Video Games and Related Ethical Concerns: A Comprehensive Analysis

This report delves into the complex ethical landscape of the video game industry, exploring critical concerns such as addiction, violence, and their societal impacts. It highlights the drastic development and financial success of the gaming industry, while also acknowledging the rise of ethical questions. The report discusses the negative effects of video games, including distraction from reality and the potential for increased aggression, supported by research findings. It utilizes Reynolds' Seven-Step Approach to analyze the ethical dilemmas, gathering facts, identifying ethical issues, and affected parties, and considering consequences, relevant rights, principles, and justice, character, and integrity, potential solutions, and the impact of decisions. The report emphasizes the need for regulations and ethical practices within the industry, proposing that parents, adults, and professional bodies take steps to mitigate negative effects. The ethical theory of Utilitarianism is applied to justify the recommendations, aiming to benefit both gamers and game developers ethically.

Running Head: Video Games and Ethical Concerns
Ethics in Information Technology

VIDEO GAMES AND ETHICAL CONCERNS 1
Video Games and related Ethical Concerns
There have been drastic development in the industry of electronic video games and has
become one of the successful technological industries. Gaming Industry has target market of
around $ 25 billion and has become one successful business across the world. In the
contemporary world where people totally rely on technology for connectivity gaming
industry has increased the job opportunities by providing 12000 jobs in the international
market (Hubeek, L., & Schillemans, W. 2017).
On the contrary, gaming has also raised numerous ethical questions not only in developed
countries like USA and Europe but across the world. Researchers across the world have
highlighted the bitter truth reading the video games. Video games are not only played by the
children but adults have also become addicted to playing games. Researches across the world
have shown that video games distract students and people from reality and it encourages
people to come back again and again for playing games, due to the virtual rewards that the
games provides with. Negative impacts of video games are increasing dramatically.
Other ethical concern related to video games is increase in violence and aggression. In a
research it has been proved that playing violent video games directly affects the attention and
self-control, which have serious effect on the player and society as well. This issue have
become cause of debate in the past years. Playing video games have effect on the feelings and
people who play violent video games have tendency to get involved violent activities and
physical fights (Do Video Games Cause Real World Violence? 2017).
Other major concern is addiction of video games. In serious cases bad effects of the video
games leads to problems like substance abuse and gambling addiction. Whenever a game
addict urges to play a game, brain activity is increased which is similar to cue induced
craving and both shares similar neurobiological mechanisms.

VIDEO GAMES AND ETHICAL CONCERNS 2
Problem Statement
Exposure of children to games having violent content have increased the legal and ethical
issues for researchers across the world, particularly focusing on the core objective to
determine exposure to video games leads to psychological, emotional and physical damage.
Global market for the video games has increased across the world in the last few years
critically. There has been significant increase in violent activities done by the children all
over the world. There is increase in the debate about the link of violent behaviour with the
violent video games in young generation. Games like Grand Theft Auto, Doom, War craft
have violent content which leads to creation of psychological perspective where violence is
normal and accepted behaviour (Ethical issues in video games. 2017).
Analysis through Reynolds Seven-Step Approach
Reynolds seven step processes will be used for analysing the research problem discussed in
the previous section. This model is helpful in analysis of ethical dilemmas and then making
ethical decisions. The seven steps in this model are discussed as follows:
Gather Facts – The very step in making any ethical decision is related with collection of
facts and information, which will then lead to final ethical decision. Ethical concerns related
with video games consist of video game addiction, increased cases of violence due to the
psychological effects of video games and distraction from real world. It has been found in
various researches across the world that video games have negative effects on the mind of
individual playing it. Playing violent video games directly affects the attention and self-
control, which have serious effect on the player and society as well. Brain activity is
increased when a person feels the urge to play video game, which is similar to gambling and
addiction (Boyle, R., & Hibberd, M. 2005).

VIDEO GAMES AND ETHICAL CONCERNS 3
Ethical Issues – There are number of ethical issues that are related with the video games.
One of the major concerns is that video games provides distraction from the responsibilities
of the real world and makes the person insensitive towards the feelings of other people. There
has been significant increase in the number of the violent video games in past years such as
War craft, Grand Theft Auto, Doom and Counter Strike.
All such games affect the behaviour of the individual playing it even though it is for short
time only. Video game developer nowadays has linked the games to various virtual rewards,
which make the person addict to the game. When a person receives rewards even if it is
virtual, the brain secretes an enzyme named dopamine which increases the pleasurable
feeling in the person, increasing the game addiction (Video Games Addiction. 2017).
Identification of Affected Parties – People of all age groups are playing games these days.
Therefore the people who are affected with bad effects of video games are not limited to the
teenagers but it also consists of adults of different age groups and genders as well. For all the
people who are getting affected, they are becoming less sensitive towards the other and are
getting distracted from reality. These people value virtual rewards and then make them
addicts which have severe effects in the long run.
Consequences – Playing games for short time in a day does not have that severe effects on
the persons playing such games. The condition becomes worse when people play role playing
games online where they play with other people from around the world, which increases the
time spent playing the games. Multi user domain games (MUDs) combined with the role
playing games creates a virtual world where people kills and fight which leads to addiction to
the games (Lenhart, A., Kahne, J., et.al., 2008).
Games also have negative effects on the health of the people playing games. In a research it
has been demonstrated that games lead to substantial problems related to the behaviours like

VIDEO GAMES AND ETHICAL CONCERNS 4
pro social concerns and effects, different psychological problems. Spending large amount of
time playing games increases the situation with social phobias, depression and addiction
which directly drags the person towards different psychological problems.
Relevant rights, principles and justice
Due to the various ethical concerns that has been raised in the field of video games, it has
now has become mandatory for the government to look in such matters. It have created
obligation for all the people who are working in the field of video games, they need to think
and restrict the content that they are providing to the gamers. In order to survive and sustain
the gaming market developers will not reduce the production of such games (Video Game
Violence. 2017).
Video games allows to experience something in virtual manner without harming people in
reality, but with rising issues and concerns games are affecting the society in dangerous ways
and will continue to affect in future as well, if serious steps are not taken restrict something
which is not appropriate. When it is about regulations and laws related with the video games,
it presents numerous faces. Many legal concerns and issues are there, one of the significant
concerns is selling high adulterated content to under aged. This concern has been debated
across the world but no country has been successful in hauling all the loopholes (Zagal, J. P.
2009).
Character and integrity - Solely on the basis of the own integrity and character, I would
like to restrict the content that is being sold in the name of video games. Particularly the
children, who might get affected with the games severely and then take dangerous steps like
committing suicide and killing other person in rage.

VIDEO GAMES AND ETHICAL CONCERNS 5
Potential Solutions – Parents might have check on the games that their children are playing,
in order to prevent them from bad experiences of the video games.
Adults who play games for long time duration need to socialise much with their family and
friends, so that they do not get consumed by the bad effects of the games (Chappell, D., et.al
2006).
People need to restrict the time they spend playing online role playing games, in order to
decrease the psychological affects that game have on the people.
Professional bodies and regulators need to ensure that suitable certification is provided to the
games prior to their release in the targeted market.
Strict penalties need to be put on the companies who violate the rules and regulations (Wood,
R. T., Griffiths, M. D., Chappell, D., & Davies, M. N. 2004)
Impact of Decision
If appropriate rules and regulations becomes applicable to various companies who creates
such games, it will restrict the content and only appropriate users will be able to play games.
People of all age groups will be able to maintain their health mentally. Incidents of
aggression, insensitivity and rage will decrease. People will not become addict to the games
and will not get distracted form the real world. Companies creating games will be able to earn
profits and sustain their markets only when they will act ethically and contributes toward the
society (Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., & Evans, C. 2009).
Ethical Theory
Utilitarianism – The ethical decision made in the above section is based upon the theory of
Utilitarianism. This theory is concerned with the good of all the people including self. Ethical

VIDEO GAMES AND ETHICAL CONCERNS 6
decision made above caters to the needs of the all the people, including the people who plays
games and then the companies who creates such games for the global market. If the decision
is followed by the people then the people will be prevented from the bad effects of games on
the health and companies also will be able to earn their profits ethically, while nurturing the
society (Warner, D. E., & Raiter, M. 2005).

VIDEO GAMES AND ETHICAL CONCERNS 7
References
Boyle, R., & Hibberd, M. (2005). Review of research on the impact of violent computer
games on young people.
Chappell, D., Eatough, V., Davies, M. N., & Griffiths, M. (2006). EverQuest—It’s just a
computer game right? An interpretative phenomenological analysis of online gaming
addiction. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 4(3), 205-216.
Do Video Games Cause Real World Violence?. (2017). Storify. Retrieved 1 September 2017,
from https://storify.com/UWECSTEWDENTS/do-videogames-cause-real-world-violence
Ethical issues in video games. (2017). gaminghighlights. Retrieved 1 September 2017, from
https://gaminghighlights.wordpress.com/ethical-issues-in-video-games/
Hubeek, L., & Schillemans, W. (2017). Video Games: Ethical Issues faced by Producers and
Consumers. Masters of Media. Retrieved 1 September 2017, from
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producers-and-consumers/
Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., & Evans, C. (2009). The civic potential of video games. MIT Press.
Lenhart, A., Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., Macgill, A. R., Evans, C., & Vitak, J. (2008). Teens,
Video Games, and Civics: Teens' Gaming Experiences Are Diverse and Include Significant
Social Interaction and Civic Engagement. Pew internet & American life project.
Video Game Violence. (2017). Ethics.csc.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 1 September 2017, from
https://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/speech/freedom/violence/study.php
Video Games Addiction. (2017). Addictionrecov.org. Retrieved 1 September 2017, from
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VIDEO GAMES AND ETHICAL CONCERNS 8
Warner, D. E., & Raiter, M. (2005). Social context in massively-multiplayer online games
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Wood, R. T., Griffiths, M. D., Chappell, D., & Davies, M. N. (2004). The structural
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behavior, 7(1), 1-10.
Zagal, J. P. (2009). Ethically Notable Videogames: Moral Dilemmas and Gameplay.
In DiGRA Conference.