Overall structure of computer science

¶ … Structure (CS)

The advances of technology have become one of the most important developments that have marked the 20th and 21st centuries. The development of the Internet has taken communication, the entertainment world, and in particular the access to information to a totally different level that it had been before. However, along with such improvements, certain risks have become obvious. Video games are from this point-of-view one of the most controversial aspects of our world today, given the unlimited access to all types of video games and their accessibility to all interested parties.

Video games represent a means of relaxation and some may say that they help improve certain deficiencies such as physical injuries of psychological hurdles (Rudon, 2011). At the same time however, there are video games that have become so violent that they can negatively influence children of small ages and can determine a different self-development trend.

In order to allow video games to be used for medical purposes, but at the same time to provide children and adults alike to benefit from the relaxation video games entangle, but at the same time to protect children from the possible negative influence violent video games may have on them, it is important that action be taken at the level of the government. At the same time though, it is essential that such action do not infringe by any means the right of the consumer to choose and take informed decisions when purchasing video games.

The role of the government in this sense is very important. Given the nature of the constitutional structure of the United States, decisions to ban or restrict access to video games considered to be violent can be taken at the state level. However, it is important to first and foremost consider defining violent games. For instance, "Cops and Robbers" was a very popular live game played by generations and it often included gun toys and simulations of bank robberies and cop shooting (Thierer, 2003). However, decades ago, such game was not considered to be violent but simply a means of relaxation and socialization at the level of community children. The debate then arises on the limited means through which the government can actually regulate violent video games in the conditions in which there is no clear definition of what "violent" means.

Parents and teachers alike have become more aware of the potential danger video games may pose to children largely because of their availability and duration in time. Studies have been conducted in this sense and the conclusion is that "students who play violent video games more frequently across time should be more likely to learn aggressive cognitions and behaviors than those who play the same types of games for equivalent amounts of time but less frequently" (Gentile, 2007) Therefore, it can be said that the dangers are in a sense imminent and that action must be conducted at any means possible in order to prevent violent video games to determine the personal development of children and young adults, the groups most prone to negative influences.

There have been numerous attempts to intervene in determining the target groups for such video games by the policy makers. More precisely, legislative acts have been undertaken in several states that would limit the purchase of video games by minors (Thierer, 2003). However, such initiatives are against the First Amendment of the Constitution and were therefore rejected. Despite the fact that such an option may have reduced the number of video games purchased by minors, it may not have had the desired results largely because not all video games are violent. Indeed additional care should be provided to limit violent video games from influencing children and young adults, but the total ban of video game purchasing by minors would not have reached the desired result. Minors could have requested an adult to purchase such video games and it would have only pushed children of thinking of different methods to acquire these video games.

A proper solution, although not the only one, represents the labeling of video games that are violent, contain sexual explicit scenes, or are simply a negative influence on children. It is rather difficult to limit the access to products in a free market and in the end, the role of the state is to allow its citizens the right to a choice and to safe guard that this right is upheld. By properly pronouncing itself on the content of the video game (whether it is violent or sexually explicit or contains vulgar language or action) the consumer will make the decision to purchase or not based on an informed opinion.