EXPOSITORY ESSAY: FIRST DRAFT

EXPOSITORY ESSAY: FIRST DRAFT
______________________________________
Name: Vincent D Dent
Course: UNV- 104
Date
: 7/26/2014
Instructor: Elbert Hollingsworth

Violence and Video Games There is an increase in the violence being seen in society today due to violent video games and the excessive amount of time being spent engaging in violent video games. With the use of intense and suggestive graphic scenes of mayhem and carnage the excessive play of certain violent video games has increasingly had an effect on individuals engaged in spending excessive amounts of time playing them. Engaging in these games for extended periods of time tend to it seems, promote violence. An extensive body of research indicates that violent video games can increase aggressive behaviors, thoughts and feelings (Anderson & Bushman, 2001; Anderson, Shibuya, Ihori, et al., 2010 ) It would appear that Individuals engaged in overplaying violent video games can over time become insensitive to acts of violence.

Increased violence in schools appears to be related in some cases to violent video games. School shootings and youth violence have increased since the introduction of violent video games. Many violent games increased in popularity prior to some of the most notorious outbreaks of violence within schools in the United States. Violent video games have become an increasing pastime for both adults and youths in the past several years..

. The amount of time being spent engaging in violent video games has an effect on individuals engaged therein. The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated concerns about the negative effects of playing violent games over extended periods of time. (APA, 2009). Violent video games are harmful to children who are readily impressionable and school violence rates appear to be strongly connected to community levels of violence and its increasing rates. Play of these violent games in turn promote violence in the players. Exposure to violent video games is associated with more aggression and less compassion in children and youths. There is a significant risk for increased violent behavior and aggressive thought patterns as well as anti-social behavior in those continually exposed to violent video games. It is an alarming rate of over 90% of our nation’s children that are being exposed to video games of some kind thus it is very likely that any single school shooter has played video games. But seeing as how most people who have been exposed to violent video games do not display excessive physical violence in the real world, other factors are likely contributors which may have causative effects including a stressful, disrupted, and/or abusive family life, poverty, negative peer group influence, and bullying of some nature. It is evident that one of the primary public concerns about violent video games is fear over the kind of behaviors the players will assume as a result of their exposure to the games. (Judith A. Vessy & Joanne E. Lee, 2000). We should use all available knowledge on our understanding of individuals who are engaged in overplaying violent video games over time and becoming insensitive to acts of violence, to prevent or at least deter the acts of violence especially contributed to this over exposure to violent video game play and began to train our young to be sensitive to the destruction of our moral fiber that these games can cause if not properly monitored and governed.

References
(Anderson & Bushman, 2001; Anderson, Shibuya, Ihori, et al., 2010) Violent video game effects on aggression, empathy, and prosocial behavior in Eastern and Western countries: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 136(2), Mar 2010, 151-173

American Academy of Pediatrics, (APA, 2009); Ferguson CJ, et al., A longitudinal test of video game violence influences on dating and aggression: A 3-year longitudinal study of adolescents, Journal of Psychiatric Research (2011), doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.10.014

Judith A.Vessey & Joanne E. Lee, Violent Video Games Affecting Our Children, 26 Pediatric Nursing 607, (2000)