Violence In The Media Analysis

Video Games: An Analysis of Violence in the Medium Cynthia Livingston
ENG 1000
Capella University
March 2015

Introduction
Violence in the media has always been a hotly debated topic, but with the rise in the popularity of video games in recent years it has become a nationwide debate. The unfortunate string of school shootings in the 1990’s only fueled the fire as news slowly leaked of the attackers’ frequency of video game use. Suddenly psychologists and scientists everywhere were searching for answers to the questions of outraged parents: why are video games so violent, why do these games make my child violent? Many theories were spouted and continue to be the basis of the argument today. However, frequent video game users
Such games usually involve the player controlling a character in the virtual world and making real decisions for their character to behave aggressively. One theory about why this style of play is popular is summed up nicely by Dill (1998), who says, “Aggression catharsis is the idea that engaging in aggressive behavior can actually lead to a reduction in subsequent aggressive behavior due to a “venting off” of aggressive energy or desires,” (p. 411). So, it would only make sense that players are drawn to these games to vent their aggression in a harmless way. After all, killing fictional characters doesn’t hurt anyone. K.E. Dill and J.C. Dill (1998) agree with this sentiment and explain that, “...video game violence is often portrayed as ‘justified’,” (p. 410). This is an important distinction because it shows that more often than not, players are not simply arbitrarily killing other characters. Instead, the game presents a moral dilemma in which the player must decide their characters motives and actions. For instance, the world could be threatened by a deadly virus that infects humans, or a thousand people could die if one person is not
So much so that educators have begun to use games in their lessons, which in turn created a need for educational video games. Annetta (2008) explains this need by saying, “The United States has benefited greatly from being the global innovation leader in the development and use of advanced technologies, and video games and game play can facilitate the development of 21st century skills,” (p.231). Such skills are immediately evident to anyone who has experience with video games or can imagine what types of games could be used in education. For instance, simulation games can be used to teach biology by having a player control an antibody fighting viruses in the immune system, or simple life skills such as money management with a simulation of budgeting money for a virtual business or town. These mental skills are vital to adult life, but so are the physical benefits offered by video games. For instance, a common video game controller requires a player to react quickly and press a button to have their character perform an action. This hones motor skills and hand-eye coordination. However, game developers have taken this idea a step further by creating games that require the player to use their full body in play. Games like dancing simulators and the popular camera sensor for many consoles that picks up physical movement and uses that to control the character (in which, when you move your arm,