This week's controversial topic is.. . 'violent video games'. Are they responsible for a rise in the number of attacksby children in the schoolyard?' Some social commentators say yes. Worse, it has been suggested that two recentkillings by teenagers were prompted by the playing of video games with extreme content. But is it proven?
The jury is out on this issue. Not nearly enough research has been done to either prove or disprove that violentgaming leads to violence in children in real life. What is known is that a child who is already disturbed mightcertainly react violently after playing a violent computer game; but a psychotic child might just as easily reactinappropriately to having seen a family video or after reading the newspaper.
Unfortunately, it is too early to say yet whether the immense amount of violence on TV and in video games hasa deleterious effect on children, but one thing is certain - violence sells. And, interestingly, violence appeals farmore to young male video gamers than to young female players; the latter preferring games which rely more ondiscovery and the development of the relationships between the characters onscreen. Does this prove that boysare somehow instinctively more violent than girls? Not necessarily. It could merely be that the way in which non-100 violent 'so-called girl's' games are packaged, with their pink and fluffy characters and backgrounds, does notappeal to boys. Software companies may be guilty of stereotyping when it comes to how they package theirproducts for the two sexes.
Are violent video games merely a form of degrading entertainment? Or do they have some socially redeemingvalue after all? It has been argued that because computer games are interactive - gaming is not a passive activitylike watching TV - they might, in fact, allow a child to indulge his or her violent fantasies and relieve pent-upfrustrations in a socially acceptable and less harmful way. On the other hand, violent games may be heighteningthe release of tension children experience upon destroying an onscreen character; violence, instead of beingpunished as in the real world, is rewarded with higher scores and faster music.
So, what do you think? Let us know if you believe that violent video games lead to child violence by ringing thisnumber now: 01256-381574. That number again ... 01256-381574. |