How Video Games Affect Children

How Video Games Effect Children During the last decade, attention and accusations within the media have turned more to the meteoric rise in popularity of arcade-type home computer and console games. Considerable anecdotal evidence abounds about how teenagers are affected by shoot-em-up and beat-em-up games. Zimbardo (1982) remarked that video games are so addictive to young people that they may be socially isolating and may actually encourage violence between people. Another comment came from the surgeon-general of the United States, who expressed his personal view that video games were one of the root causes of family violence in America.He was quoted as saying that children â€Å"are into the games, body and soul – everything is zapping the enemy. Children get to the point where when they see another child being molested by a third child, they just sit back† (Koop, 1982). Because most research into television violence does demonstrate a relationship between the exposu re to aggression and subsequently exhibited aggression, investigations of the effects of video game playing usually have predicted a similar relationship. However, many variables are involved, and researchers offer no clear statement on the role of game playing and aggressiveness.Parameters include, for instance, gender, age grouping, expressed hostility (feelings of aggressiveness) versus exhibited aggression (overt behavior), the behavioral measurement (e. g. , toward a life-size doll, or in terms of shocks administered from an â€Å"aggression machine†), experimental duration of exposure (time spent playing), and personality traits. Also, studies may be laboratory based or observational. I know these are reliable sources because there is an author and also research was done on the topic. #2 This is my second article and it was written in 2010 and the title of it is Pediatrics for Parents.What makes the article reliable is the fact it’s only two years old. Here are s ome facts from the article. The article stated that at a theoretical level, there are reasons to believe that violent video games may have a larger harmful effect than violent video games. But, recent studies that directly compare passive screen media to video games tend to find bigger effects of violent video games. The article also stated that a well-adjusted child who plays violent video games is going to become a school shooter.When you separate studies into those that were well conducted versus those that had major flaws, you find that a well-conducted studies found bigger average effects of violent games on aggression than did the poorly conducted studies. (Anderson, 2010) Internet Source My first internet article is from an online publication for youth and what makes it reliable is the fact is partner of Santa Fe College and University of Florida along with two newspaper companies. First, one negative influence that video games have is that they can foster violence.This means that when kids play these games and see their favorite character commit some type of violent action, they want to repeat it. Second, video games influence youth negatively by supposedly giving children a negative image of women. Women are not usually used in video games, and when they are, their purpose is usually sex appeal. Lastly, social isolation is a negative influence of video games. It causes the student not to care about grades or learning and to want to stay as far away from the real world as possible because of how much the player likes the videogame world. Smith, 2006) #2 According the American Psychological Association, violent video games can increase children's aggression. Dr. Phil explains, â€Å"The number one negative effect is they tend to inappropriately resolve anxiety by externalizing it. So when kids have anxiety, which they do, instead of soothing themselves, calming themselves, talking about it, expressing it to someone, or even expressing it emotionally by crying, they tend to externalize it. They can attack something, they can kick a wall, they can be mean to a dog or a pet. Additionally, there's an increased frequency of violent responses from children who play these kinds of video games. Dr. Phil also points out that violent video games don't teach kids moral consequences. â€Å"If you shoot somebody in one of these games, you don't go to jail, you don't get penalized in some way — you get extra points! † This doesn't mean that your child will go out into the world and shoot someone. â€Å"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.It's absolutely not good,† says Dr. Phil. The reason I feel that this is a reliable because source because it is from the American Psychological Association and Dr. Phil. I have read many great articles from APA. I have also watched Dr Phil shows and I k now it is all true information. References Anderson, A, C. (2010, March 01). Violent Video Games and Other Media Violence, Part II. Pediatrics for Parents, (3/4), 21, Retrieved from http://elibrary. bigchalk. com. ezp-01. lirn. net Koop, E. (1982). Surgeon general sees danger in video games.New York Times, November 10th, p. A16. Dr. Phil (2012). Children and Violent Video Games, Retrieved from http://www. drphil. com/articles/article/297 American Psychology Association www. apa. org Scott, Derek (1995, March 01). The effect of video games on feelings of aggression†¦ Journal of Psychology, ({129}) 121(12), Retrieved from http://elibrary. bigchalk. com. ezp-01. lirn. net Smith, Blake 9th grade (2006, August 17) How Video Games Affect Kids, Retrieved from http://rolemodels. jou. ufl. edu/rolemodels/entertainment/videogames. shtm