gore. In this game you combat a human-like opponent in try
to scrape him down. The contest is finished with a "Fatality," an act which kills your
opponent in a very striking style. Frequent "Fatalities" encompass burning combatant alive,
clipping their heads off, and even slashing out their hearts. Games like this have greatly
affected modern-day requirements of a violent game. The Aggression model helped to
reveal how complex of a problem the connection among violence, online game, and
aggression actually is. Gentile et al. (2004) assert it has an additive impact. Because of this,
those who are already high in certain factors, in particular hostility, are considerably at
greater possibility to end up being extra pugnacious due to impact by violent video games.
The cases who are rated as low in hostility were observed to have almost no effect on their
aggression tiers by violent video video games.
Method of the Aggression Model significantly facilitates us in comprehending this complex
link between aggression and extreme video games. Kirsch (2003), the first to apply the
Aggression model specifically to juvenile. Due to the colossal organic and physical
adjustments that arise all through puberty, exposure to violent video games must affect the
processes that function within the Aggression model. These strategies are already in region
at formative years, but in the course of this time they're still influenced by using
contemporary environments (Kirsch 2003). For the duration of formative years there is a
well-known increase inside the aggression (Lindemann, Harakka, & Keltikangas-Jaervinen,
1997). This aggression mixed with the subjection to violent media will strengthen and
proliferate hostile cognitions, influences and arousal. This interplay has a negative effect on
on the internal attitude, escorting to high aggression. The results of this exposure are greater
throughout early formative years than middle and later childhood. This is because the
amount of physiological arousal is finest at some point of this time (spear, 2000).

RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

Video gaming is increasing day by day in Pakistan. As we all know that 60% of Pakistans
population is youth, which is also the most active group of gamers. There are many reasons
behind the popularity of gaming. The video games industry has undergone a total
transformation in recent years. The gaming industry is the third fastest growing segment of
the electronic media. It is perceived as very addictive. Gaming is started as a recreational
activity but it becomes addictive as time passes. Gaming is so addictive that friends, family
and even school is at times neglected. There is not one reason for game addiction.
Developers make their game more interesting and attractive that gamers never want to stop
playing. Developers make games difficult so players keep on trying. One more reason for
playing games is to make or beat the highest score. Some games have levels that players
keep on playing to finish the levels or their curiosity about the next level. Thats why
people keep on trying for long times in one go. Our survey has proved that majority people
play more than 2 hours in a go. The interview taken of Fahad Iqbal, owner of a renowned
Gaming Zone in Lahore (Console Zone), tells us that people even play for 8-10 hours
continuously a day in his gaming zone. As gaming is addictive so its demand is increasing
in Pakistani youth. The most popular game nowadays is World of Warcraft (WOW) has
more than 10 million players registered from all over the world(Anonymous, Most
Addictive Video Games,2014). The other multiplayer game that is played online is Halo
3. Because of its addiction it is also called Halodiction. Online players have also
recorded that they have played this game for 19 hours in a stretch. Furthermore parents
nowadays in Pakistan because of security issues mostly prefer gaming. Kidnapping and
other security issues have forced parents to prefer video gaming to outdoor sports. As we all
know that outdoor games are far better than gaming. Interview of psychologist, Dr. Altaf
Qadir, also tells us that gaming should not be preferred over outdoor sports. But parents are
scared to send their children outside as criminal activities are rising in Pakistan day by day.
So security is also a reason for the popularity of gaming. One more reason for the
popularity of video gaming is that it is trending nowadays in the youth. Its human
psychology that if one child has one thing and another child sees it, then the other also
wishes to have that particular thing. As consoles are trending in society so its popularity is
also rising. Kids are also buying different games, as they want to beat their friends in
gaming, so the kids force their parents into buying. As children love immersion, they love
to really get their heads into things and stay with them for a long time stories, games,
relationships. They love to be immersed in things, and thats a really important part of what
games brings to all this. Everyone likes the wonder world of gaming and gaming mostly
charms children. The charming aura created by the gaming world is so appealing that minds
cannot ignore it. As modernization is taking place, developing countries are also nearing
towards different products. Electronic media is at its peak these days. And gaming is also
included in e-media. The evolution of technology was drastic in the past few years. So the
evolution of gaming was also linked with technology. New consoles and ideas have
attracted the youth to its full. In addition to all this easy access to video games has also
increased the regime of the gaming industry. The growth of online, broadband and high
speed internet access has also played an important role in the popularity of video gaming.
The launch of 3G and 4G has also encouraged the popularity of gaming. As the consoles are
becoming increasingly affordable their use has also increased. The prices of PCs and
smartphones has failed to a great extent. So everyone nowadays carry a console with them
which make their access to gaming easy. Because of this everyone is involved in gaming. If
we see the numbers, prices of consoles and PCs have been declining time by time. After
thorough research of quantitative data and interviews with professionals, a conclusion can

RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

10

be reached that the aforementioned reasons are the most relevant to the recent high
popularity of gaming.
Violence possibly caused by video games can be avoided, prevented and managed.
Different groups in the society need to play their role to prevent the negative impact of
violent video games on the gamers. Parents and the Government are the two main groups
which can play an important role to deal effectively with this problem.Firstly, the parents
can play a vital role to prevent their children from adopting an aggressive behavior due to
violent video games which they play frequently. They get isolated from the society as they
become less interactive with people and the only people they know are the computer
projections. Children who have gaming as a major part of their life are unable to socialize,
they feel alienated when they encounter the real world. To escape this, they might develop a
tendency to dehumanize others. Nowadays, children spend most of their free time at home
in their rooms playing video games as an interview conducted in a gaming zone in DHA
Lahore concluded that more than 11.7% of the gamers play for more than 3 hours in one
sitting. They are not given much time by their parents as both the father and the mother are
in the working population and remain busy most of the times. Children are getting addicted
to video games as gaming is becoming their only source of entertainment. The violent
games such as Call of Duty, GTA and WWE are officially meant to be only played by the
adults (18+) as clearly mentioned on the cover of these games but the majority of people in
our country do not pay attention towards it. Spending excessive time playing such games
leaves an impact on the real life behavior of the gamer therefore, the parents should make
sure that their child does not get addicted to games. Children nowadays have access to
mobile phones and computers from a very early age and this is why they get addicted to
games that are available over there. Rather than trying to enforce an unrealistic ban on
the games, parents and teachers should encourage teenagers to do charity work and take up
extracurricular activates (Daily mail, 2014). For this reason, it is the duty of the parents to
only provide a healthy source of entertainment such as sports, reading books to their child
so that he/she can get benefit from it rather than wasting their time on violent games.
Moreover, even if the child likes to play games then parents need to confirm that he/she is
playing only those games which are appropriate for his/her age group. Parents need to take
out time for their children, guide about them what is right and wrong for them. Doctor Altaf
Qadir who is practicing medicine at the National Hospital as a psychiatrist also agrees with
this idea and said that Parents should spend their time with the children. They should
coach their children in such a manner that children get much more involved in healthy
activities such as sports rather than lazy activities like gaming as it does not only lead to
negative impact on behavior but also damages the eyesight of the gamer who sits in front of
the screen for longer hours (Personal communication, 21st August 2016). Sana Ijaz, a
peace activist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa supports the idea of Doctor Altaf Qadir by saying:
If we expose our children to these things from a tender age, it will not be difficult for them
to fall into the hands of extremists when they are teenagers (Aug 5, 2013). The parents,
therefore, need to take this issue very seriously and allow no free hand to their children in
case of video games from a young age otherwise the consequences can be dangerous.
Secondly, the government of Pakistan also needs to contribute. It should introduce laws to
discourage such games. However, it should be kept in mind that the role does not end here,
regular monitoring and evaluation is required to make sure that the laws are being followed.
Some steps have already been taken by the government of Pakistan against the games that
could lead to a negative impact on the mind of the youth in our country. Games such as
Call of Duty: Black OPS 2 and Medal of Honor: Warfighter portray Pakistan as a

RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

11

danger zone from where the enemy attacks come. These games depict Pakistan and its
intelligence agency, Inter-services Intelligence (ISS), as pro-Al-Qaida. Regarding this,
Saleem Memon, president of the all Pakistan CD, DVD, Audio Cassettes Traders and
manufacturers association, said: They show the country in a very poor light. So, when
young Pakistani Children (5-15 years old) play such games, they encounter a negative
representation of their culture, people and country. This, as a result, at times triggers a
reactionary response in the young minds. The reaction, if comes out in the form of
aggression, can lead to devastating impact in the form of violence. Hence, the relevant
groups of the society should address this issue as soon as possible because the problem is
increasing rapidly in our country and it needs to be tackled before it worsens for us as it
will then be hard to minimize the effects as compared to the situation now.
Triangulation
The present research is concerned about whether video games promote violence in the
individuals and what kind of symptoms are found in those individuals. In the previous
studies this issue has remained a major controversy. According to Pete Etchells (2013)
article it had been concluded that video games do promote violence. He has acknowledged
the fact that video games can cause violence however it is not necessary because it depends
on the type of game being played. A psychologist in National hospital has the similar
opinion. He has also extended his argument that increased exposure to violent content,
including the other media apart from video games, have an impact on ones personality.
Hence, he does not blame video games entirely but to some extent the violence is
dependent on an individuals personality, the way he/she reacts to violent content shown in
media is another highlighted aspect (personal communication, 21 august, 2016). Some
responses relevant to this issue were gathered through the surveys. It was revealed that 31%
of players like to play games in which they have to shoot. In another response, 61.5%
people agreed upon that they are pumped up by playing video games. 42.3% responses
were from the players who are addicted to playing games. The responses are in line with the
experts belief that violence depends on the players themselves, the game he/she chooses to
play and his level of involvement in the game.
Another concern is the type of behavior common in victims of violent video games. In this
regard, aggressiveness has been highlighted by many researches. The articles of Zoe
Kleinman (2015), Roanna Cooper, MA and Marc Zimmerman (2011) indicate aggression as
the major problem of game players. The psychologist in the national hospital believes that
some video games are related to excitement, agitation and competition (personal
communication, 21 august, 2016). In an interview from the owner of gaming zone, he
stated that that there are some mild to high cases of aggressive behavior, there is a sense
of competition found in the players (personal communication, 21 august, 2016). He stressed
on the word some which means that it is not a quite serious problem of game players. In
the same regard, 37.1% of responses from the survey were in favour of yes to the
question: do you get bothered if someone outscores you? In another question: do you
feel sense of competition between you and the opponent you are playing with? 65.6%
people responded with yes. Although in one more question, it was asked to tick one box
from angry, irritated, restless and normal. About half of the entire responses ticked
the normal category. It has been implied that game players probably do not know what
kind of effect is transmitted over them by gaming.
Lastly over the issue on solutions to this problem, the psychologist highlighted the role of
parents, responsibility of state and the role of media (personal communication, 21 august,
2016). He acknowledged that media is the greatest concern and emphasized by giving the

RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

12

example of an incident happened in Sialkot in which a mom killed her two sons. He
believed that this type of content should not be disclosed by media as it promotes violence
in Pakistan.
Conclusion
After analyzing all the data, the research has come to conclusion that gaming is not the only
factor which promotes violence, there are many other factors, like movies which depicts
war or any other violent element like the footages shown by the media, of people covered in
blood. Furthermore the questionnaire conducted from the people indicated that almost 52
percent people were against the view that the gaming promotes violence.
Implications/Recommendations
This research will raise awareness among the people, regarding the cause and effects of
gaming. It is the duty of the parents to only provide a healthy source of
entertainment such as sports, reading books to their child so that he/she
can get benefit from it rather than wasting their time on violent games.
Moreover, even if the child likes to play games then parents need to
confirm that he/she is playing only those games which are appropriate
for his/her age group. Parents need to take out time for their children,
guide about them what is right and wrong for them. Doctor Altaf Qadir
who is practicing medicine at the National Hospital as a psychiatrist also
agrees with this idea and said that Parents should spend their time with
the children. They should coach their children in such a manner that
children get much more involved in healthy activities such as sports
rather than lazy activities like gaming as it does not only lead to
negative impact on behavior but also damages the eyesight of the
gamer who sits in front of the screen for longer hours (Personal
communication, 21st August 2016). Sana Ijaz, a peace activist in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa supports the idea of Doctor Altaf Qadir by saying: If we
expose our children to these things from a tender age, it will not be
difficult for them to fall into the hands of extremists when they are
teenagers (Aug 5, 2013). The parents, therefore, need to take this issue
very seriously and allow no free hand to their children in case of video
games from a young age otherwise the consequences can be dangerous.
Secondly, the government of Pakistan also needs to contribute. It should
introduce laws to discourage such games. However, it should be kept in
mind that the role does not end here, regular monitoring and evaluation
is required to make sure that the laws are being followed. Some steps
have already been taken by the government of Pakistan against the
games that could lead to a negative impact on the mind of the youth in
our country. Games such as Call of Duty: Black OPS 2 and Medal of
Honor: Warfighter portray Pakistan as a danger zone from where the
enemy attacks come. These games depict Pakistan and its intelligence
agency, Inter-services Intelligence (ISS), as pro-Al-Qaida. Regarding this,
Saleem Memon, president of the all Pakistan CD, DVD, Audio Cassettes
Traders and manufacturers association, said: They show the country in
a very poor light. So, when young Pakistani Children (5-15 years old)
play such games, they encounter a negative representation of their

RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

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culture, people and country. This, as a result, at times triggers a

reactionary response in the young minds. The reaction, if comes out in
the form of aggression, can lead to devastating impact in the form of
violence.
Hence, the relevant groups of the society should address this issue as
soon as possible because the problem is increasing rapidly in our country
and it needs to be tackled before it worsens for us as it will then be hard
to minimize the effects as compared to the situation now.
References
Cooper, R., M., & Zimmerman, M. (2011, August 24). Do Video Games Influence Violent
Behavior? - Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center. Retrieved from
http://yvpc.sph.umich.edu/video-games-influence-violent-behavior/

Etchells, P. (2013, September 19). What is the link between violent video games and
aggression? | Pete Etchells. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2013/sep/19/neurosciencepsychology
Myslewski, R. (2011, November 30). PROVEN: Violent video games mess with your head.
Retrieved from
http://m.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/30/violent_video_games_mess_with_your_head/
Deskins, T. (2015). The Effects of Video Games on Sexism Attitudes in Males.
APPENDIX
Q1. What is your gender?
(a) Male (b) Female
Q2. What is your age?
(a) 10-15 (b) 15-20 (c) 20-25 (d) 25 +
Q3. Do you like gaming?

RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

(a) Yes (b) No
Q4. Which type of games do you like?
(a) Shooting (b) Strategic (c) Sports (d) Arcade
Q5. Which platform do you use for playing video games?
(a) Computer (b) Consoles (c) Smart Phone (d) Other
Q6. How often do you play video games?
(a) Daily (b) Thrice a week (c) once or twice a week
Q7. For how long do you play in one go?
(a) 1 hour (b) 2 hours (c) 3 hours (d) more than 3 hours
Q8. Do you get bothered if someone outscores you?
(a) Yes (b) No (c) Sometimes
Q9. Do you feel pumped up after playing games?
(a) Yes (b) No
Q10. Do you feel sense of competition between you and the opponent you are playing
with?
(a) Yes (b) No (c) Sometimes
Q11. Do you think that gaming promotes violence?
(a) Yes (b) No (c) May be
Q12. Do you follow the video games rating? (E.g. PG 18+)
(a) Yes (b) No
Q13. Do you feel addicted to gaming?
(a) Yes (b) No
Q14. Should there be a ban on violent video games?
(a) Yes (b) No
Q15. How do you feel when someone defeats you in a video game?

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RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

(a) Angry (b) Irritated (c) Annoyed (d) Normal

Survey Results (next page)

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RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

Interview Questions
(Interview from psychologist)
How many teenagers visit you?
Do you prefer video games as a source of leisure?
Daily exposure to killing, violent visuals, do they have a role to play in childs character
and personality?
Out of the people who visit you, how many of them are impatient?

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RUNNING HEAD: Do video games propagate violence?

Do you think playing violent video games incites anger among the people?
What is the solution to this problem?
(Interview from gaming zone owner)
From how many years are you running this gaming zone?
Have you witnessed any cases of aggressiveness in among the players in your gaming
zone?
Which games are most popular nowadays?

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