Negative Effects of Violent Video Games on Children

This essay explores the negative effects of violent video games on children, including increased aggression and harmful behavior. It discusses the reasons behind this behavior and suggests ways to reduce exposure to violent games.

Running head: ENGLISH COMPOSITION
English Composition
Name of the Author
Name of the University
Author Note

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Technology plays an important role in the life of the individuals in the present age. I
tis because of technology that individuals are able to interact with each other and
communicate their problems within a short period of time. Technology, indeed has made life
much easier for the individuals in their daily life. However, just like all other things,
technology also has certain negative effects on the lives of humans.
It is because of technology that various crimes and other harmful activities are
happening in the society. It is also being said that children nowadays are getting more
exposure to technology which can be harmful for their development. They are spending more
time with technologies and less time playing outside and their studies which will affect their
natural development. Thus, many people are of the opinion that children should have less
exposure to technologies.
The thesis statement of this essay is to find out the exact relation between
playing computer games and aggressive human behaviour.
Video Games are considered as one of the most important leisure time activity for
children and teens. Children and teenagers like to play video games as it takes them to a
world where they are the maker of their own destinies. However, many experts are of the
opinion that video games especially the violent ones are making the children more aggressive
in their real life.

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It is because the amount of action and violence that they come across in video games
make them, want to replicate such behaviour in their real life which is the main reason for the
children becoming so aggressive in their real life.
A lot of experts say that this kind of behaviour is harmful for the children as being
aggressive in their real life might lead them to be involved in some criminal activities which
can cause problems in their future plans. Thus, experts warn children to stay away from video
games or spent minimum time in playing those games.
There are various reasons why violent video games are causing children and teens to
become more aggressive in their real lives. First, when children start playing video games,
they imagine themselves to be the maker of their own destinies. This causes them to rely
more on the video games during their leisure times to make sure that they can escape to that
world where there are real world problems.
And when they especially start playing video games that are violent in nature, it
excites them to the level of them wanting to replicate the action inn their real life.
As stated by Sherry (2001), therefore in schools, when there are problems among
friends, children might replicate such violent acts which might seriously injure their friends
or other people in the class or in the school. Thus, if such acts are not controlled at their basic
stage, they can turn out to be a major problem for the children as they will become more
violent as they grow up.

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This might ultimately lead to the children engaging in criminal activities. This might
be a problem for the children as it might cause problem for their future. Another reason why
children become aggressive by playing video games is because of the addiction that they
develop from playing such games. Violent games make the players addicted to it as they
think about passing the various levels for clearing the game.
Thus, the children are exposed to a lot of violence in these games that make them
violent in their nature as they play these games. Thus, these are a few of the reasons why the
children playing violent games tend to become violent in their real lives too.
Games like Counter Strike teach children to shoot their enemies as soon as they see
them. Once the children start playing such games, they get more and more influenced by such
games which causes them to become more violent in their real life (Anderson, 2000).
Instructors are also of the opinion that all of this violence might cause them to get influenced
by the viciousness of their school system which might cause them to enact acts of violence in
the school grounds.
As stated by Dodge (2008), according to a study, it has been found that most children
in the U.S. between the ages of 5-12 are the ones who like to play computer games the most.
These children, when they lay games like “Counter Strike” other action games, become
excited because they feel that it is their duty to pass each levels and beat the final level so that
they emerge the winner of that game.

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This makes them become more involved in the games which makes them more
violent in their real lives. All of these plays an important role on the temper of the children as
seeing too much violence might cause them to lose their temper often and become violent.
This might lead them to hurt others unintentionally. Psychology is another important
factor that causes an individual to become violent by seeing these violent games. Experts are
of the opinion that the body produces cortisol which can be used to fight the stress and the
violence that the children comes across in the games and other videos.
As stated by Cesarone (1998), these hormones make the children want to hit anybody
they do not like as there is always revenge on their mind. These factors also needs to be
checked to make sure that the children are developing properly.
There are various reasons for the children to become violent in their behaviour. Some
of these reasons include frustration or being punished at school or at their homes. If a child is
punished at their school, he might go into depression as his friends might make fun of him.
This depression can give rise to frustration and can ultimately contribute to the children
becoming more in their life.
They might perform acts of violence to get rid of their frustration. Sometimes, this can
also lead to children becoming bullying in their schools and in the colleges.
Ragging is another serious factor which might result from such activities as children
and teens might try to revenge their frustration on other people (Sherry, 2001). This might

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cause other people to suffer for the activities of these children. All these activities might
cause a lot of problems in the lives of the children as they grow up in to adults. These
activities might cause problems in their development into socially responsible citizens of a
country.
As stated by Gunnar (2001), therefore, there are various ways by which these violence
in children can be reduced. These include getting them less exposure to the violent video
games so that they do not get influenced by the amount of violence and action that are
commonly found in such video games.
If the children can control the amount of the times that they invest in video games,
then they will find more time to indulge in other activities like various indoor and outdoor
games that will not only be a good development for them but also will help them to build a
good physical and mental health.
Some other activities that can reduce violence in children include consulting
psychologists who can suggest various techniques to the children that will be helpful for them
in reducing their violent nature. The children need to understand that playing computer games
are a good idea, but they should be doing it at a limit. They should not be involving
themselves in the activity in such a way that they become addicted to the games.
If they can control the way that they play video games, then there will not be cases of
addiction, and if there are no cases of addiction, then there will not be any cases among the

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children. This is because they will be able to control the way in which they play the video
games.
This will also be helpful to the children as not being violent will also allow them to
concentrate on their studies and other activities such as sports or other professions that they
would like to undertake. Thus, if the children are being less violent, then there will be lesser
cases of violence, bullying and ragging in schools and colleges (Anderson, 2000).
This will be good for the students as then everybody can study and play together
which will be beneficial for the students rather than bullying and ragging others and being
violent.
Thus, from the above essay, it can be concluded that video games that are violent
indeed have a negative effect on the lives of children and teenagers who become addicted to
it. I tis because of such games that the children become more violent in real life.
This can cause various problems for them like being a roadblock in their
development, they can become violent and might hurt others intentionally or unintentionally.
Thus, the parents must make sure that the children are spending a limited amount of time
with the video games and more time playing outdoor games.

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Reference List
Anderson, C.A. (2000). Violent video games increase aggression and violence [On-line].
Available: http://psych-server.iastate.edu/faculty/caa/abstracts/2000-
2004/00Senate.html
Bandura, A. (1971). Social learning theory of aggression. In J.G. Knutson (Ed.), Control of
aggression: Implications from basic research (pp. 201–250). Chicago: Aldine-
Atherton
Cesarone, B. (1998). Video games: Research, ratings, recommendations. Eric Digest, Report
No. EDO-PS-98-11.
Dodge K A coie J D & Lynam D (2007-2008). Agrgression and antisocial behaviour in
younger generation. Child and adolescent development : an advance course pg.436-
474
Gunnar, M. R., Bruce, J., & Donzella, B. (2001). Stress physiology, health, and behavioral
development. In A. Thornton (Ed.), The well-being of children and families (pp.
188e212). Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press.
Huesmann, L.R., Anderson, C.A., Berkowitz, L., Donnerstein, E., Johnson, J.D., Linz, D.,
Malamuth, N.M., & Wartella, E. (2000). Media violence influences on youth: Expert

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panel report to the U.S. Surgeon General. Unpublished manuscript, Institute for Social
Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
JIA-KUN ZHENG, Priming effect of computer game violence on children’s aggression level.
Social behaviour & personality: an international journal. 2016(10): 1774-1759
Sherry, J. L. (2001). The effects of violent video games on aggression: A meta-analysis.
Human Communication Research, 27, 409–431