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Video Games and Violent Behavior
Like motion pictures and television video games play a role in violence and youth acceptance of violence as an acceptable
behavior. The idea that any of these individually create violence is false. They can be contributing factors and can influence the decision of one to use violence as a conflict resolution tools. Further they do desensitize youth to the effects of violence on individuals and society as a whole. This is why the U.S. military used video games as a tool in training soldiers in preparation for combat. As the only factor in nurturing violent children the answer is no. As a major contributing factor to violence the answer is yes. As children and youth play these video games, they become less understanding of the real consequences of violence on others. In the video games, it is all right to take a gun and shoot people and take lives. It is all right to be shot in these games because you’re brought back to life at the click of a button. Motion pictures show violence as a typical part of conflict resolution. I invite you to sit down and watch a cartoon (without your child) and count the acts of violence and pay close attention to the attitudes and ideals that are being taught through these programs. Many parents are still not monitoring the programs and content of which their children are watching. Again, A C C O U N T A B I L I T Y ! Be aware and accountable for what your children are viewing and learning. The US courts have recently ruled that media and video game companies are not subject to product liability laws. Could this be through influence that the media corporations have in politics and the loss of revenues may have a direct impact on political contributions by these media giants. Could it be that the government only cares about the true safety and security of our children when it does not affect the bottom line of big business? Could it be that the fact more children are killed each year by guns than those killed on September 11, 2001 and there is no financial or political gain in going after gun manufacturers and retailers? When did the right to bear guns over ride the right to each child to be safe and secure without the risk of being killed by a weapon owned by a reckless owner? Why is the video game industry allowed to police itself and make it’s own rules and ratings. Why are retailers and video game rentals open to anyone of any age regardless of the age rating on the product? This is not just small retailers and rental outlets bending the rules in
favor of a higher bottom line but even the big boys such as Blockbuster and Rogers are guilty of this. Why do they do it? Simple. They make huge profits off of the backs of our children and the lack of awareness of today’s adults. They know that they are policing themselves for the most part and again, the bottom line comes before child safety. It should be up to the individual parents as to what games that they will permit their child to play. This said, a ratings system that is enforced would not be a problem for teens who have permission from their own parents to play the game. This would just simply mean that the parents would have to purchase the games for their children.
This section is from the book - Youth Violence - An International Crisis By: James Miller
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