From M/Cyclopedia of New Media
Are violent videogames detrimental to children? While conclusive answers may forever elude academics, this complex issue can be broken down into four key elements:
- 1) Violence in video games
- 2) What games mean to children
- 3) Studies of cause/effect relationships
- 4) Research problems
1) Violence in video games
- Violence has numerous roles of in games:
- Violence as a problem-solver
- Story element
- Action-movie appeal
- Mindless entertainment (i.e. Frogger)
- Effective way of visually conveying physical triumphs within a story.
- Types of violence:
- Cartoonish
- Realistic
- Intrinsic (- story necessitated) (i.e. killing endgame ‘bosses’.)
- Excessive
- Glamorized (i.e. Carmegeddon)
2) What games are to children:
- Entertaining challenges that involve skills.
- Social interaction (28% of boys consider arcades social events while multiplayer games are online interactions.)
- A world that allows control above the level they posses in an adult household. Children can be fantasy heroes within their dominion of games (Cupitt and Stockbridge, 1996.)
Are games addictive?
- It is true that many children are videogame-fanatics - however, should this be unreasonable considering the sophisticated entertainment that games offer? Only a minority of children are clinically addicted to games (Funk, 2001).Cupitt and Stockbridge (1996) reveal that even fewer play games simply for violent content.
3) Studies of video games/violence cause/effect relationships
- Anderson and Bushman (2001) arguably possess the most empirical, scientific approach to videogames - their work documents how many children experience “surges of aggression when playing video games�. Durkin (1995) notes this as well in a study of arcade gamers. Interviews regarding their emotional state (aggression levels) were conducted after rounds of gaming. The general consensus is uncertain on this theory - many suggest that temporary aggressiveness results from adrenalin (Bushman and Huesman, 2001), as it does in sport. After play, aggressiveness usually returns to normal.
- While Anderson and Bushman’s extremist theories supports cases like Columbine, general consensus is that it is impossible to ascertain whether violent games are a release of pent-up aggression or an incitation to commit acts of aggression.
- Many suggest that children imitate videogame characters (Walsh, 2002) and develop violent behaviors through repetition (Freedman, 2001). However, while some games reward violence with points - most games require violence for story progression. Goldstein (2001) argues that children get desensitized to game-violence not violence per se. Many children realize that games are just as formulaic as films (Durkin and Aisbett, 1999).
- Baer (2002) suggests that children relate to make-believe elements in videogames. It is uncertain whether children interpret videogame violence as fantasy. Huesmann (1987) suggests that children are highly capable of mentally compartmentalizing between movie/game worlds and a real world.
4) Problems regarding study in this field
- Firstly, many researchers do not play games (i.e. Anderson and Bushman) - therefore, much research is observed (compared for example, to studies of violent movies).
- Secondly, without understating Columbine’s tragedy, it is something of a statistical outlier within research.
- Thirdly, Durkin and Aisbett (1995) along with Walsh (2001) both argue that since most videogame opponents have not played games, occasionally existing sociological assumptions colour studies. Anti-game rhetoric can occasionally become foundation angles.
- Fourthly, many academics use psychological research on film violence to form a foundation to empirical studies. Film and games share similarities but are disparate media-forms.
As this analysis of current research reveals, games are neither toys nor "an education in violence" - rather, they are compelling, thrilling forms of entertainment. The central question for gamers in the present and future is whether these products are suitable for child consumption.
Related Wiki Links
References:
- Anderson, C.A. and Bushman, B. J. (2001) "Effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, and prosocial behavior: A meta-analytic review of the scientific literature", Psychological Science, no.12, pp. 353-359, ISBN 1467-9280-0956-7976
- Bushman, B. and Huesmann, L. (2001) "Effects of televised violence on aggression", in D.G. Singer & J.L. Singer (ed.) Handbook of children and the media, Thousand Oaks: Sage, pp. 223-254, ISBN 0761919546
- Cupitt M. and Stockbridge S. (1996) Families and Electronic Entertainment, Sydney
- Office of Film and Literature Classification, ISBN 0622304651.
- Durkin, K. (1995) Computer Games: Their Effects on young people: A review, Sydney: Office of Film and Literature Classification, retrieved July 10, 2004, from http://www.oflc.gov.au/resource.html?resource=303&filename=303.pdf
- Durkin, K. and Aisbett, K. (1999) Computer Games and Australians Today, Sydney: Office of Film and Literature Classification, ISBN 0642704619.
- Freedman, J. (2001) Evaluating the Research on Violent Video Games, Toronto: University of Toronto, retrieved August 2, 2004, from http://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/conf2001/papers/freedman.html
- Funk, J. (2001) Children and Violent Video Games: Are There High Risk Players?, Chicago: University of Chicago, retrieved August 1, 2004, from http://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/conf2001/papers/funk1.html
- Goldstein, J. (2001) Does Playing Violent Video Games Cause Aggressive Behaviour?, Utrecht: Utrecht University, retrieved August 1, 2004, from http://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/conf2001/papers/goldstein.html
- Huesmann, L. (1986) Psychological processes promoting the relation between exposure to media violence and aggressive behaviour by the viewer. Journal of Social Issues, 42, 125-139.
- Singer, D. and Singer, J. (ed.) Handbook of children and the media, Thousand Oaks: Sage, ISBN 0761919546
- Walsh, D. (2001) Video Game Violence and Public Policy, Minneapolis: National Institute on Media and the Family, retrieved August 1, 2004, from http://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/conf2001/papers/walsh.html
- Wolf, M. (ed.) (2002) The Medium of the Video Game, Texas: University of Texas Press, ISBN 0292791488
--Ian Cho 23:03, 28 Oct 2004 (EST)
