Wii, Xbox, and Play Station games might be all the rage, but the effects of violent video games are a cause for concern among parents. These games haven't been around long enough for scientists to make definitive judgments about their effects, but preliminary research is disheartening.
Violent video games can potentially increase aggressive behavior in three ways. First, violent games reward violent behavior. Second, since video games are highly interactive, children tend to repeat these violent behaviors. Finally, high levels of violent video game exposure have been linked to delinquency, fighting at school and aggressive criminal actions.
Playing violent video games leads to aggressive thoughts, feelings, and actions. In effect, children who play too many violent games become desensitized. The lack of caring and helpful behavior is just one effect from viewing repeated violence. Children, and even adults, play these games and internalize the viciousness. Instead, they should be learning positive ways to relate to others, dealing with conflicts in a calm manner and understanding that aggression and violence can have deadly results.
Since video gamers participate in and create game actions, a player identifies with and then elects to use violent strategies. Gamers don't develop a moral sense of right or wrong. Repeated violent choices are justified, without negative consequences.
Kids playing violent video games show an increase in emotional arousal but a decrease in the parts of the brain that monitor self-control. Since violent games appear to cause such a wide variance in brain activity, parents need to monitor games their children play and limit the amount of time a child spends playing a game.
Repeated exposure increases the chance that a child will consider aggressive solutions to solve a problem. Viewing gratuitous acts of violence builds a repertoire of scenarios that a child will remember when confronted with a difficult situation. Because of this, children have lowered capacity to peaceably solve conflict, aggression and violence.
Repeated exposure to video games also stunts brain growth in teenagers. The teenage brain is in its biggest growth spurt. Only part of the human brain works when a child plays a video game. These lobes control vision and movement. Unfortunately, the areas associated with memory, emotion and impulse control sit unexercised. This unused brain formation takes them into adult life, and the problems that it causes may be .
The Entertainment Software Ratings Board established seven game ratings:
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