Vaughn 1
Nic Vaughn Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1103 October 1, 2013 Fast Draft: Are Violent Video Games A Plague of Aggression?
In the U the e!!ect that "iolent "i#eo games ha"e on the beha"iors o! $i#s, teens an# %oung a#ults has been up !or #iscussion an# come about in man% hea#lines& 'his has become a big #eal because ma(orit% o! %oung people to#a% pla% man% o! these graphic "i#eo games an# shoul# be more a)are o! the in!luence, i! an%, that the% ma% encounter& O"er the %ears, man% *uestions ha"e come up about this+ such as that "iolent "i#eo games #irectl% lin$e# to man% crimes cause# b% the teenager )ho been $no)n to pla% "iolent "i#eo games, li$e in the case o! the Ne)to)n, Connecticut shootings ,lso other #ebates on )hether "iolent "i#eo games actuall% cause their pla%ers to ha"e an increase in aggressi"e beha"ior or thin$ing patterns+ shoul# there be a stricter restriction on the bu%ing o! "iolent "i#eo games+ an# i! it reall% is the "i#eo games themsel"es that are the problem-
One o! the most hotl% #ebate# *uestions is )hether graphic "i#eo games ha"e been $no)n to cause an increase in aggression& I m%sel! am an a"i# "i#eo game pla%er an# ha"e not notice# an% changes o! m% o"erall beha"ior& I.m (ust m% o"erall mello) eas% going sel! an# e"er%one )ho $no)s )ith me can agree& /0eah, Nic is a reall% chill gu%& 1e ne"er reall% gets angr% or shouts& It.s great&2 3,le4 5ro)n, !rien#6 'hough I ha"en.t notice# an% changes in
Vaughn 2
m%sel!, I can see some truth to the e!!ect o! a raise in aggression )hile pla%ing graphic "i#eo games& 7or instance )hile pla%ing the games )ith brother an# I beat him or something happens an# #oesn.t *uite go his )a% he becomes a bit agitate# an# grunts out o! anger or sometimes beats his controller& ,rguments can be ma#e that m% brother is (ust an o"erall all brat an# spoil sport, beha"ioral stu#ies ha"e sho)n that a lot o! these "iolent "i#eo games can ma$e the pla%ers ha"e an increase in aggressi"e attitu#es: 8'here is a causal lin$ bet)een pla%ing the !irst9person shooting games in our e4periment an# brain9acti"it% patterns that are consi#ere# as characteristics !or aggressi"e cognitions an# a!!ects& 'here is a neurological lin$ an# there is a short9term causal relationship&83:ene ;eber, ,ssistant <ro!essor at M U, ,rticle b% ,le4 =ut%, =o Violent Vi#eo >ames :eall% Cause ,ggressi"e 5eha"ior, "oices&%ahoo&com6 It has also been anal%?e# that e4posure to "iolent "i#eo games increases ph%siological arousal an# aggression9 relate# thoughts an# !eelings in the pla%ers an# that the pla%ing o! "iolent "i#eo games also #ecreases pro9social beha"ior& 3E!!ects o! Violent Vi#eo >ames on ,ggressi"e 5eha"ior, ,ggressi"e Cognition, ,ggressi"e ,!!ect, <h%siological ,rousal, an# <rosocial 5eha"ior: , Meta9,nal%tic :e"ie) o! the cienti!ic @iterature, ,rticle b% Craig ,& ,n#erson an# 5ra# A& 5ushman, pss&sagepub&com6
:ecent stu#ies an# arguments suggest that graphic "i#eo games can go !rom (ust slight changes in moo# to o"erall encouragement to $ill other !ello) citi?ens aroun# them& 'he N:, has state# that in the case o! the Ne)to)n, C' shooting )as in!luence# b% o"er e4posure an# encouragement !rom graphic "i#eo games& 3Cormac 7oster, =o Violent Vi#eo >ames :eall% Cause Violent 5eha"ior, )))&rea#)rite&com6 'hough this e"ent is trul% a trage#%, the N:,.s
Vaughn 3
statement is un(ust #ue to the !act that there is no current scienti!ic e"i#ence that "i#eo games are lin$e# or e"en the cause o! real li!e "iolence& Eri$ 1ue% the senior "ice presi#ent, go"ernment a!!airs, o! the Entertainment o!t)are ,ssociation states in his article /"i#eo games represent an BC0 billion )orl#)i#e in#ustr%& 5ut "iolent crime has #ecline# #ramaticall% as the games ha"e gaine# popularit%& I! games cause# "iolent beha"ior, ho) coul# the crime rates go #o)n )hile game sales )ent through the roo!- Moreo"er, international sales an# crime #ata sho) that countries that consume more "i#eo games per capita than this countr% ha"e !ar lo)er instances o! gun9relate# crime&2 3Vi#eo >ames =on.t Cause Violence, ,rticle b% Eri$ 1ue%, )))&s!gate&com6 5eing there is no scienti!ic ba$ing li$ing "iolent "i#eo games to the crimes themsel"es it seems that some people are tr%ing to !in# something to point their !ingers at something to !in# an ans)er& 'hough "i#eo games cause an in!lu4 o! aggression in their pla%ers it is unsure )h% man% unspea$able crimes are committe# e"er% %ear, but I belie"e it is not the "i#eo games themsel"es that alone cause the "iolence, this is a #ebate )ell )orth loo$ing !urther into an# )atch gro)ing to see )here the !uture o! "i#eo games )ill lea#& I !or one hope that )e !in# a reason other than "i#eo games, other)ise I ma% nee# to !in# m%sel! a ne) hobb%&
