Families and Gaming

Ever since then parents and scientists alike have wondered if violent videogames make our children violent. Dr. Phil (Children and Violent Video Games) seems to think so; he has been quoted saying that “The number one negative effect is they tend to inappropriately resolve anxiety by externalizing it. So when kids have anxiety, which they do, instead of soothing themselves, calming themselves, talking about it, expressing it to someone, or even expressing it emotionally by crying, they tend to externalize it. They can attack something, they can kick a wall, they can be mean to a dog or a pet."  He has a good point. How many of us have been playing a game and had gotten so angry that we wanted to throw the controller across the room? No one? Just me? Ok, never mind. Dr. Phil really has a good point. When we see something as the direct cause of our frustration we want to deal with it and since we are already experiencing this violence in a digital form it is very possible to express it physically.

 

It looks like the AACAP (Video Games and Children: Playing with Violence) (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) agrees with Dr. Phil. In an article that they wrote they had said “Studies of children exposed to violent media have shown that they may become numb to violence, imitate the violence, and show more aggressive behavior. Younger children and those with emotional, behavioral or learning problems may be more influenced by violent images.” Now this is not all videogames. The AACAP agrees that some videogames are helpful and really educational as well. They also add that ,among all other things, moderation is not a bad thing. “In moderation, playing age-appropriate games can be enjoyable and healthy. Some video games may promote learning, problem solving and help with the development of fine motor skills and coordination.”

 

Around August of this year the APA (Resolution on Violent Video Games) (American Psychological Association) released a new article on the subject of videogame violence. “The research demonstrates a consistent relation between violent video game use and increases in aggressive behavior ... and decreases in ... empathy and sensitivity to aggression,” which agrees with both Dr. Phil and The AACAP. However, they continue to explain the importance that was missed by most “all violence, including lethal violence, is aggression, but not all aggression is violence. This distinction is important for understanding this [APA article], which has not focused on lethal violence as an outcome. Insufficient research has examined whether violent video game use causes lethal violence.” After 39 years we still have no idea if videogames will make you violent. The APA did agree that videogames cause aggression but their distinction that it does not necessarily mean lethal violence is a very important distinction.

 

I am a video gamer. I’ve played videogames since before blowing on a cartridge to make the game work was a thing. I’ve played games that taught me to make correct moral choices. I’ve played games that taught me to stretch my imagination and think outside the normal realms of thought and problem solving to complete my objective. I’ve played games that taught me to aim for the head for additional points or to cripple a leg to prevent a person from fleeing. I’ve played them all. The good, the bad. Are videogames addicting? Yes! That feeling you get when you accomplished something you have been working towards is a high that you never get enough of. Does it make you violent? No. It does not. Quick to anger, yeah I can agree with that but not violent. I have never ended any argument with violence. I always attempt to talk things out, and the only time I have been in situations of violence I was only attempting to defend myself or defend the people around me. I am not a violent man and I have been playing videogames all my life.

 

If you are worried that your children may not make the same non-violent decisions I have, then investigate what your children want to play before you purchase them. Every videogame sold in the United States has an ESRB (Ratings Guide) (Entertainment Software Rating Board) rating right on the box. A rating system set, not by the requirement of the government, but a rating system set by the very videogame developers that want to sell their games. The ESRB not only tells you the age range that is suggested to play the game but it also tells you why it was given that rating. And after all your research you decide to buy the game, watch your child play the game. See how they react to certain situations and ask them questions about certain moral choices that they have made while playing the game.

 

 

1. Dr. Phil, http://www.drphil.com/articles/article/297 - Children and Violent Video Games
    

2. Video Games and Children: Playing with Violence - AACAP, https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-and-Video-Games-Playing-with-Violence-091.aspx
    

3. Resolution on Violent Video Games - APA, http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/08/violent-video-games.pdf 
    

4. Ratings Guide - ESRB, http://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_guide.aspx