Video Games Video Games !!!!!

“Certain types of violent video games … may be as effective in training killers as flight simulators are in training pilots” (B. Sullivan, as quoted in Wood & Johnson, 2000).

Video games, a ubiquitous part of today’s world, are the preferred leisure activity for many youth. Unfortunately, 80% today’s most popular video games contain violence. This has lead parents and other responsible adults to be concerned about the potential negative effects associated with playing such games has on children’s behavior (Wood & Johnson, 2000).

When electronic video games were introduced in the late 1970s, they were basic, animated interactive games such as Atari’s Pong, a simplistic version of Ping-Pong. Early popularity of video games was somewhat sporadic until the late 1980s. When the Nintendo system with its more sophisticated graphics was introduced, a surge in video game interest resulted (Cesarone, 1994). Constantly improving technologies (e.g., laser applications, virtual reality), varied platforms (e.g., handhelds, CD ROMs, cartridge consoles, Internet, etc.), and increasingly realistic and complex game scenarios have resulted in growing popularity and increased profits ever since. Annual industry sales figures have climbed from a mere $100 million in 1985 to $4 billion in 1990, and now exceed $10 billion a year (Provenzo, 1991; Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 1999).

Unfortunately, greater sophistication and realism found in today’s video games is associated with increasingly violent themes. One of the first “violent” video games was Pac-Man; however, in today’s games, children can battle realistic looking characters and witness the resultant blood, gore, and mutilation. The intense, active nature of children’s play when interfacing with violence further underscores these concerns (Anderson & Dill, 2000).

There has been concern about the effect of video games on children’s behavior almost since their inception. As early as 1982, the Surgeon General of the United States, C. Everett Koop, stated that “children are into the games, body and soul — everything is zapping the enemy” (cited in Scott, 1995). Since then, public concerns intensified. Following the Columbine High School shootings in the spring of 1999, President Clinton and the first lady addressed “children, violence and marketing.” President Clinton stated that “… over 300 studies report that the boundary between fantasy and reality violence, which is a clear line for most adults, can become very blurred for vulnerable children. Kids steeped in the culture of violence do become desensitized to it and are more capable of committing it themselves” (White House, 1999). Most recently, public concern over violent media content has lead to the U. S. Juvenile Justice Act (Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 1999), a policy statement that encourages responsible corporate behavior and parental empowerment, although foregoing compulsory industry regulation.

Video game violence appears in fantasy, action, and sports games alike and ranges from being highly realistic to cartoonish and slapstick in its portrayal. Regardless of its form, real-life consequences, such as lingering psychological or physical effects, are rarely incorporated in the game. Social content presented in a violent context can affect children’s attitudes toward sexual stereotypes. For example, females are often portrayed as more passive and in need of rescuing (Provenzo, 1992). Over 20% of the most popular games actually include violence against women (Dietz, 1998). Despite these findings, proponents of games frequently espouse the belief that games help youth deal with pent-up feelings of aggression and hostility (Emes, 1997). Others justify the games that contain violence as prosocial by seeing violence as an acceptable method for defending good from evil.

In spite of these concerns, children see video game play as socially desirable. Neither gender is immune to the lure of violence, with children of both sexes preferring video games that contain violent content (Funk, 1993). One study reported that of 357 seventh and eighth grade students, approximately 32% selected games that involved fantasy violence, 17% selected games that involved human violence, and another 30% selected sports games, many of which have violent sub-themes (Funk, 1993). In general, boys prefer games with sports and action violence, while girls prefer fantasy violence (Buchman & Funk, 1996). Boys also play video games far more frequently than girls (Clark, 1993; Funk, 1992; Funk & Buchman, 1996).

Video Games and Behavior

The exact contribution that violent video games play in shaping children’s behavior is virtually impossible to isolate when considered from broader intra-personal and environmental contexts (Dill & Dill, 1998; Emes, 1997). Atheoretical studies and common methodological problems, such as poor study design (e.g., no controls, relying on children’s self-report), further confound research findings. Despite these limitations, data support that repeated exposure to media violence is associated with a desensitization to violent behavior; less trust, increased fearfulness, and decreased empathy when dealing with others; and a disinhibition of aggression for some youth (Griffiths, 1999).

The home video game industry is now over 30 years old. In that time, computer technology has improved at a geometric rate. A high speed elevator now has more computing power than the Apollo spacecraft that landed on the moon. The promise of computers and video games as teachers was clearly recognized in the 1980s when there was a nationwide push to get computers into the classrooms. In the years that have followed, researchers found that educational software and games can indeed have several very positive effects on children’s academic skill. Over the same period, video games also moved into children’s homes. (I define video games broadly here, as including arcade games, computer games, and home console games such as PlayStation.) Children began playing video games for increasing amounts of time, and the games themselves became more graphically violent over time. Parents, educators, physicians, and researchers began to question what the impact of these changes might be.

Among elementary and middle-school populations, girls play for an average of about 5.5 hours/week and boys average 13 hours/week. Playing games is not limited to adolescent boys. Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that several companies are now designing video game consoles for preschoolers. Preschoolers aged two to five play an average of 28 minutes/day. The amount of time spent playing video games is increasing, but not at the expense of television viewing which has remained stable at about 24 hours/week.

Similar to earlier studies about television, the data about children’s video game habits are correlated with risk factors for health and with poorer academic performance. When video game play is analyzed for violent content, additional risk factors are observed for aggressive behavior and desensitization to violence.

Video games are natural teachers. Children find them highly motivating: by virtue of their interactive nature. children are actively engaged with them: they provide repeated practice: and they include rewards for skillful play. These facts make it likely that video games could have large effects, some of which are intended by game designers, and some of which may not be intended.

Video games have been shown to teach children healthy skills for the self-care of asthma and diabetes, and have been successful at imparting the attitudes, skills, and behaviors that they were designed to teach. In a study with college students, playing a golf video game improved students’ actual control of force when putting, even though the video game gave no bodily feedback on actual putting movement or force. There have even been studies with adults showing that experience with video games is related to better surgical skills. Research also suggests that people can learn iconic, spatial, and visual attention skills from video games.

Given the fact that video games are able to have several positive effects, it should come as no surprise that they also can have negative effects. Research has documented negative effects of video games on children’s physical health, including obesity, video-induced seizures. and postural, muscular and skeletal disorders, such as tendonitis, nerve compression, and carpal tunnel syndrome. However, these effects are not likely to occur for most children. The research to date suggests that parents should be most concerned about two things: the amount of time that children play, and the content of the games that they play.

Simply put, the amount of time spent playing video games has a negative correlation with academic performance. Playing violent games has a positive correlation with antisocial and aggressive behavior (most researchers define violence in games as when the player can intentionally harm other characters in the game). Content analyses show that a majority of games contain some violence. A majority of 4th to 8th grade children prefer violent games.

Looking across the dozens of studies that have now been conducted on violent video games, there appear to be five major effects. Playing violent games leads to increased physiological arousal, increased aggressive thoughts, increased aggressive feelings, increased aggressive behaviors, and decreased prosocial helping. These studies include experimental studies (where it can be shown that playing violent games actually causes increases in aggression), correlational studies (where long-term relations between game play and real-world aggression can be shown), and longitudinal studies (where changes in children’s aggressive behaviors can be demonstrated). For example, in a study of over 400 3rd–5th graders, those students who played more violent video games early in the school year changed to become more physically aggressive later in the school year, even after statistically controlling for sex, race, total screen time, prior aggression, and other relevant variables. Apparently practice does make perfect.

The research also seems to show that parents have an important role to play. Children whose parents limited the amount of time they could play and also used the video game ratings to limit the content of the games have children who do better in school and also get into fewer fights. Regarding limiting the amount, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children not spend more than one to two hours per day in front of all electronic screens, including TV, DVDs, videos, video games (handheld, console, or computer), and computers (for non-academic use). This means seven to fourteen hours per week total. The average school-age child spends over 37 hours a week in front of a screen. We all like to think our children are above average, but on this dimension it’s not a good thing. Regarding content, educational games are likely to have positive effects and violent games are likely to have negative effects. Almost all (98%) of pediatricians believe that violent media have a negative effect on children.

Video Games, Video Games Video Games!!!! If I had a dollar every time I heard about the newest video game released I would be a millonaire at the least. My eight year old is definately a certified gamer. He knows all of the latest games, when there coming out, what system that are available in, and whether or not they are downloadable. He even knows how to download them on my home computer. Here is a list of some of the hottest and challenging and games available now, according to my son as well as the World Wide Web. I observed sites that provided information for the most popular and challenging games out there to date.

Little Shop Road trip-From the creators of The Little Shop of Treasures series is a fun filled game that sends you on a hunt to collect treasures to take back to your littlest shop store and sell as souvenirs. Complete 16 road trips and gain access to bonus rounds and many other adventures that will be heading your way.

Jewel Quest Mysteries Part 1 and 2-The main character Eva goes on a quest to search the ruins of Ancient Egypt for lost treasure. The sequel is a continuance of exotic lands, hidden treasures and Eva right in the midst of all the fun and excitement.

Zuma is for gamers that like action as well as solving puzzles. The mission is to uncover temples that hold great power. This game is said to be extremely challenging and addicting all in one.

World of Warcraft-This is a very popular one for gamers of all ages. This is an online world of mystery, myth, adventure and excitement. More than 11 million people have purchased or downloaded this game. It is definitely worth at least exploring the free trial; true gamers will make the purchase, trust me!

This is just a sample of the amount of gaming entertainment out there, Check out gamehouse.com or do a search of, ” most popular games”. You will be amazed what you find out there. If you are not a gamer now, after viewing these sites, you very well might become one.