Violent video games cause behavior problems

With the advancement in technology, violent video games have become popular with adults, children and teens. However, most of them entails on negative themes such as the killing of the opponent and violence. In this case, many violent video games have become more lifelike. Engaging in violent video game can lead to a critical problem because adults, teens and children can develop behavior problems such as antisocial behavior, which may make the player deviate from the reality (Science Daily, 2). Excessive exposure of violent video game also makes the player addict to it, thus promoting more behavior problems. Most of the negative effects of video games are associated with emotional, and psychological problems,. Violent video games may also decrease violence by serving as an alternative to flip and rough play and through giving a secure outlet for angry and belligerent feelings.

Technology is one of the growing concerns in modern society. It is everywhere and accessible to everyone, and its effects are manipulated on the behavior of the users. Video gaming is one of the knowledge that have become a concern in the modern society. According to a research done by a psychologist Craig Anderson,on the impacts of violent video game on children, children who spend much of their time say playing violent video game may be destroying their capability to concentrate and focus on various works in schools and home (Science Daily, 14). The study illustrates that children who excessively play violent video game develops attention problems more than those who play for a shorter time. Also, from research done by Karen E. Dill, which assessed elementary school children using reports from children and parents; about game habits and reports from teachers on the issue of attention problems. The study revealed that children who played violent video games were not attentive in class and had aggressive behavior. Moreover, the results showed that attentions problems worsened to how long the child spent on video games. It is clear that the violent video games cause behavior problems such as aggressive behavior as a result of affecting the attention span of children. This is because playing violent video games induces individual brain change to act in certain manners. One is beset with information almost to the point of impregnation and it is not possible for the mind to assimilate everything (Aboujaoude et al, 103). In addition, the brain takes only what it wants in a given situation. This means that one can change his or her minds. Just like a computer, the brain is always processing data and hence exposing one to violent video game alter the processing of the mind. In the modern world, personal interface with a computer is vitally given. From the time children enter school, they are exposed to access computers, whereby their primary interest is something that can make them feel jovial. In this case, they engage in playing video games. Similarly, at home, child’s room is fairly an average home and parents have displaced their roles and encourage children to play video games to make them happy without knowing the risk that they create to the child. This further the problem of attention and fail to improve human intelligence thus risking mental capacity, which have been established by violent video game.(Science Daily, 15)

There is an extensive belief that the violent video game effects child’s attention span. For example, about 42% of people in the United States come to an agreement that in 2020, children who play violent video game will be distracted, lack intelligence skills, and thirst only for prompt satisfaction (John, 409). Furthermore, teachers believe that the violent video game has extensively affected child’s attention span. Also, high school teachers believe that the violent video game is building a highly unfocused generation with a short attention span. As a matter of fact, good brains grow strong and extensive neural highway, which can immediately and efficiently allocate various aspects of the work to the most effectual system. This efficiency is enhanced only by active practice in learning and thinking that further creates stronger networks. An increasing suspicion among the brain researchers shows that excessive playing of violent video game effects these types of networks, which in turn can induce the habits of using the incorrect systems of a different kind of learning. A complete attention span comes as a result of brains that are mature. As the brain develops, those widespread connections also grow and control and focus of higher cortical level of function of attention span. Excessive exposure to violent video game may enhance the growth of the brain system, which scan and divert attention at the expense of those that concentrate attention. For example, in homes and classrooms, children are seen with impulsive characters, lagging behind to foster a feeling of willingness and to persevere through mental challenging work and with limited impulsive control. This is seen with children excessively play violent video games. (John, 429). Watching visual images on the screen stimulates the brain orienting feedback. This is from the fact that human beings are programmed to look at the rapid changes in the visual field, hence the colorful, fast images on video game are hard for the low brain system to deny. Thus, the earlier a human being gets a passive video gaming practice, the more possibility attention span will not usually develop. Human being can be entrained to keep playing violent video games. The quicker speed of images through video gaming, the more possibility human being will continue to engage in and the more possibility the player’s attention span will be shuddered around. The speed of the video game images determines the player duration attention span, hence, since images change rapidly, so does player attention, which in turn determines the attention span of the child to attend in individual activity. (John, 415). As the player of violent video game attempt to concentrate on the mental challenge, they stop their activity and focus on the screen. A continuous chain of interruptions disengages the player inner speech during the development of self-directed experience. Sustained and focusing attention become disjointed and eventually vanish. The player does no longer construct an internal, personal meaning through the process of thinking, hence capturing the attention through the external appearance. The internal mechanism if the attention span decreases as the player becomes the viewer. The effect of violent video game on the player’s attention span has severe repercussion. In addition, critics claim that playing violent video games deadens the participants to real-life violence and is accountable for high rates of bullying. For example, in 2007, over 30% of high school students reported being bullied at school. (John, 420).Violence, which is portrayed by violent video game has a significant negative effect on the player. This has created concern about the effect of violent video game because it is not limited to a particular media. Many definitions have been given to violent video game, but all of them end up to one issue, that is, the illustration portrayals of act of objective belligerence by one human personality against another. Thus, violence may lead to social problems of aggressiveness. This is because, people learn from experience and other people’s behavior, which can be gained through playing violent video game. As a person play video games, he or she observes other behaviors and imitate their actions, which results in growth of cognitive scripts. Continue experience to expressively activating violent video game develop unsuitable social behaviors through emotion’s interruptions. This increases negative emotional action stimuli.(Knapp, 20).

Violent video game effects all players uniformly. Some of the risk factors associated with violent video game are; maternal psychological distress, low maternal education and marital discord. Violent video game effects are also inclined by the development of errand that a player develops with time. Excessive exposure of violent video game shows a relative significant risk to the health status of the player. Research shows that the violent video game contributes to desensitization to violence aggressive behavior, fear of being harmed and nightmares (Knapp, 25). Violence is not new to the human race, it is an increasing problem in the contemporary society. This is because of the accessibility of explosives and firearms. This has caused a serious consequence of violent behavior. Some of the causes of human being violence are; Poverty, child abuse, exposure to community and domestic violence, Family psychopathology and Substance abuses.(Knapp, 26)

In conclusion, video games have detrimental effects. They have a severe repercussion on the player’s attention span. Most people are adversely affected by what they view or practice. In this case, the practice of playing violent video games entails th player to develop aggression and replicate to the competitor. Therefore, based on the above facts, I agree with the statement that the violent video game cause behavior problems.

References

Aboujaoude, Elias, and Lorrin M. Koran. Impulse control disorders. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print.

Finds, Study. “Video Game Play Contribute to Kid’s Attention Problems.” Science Daily 100706161759.July 7 (2010): 2. Print.

John, Sherry. L. “The Effects of Video Games on Agression: A Meta-Analysis.” Human Communication Research 3.7 (2001): 409-431. Print.

Knapp, Herschel Edmond. Desensitization aftereffects of playing violent videogames. New York: New American Library, 2001. Print.