Children and Violent Videos (Essay Sample)

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Do children who watch/play violent videos for hours become physically and emotionally violent?
Over the last few years, there has been a very heated debate in the courts, the house of senate, house of congress, and in the public domain. There are people who believe that watching violent videos and playing such games actually causes violent behaviors among the young people. Some other people are of the opinion that only playing video games does bring such behaviors. Lastly, another groups of people do believe and argue that only playing violent games does bring such behaviors rather than watching such videos.
Although education does have a positive impact in a person’s life, it does not actually ensure success in their life. Success in life means attaining ones goals in life or becoming prosperous. One can achieve success through education but one does not necessarily need to be educated to become prosperous or attain their goals.
Senator Jay Rockefeller was asked by Michael Venables why he had earlier suggested that there is a very close link between children watching violent videos and playing violent video games with developing violent behaviors. He replied that there had been some casual studies that pointed to the direction that watching and playing violent videos did have influence on the behavior of the young people. He said that over the last 28 years, he had been working for the people of West Virginia. In those years, he has interacted with several people and families (Rockefeller, 2013). He argued that he had several experiences that show that it does actually have influence on developing violent behaviors in the young people. He believes that there is enough evidence showing that there is an effect of watching such videos and playing game. However, he acknowledged that it is very hard to scientifically prove this, but he believed that the national academy of sciences would work out a way to prove this.
When playing the video games, the young people are actively involved. According to Bushman (2013) several researches that has been done in the world proves that actively involvement in or playing such games creates violent thoughts and ideas among these people. In most cases, they would want to associate with the characters who are in that game as well, more so their favorite ones. Some research, according to Bushman (2013) shows that watching and playing violent videos creates eye-hand condition. Although he acknowledges that non violent videos and games could also create similar eye-hand conditions. According to Bushman (2013) some of the reasons as to why people believe that there is nothing wrong with watching such violent videos is that they believe they have not killed anyone. Another reason is lack of understanding of personal characteristics as much as one does to biological characteristics, where he argued that people who watch these videos and games do not understand the effects they have on their emotions but only look at the physical impact. He argued that the impact of watching and playing such video games has more if psychological impact than it has physical impact. The psychological impact is the one that could lead to the violence behaviors and activities when it becomes unmanageable.
Studies done in the past have shown that video games are closely related to children becoming cognitively aggressive emotionally and in their behavior. The people who watch these videos and play such games become more positive towards violence and they develop the use of violent language and genres. In several schools, there have been reports those children who play violent video games are often more physically aggressive as compared to their counterparts who do not play or watch violent videos. A research in the effects of violent movie and videos came to a conclusion that watching these videos does have an effect in that it increases violence and aggressive behavior. A group of researchers reported that there was 49% increase in violent behavior among a group of people who were heavy television viewers of violent programs. From the research, there is less evidence that watching violent videos does lead to violence crime. However, violent behaviors are very common if the research is to go by. There is also a question of the difference in the impact of watching violent videos and playing violent video games. Some researchers argue that among of negative impact of playing games is more than that of watching videos.
There has not been any scientific relationship between violent behaviors with watching violent movies and playing games. Chris Ferguson who is the chairman of the psychology and communication at the Texas A&M International University said that he believes that there is no scientific relationship between watching violent videos and crime (Gardner, 2013). He said that if the government was considering reducing the amount of violence in movies and games was the wrong way which it could achieve a reduction of crime through. Laura Davies, who is an adolescence psychiatrist, said that the children were able to distinguish between reality and fantasy. She argued that these people would seldom do the things they do in fantasy, in reality (Gardner, 2013). As the kids grow older, they become more and more realistic about the difference between fantasy and reality. Both Ferguson and Laura were of the idea that parents bare the biggest responsibility when it comes to guiding the children. The parents should guide their children and advice them accordingly.
Most of the research that has been done in the world on violent videos does not prove the cause of violence. In fact, the rates of crimes that have involved young people have been on a reduction since the year 1996. During the same time, the numbers of violent video sales have been on the increase (Harvard health, 2010). This proves that actually watching violent videos does not actually lead to violence and crime. Dr. Patrick, from Villanova University and Dr. Charlotte, his compatriot from Rutgers University said that some young people were affected by watching violent videos and games but most of them do not get affected. They said that the personality of these young people had a big role to play in determining whether they would be affected. Dr. Cheryl from the Massachusetts Hospital conducted a study on 1,254 students where they realized that the children who played games with their siblings opted to play games there were mature rated. Dr. Cheryl concluded that the situation which the young people watched these videos determined their behavior.
A report after the comic books debate that was phenomenal in the 1950s said that reading crime comic books has severe negative influence to the good development of young people psychologically. The report said that the books taught contempt of police and other authorities. After this report, there was development of codes of ethics on which comic books were written henceforth. In the case of Schwarzenegger vs. Entertainment Merchants Association, the judge was highly expected to base the ruling on the report on the comic books (Hall, Day, & Hall). However, the judge did the unexpected. The court ruled that banning the violent videos was uncalled for and would interfere with the freedom of speech. The judge said that the bill was unprecedented and mistaken. There has not been any scientific connection between watching violent videos and games with being aggressive. A research done in Iran, shows that playing video games give people an opportunity to actively exercise their minds just like in sports (Hall, Day, & Hall). Actually, the report said that play...