The entertainment that children find to do nowadays is playing video games. On average of children playing games is, 13 hours for boys and 5 hours for girls per week and this is the category of playing violent games. Most of the games made nowadays include some kind of violence, even Mario Games are considered violent for children to play.
According to the American Psychological Association, children playing violent video games can increase their aggression. Playing these kinds of games cannot teach children moral consequences, for example, shooting some other person can get you extra points which is not teaching children shooting is bad. Obviously this does not teach little kids to go out and shoot people for points or something.
“But they do use more aggressive language, they do use more aggressive images, they have less ability to control their anger and they externalize things in these violent ways,” says Dr. Phil, “It’s absolutely not good.”
Playing violent doesn’t just affect children’s minds in what is good or bad, it can also affect their own behavior. The American Psychological Association states that children playing these kinds of games make children less caring and helpful towards their peers.
On the other hand, Video game Advocates research shows that both Video Games and Violence have no connection on each other. They argue that violent video games reduce violence. Instead of actually taking out your anger on something else, it provides as a safe way to get the aggressiveness and anger out of your body.
Another research from the University of Padua shows that playing fast paced video games can improve the reading speed and accurate reading of a child.
In addition, University of Rochester studies that playing first person shooter games can improve your eye vision. Study shows that by locating and aiming at enemies can exercise the eye. Other than improving the eyesight, it can also help gamers analyze optical data.
Children playing violent video games do show to make children violent, but that’s because of the children being exposed to violence at a young age when they should be learning the difference of right from wrong. It doesn’t make children want to go out and shoot or jump on people for extra points, but the way their behavior can change.
Like there’s always a down side to something, there’s also an upside to this. By playing fast action games it can help the player read faster. By playing first person shooter games, it can improve eye sight. There are many things video games can help improve a person’s physical body.
Children ages 13 and under need to be educated because their minds are like sponges, they suck up everything because the brain is still in development. Mario games are alright for when they’re the age of 8 but games that are like God of War should be kept away from them. Not only can video games influence violence to a child but also the parent themselves on how they raise their children.
Violent video games have in influence in children’s behavior but are not the reason for more school shootings and more violence in the world.