Violent Video Games and Children

Violent Video Games and Children

Ever since the Bandura research in 1965 in which little children imitated violent behavior they had seen in a cartoon, there has been much discussion and concern about the impact of media violence on children and young people (Hockenbury & Hockenbury, 2003). The question constantly arises whether children behave aggressively because of something genetic (nature) or whether something in the environment (nurture) causes violent behavior. Media people, concerned about making a profit, deny that there is a significant correlation between media violence and violent behavior. They claim violent TV stories, for example, only reflect what is already present in society, and there is no direct causal link. From this point-of-view, it has been argued that human beings are violent by nature, and some people have more "violent genes" than others. This essay will argue that violent video games do have a negative effect on children. They appeal mainly to boys without active fathers. They teach them that violence is masculine and real men are violent, that violence is fun, a good way to resolve conflict, and rewards the player for taking violent action.

Sherry (2001) did a study on the effects of violent video games on aggression and found the aggressive effects of video games were temporary. He attributed the increased aggression that results from playing them to "arousal." In other words, playing violent electronic games arouses natural aggressive tendencies, which are found in all human beings. This points to "nature" but requires "nurture" to trigger the aggression.

In an essay on video game culture, Alloway and Gilbert (1998) point out that "Video game culture is a strongly male-focused and intensely masculinist, aggressive, and violent culture" (p. 95). Girls and women do not generally play video games, although sometimes they "tag along" and watch the boys. Themes in video games are far more aggressive than on television, with more male voices and more male figures represented. The world of video games is thus highly "gendered" toward males and focuses on a certain brand of masculinity.

Of course, the violence in these games is not isolated from the reality of violence that is everywhere in our culture. We can plug in on violence almost anywhere -- on TV, in films, cartoons, on MTV, on the internet, on the radio, in advertisements, brochures, magazines, newspapers, and so on: "The video game site is but one site within a complex set of sites. The violent narratives common to video game texts are 'readable' and recognizable because they repeat narratives written elsewhere" (Alloway & Gilbert, 1998, p. 97).

However, researchers Alloway & Gilbert (1998) believe that the industry, which produces violent video games, is appealing to a need in boys to learn how to be men. In much the same way that Barbie teaches little girls to be feminine (how to look, what to wear, how thin to be, what to buy), violent video games offer an exciting and seductive portrayal of so-called real men and the opportunity to play at being this kind of a man: "Many of these texts [games] align masculinity with power, with aggression, with victory and winning, with superiority and strength -- and, of course, with violent action. They offer positions for young male game players that promise success as masculine subjects" (p. 97).

So, these boys are playing video games for learning purposes and pretending to be men. Thus, the games nurture violence by appealing to natural aggressive instincts. The companies that make the games are peddling a distorted message about what it means to be a man. That the message is distorted and destructive to the wholesome development of manhood is not something the boys see. They don't criticize or reflect. The game itself keeps them from having to think about anything. There is no time in which to reflect on whether or not the action the player must take in order to score is a moral action (Funk, 2001). The players simply participate mindlessly in the action, which is designed to be visceral and to provide pleasure and fun in violence. Magazines about video games make this clear. Take this ad, for example, describing the graphics in the new edition of Cosmic Carnage: "The effect is similar to watching a movie where the camera zooms in for a close-up, catching an R-rated view of that head being ripped from its shoulders" (p. 107). According to Jones (2007), an ad like that, targeted at kids under 17, is very common and not unusual at all.

Violent video games provide all the criteria listed in Hockenbury & Hockenbury, (2003) for producing imitation on the part of kids exposed to it. The games are attractive and offer boys the status of manhood at least temporarily. The boys are part of a social group that plays these games, and they experience a sense of belonging through participation. Boys who play these games are entertained and are not punished for their violent actions. In fact, they are rewarded with points. The violence is "fun" and socially acceptable. Gentile & Anderson (2003) point out also that violent video games call for repeated violent actions on the part of the players. Repeating something over and over again is a prime way to learn! So the games set up a learning situation for teaching kids to be violent and to get fun out of it.

Over 1,000 studies have shown a connection between media violence and aggressive behavior in kids. The claim that there is no direct causal link is hogwash.

Researchers Hough and Erwin (1997) found that children who watch violence on TV for long hours are more prone to aggressive behavior than those who watch less. Likewise, Walsh (2000) found parents were not setting any time limits on how long their children were allowed to play violent video games, and most of them didn't know anything about the violent content of the games their children were playing.

John Sherry (2001) did a study at Purdue University on the effect of violent video games on aggression. He found the effect of playing violent video games was smaller than with exposure to television violence. In his study, the time spent playing the games did not affect the behavior of the players, but the kind of violence did have an impact: "Within the range of games studied, the type of violence contained in the games is a predictor of aggression, with human and fantasy violence being associated with stronger effects than sports violence" (p. 427). As Psychology (Hockenbury & Hockenbury, 2003) points out, even if only a small percentage of the people exposed to media violence are influenced to behave violently, "the effect on society can be immense" (p. 229).

The issue of nature vs. nurture and which is causes violent behavior is not easy to resolve. All human beings have a capacity to be violent, especially when aroused or threatened, but most people are able to control their impulses. Boys who play violent video games are being aroused artificially by the images, music, and action of the games. The arousal is artificial because there is no threat to their physical safety. The "fight or flight" mechanism is induced. Even if only a few boys learn to be the kind of man touted in these games, the effect can be very disastrous for society. The manufacturers of violent video games are exploiting for profit the boys' need to explore their manhood. That's immoral. The companies lack a sense of social responsibility.

It is hard to justify the manufacture and marketing of violent video games for kids. Even if it could be proven that violent video games do not cause violent behavior in children, that wouldn't mean they teach children not to be violent. The violent games don't teach anything positive to children. Why can't manufacturers design games that show true manhood and moral courage? Isn't that what the world really needs? Surely, it must be possible to create video games that are fun, exciting, and give visceral pleasure in a narrative that is engaging, absorbing, and positive without the gratuitous violence!

Annotated Bibliography

Alloway, N. And Gilbert, P. (1998). Video game culture: Playing with masculinity, violence and pleasure. In Howard, S. (Ed.) Wired Up, London: UCL Press. [the researchers theorize that boys, frequently without fathers active in their life, play video games because they want to learn what it means to be a man. The games allow them to practice adult masculinity, but portray a violent distorted view of manhood.]

Bensley, L. And Van Eenwyk, J. (2001). Video games and real-life aggression: Review of the literature. J Adolesc Health, 29, 244-57. [the authors claim they found no causal relationship between adolescent "violence, homicide, weapon-carrying, and other markers of antisocial behavior" and the emergence of graphic violent games on the market. They think aggressive effects are not a result but may be due to individual characteristics of the person playing the games.]