Lazar 1

Roxana Lazar
Mr. Salminen
Writing
19 February 2015

Headshot!

I find that when my kids, (ages 10 and 8), are done playing video games they
tend to be more aggressive with one another and sometimes just plain crappy. We do
not allow any videos that are overtly violent, but even with the milder ones; theyre
usually shooting ray guns or driving and crashing cars plus listening to very loud
music. Im not sure why, but these fast-paced videos seem to make them more prone
to acting out when the action is done. They get aggressive with each other, and as a
result, they usually overdo it and then get in trouble by hurting one another. says
Ann Giordano, a concerned mother. The future of entertainment revolves around
technology. The main consumers for video games are usually teenagers, but there
are also very many other consumers in their 30s. Violence in games has been
improving rapidly every year becoming vastly more realistic and with more graphics.
There have been so many causes to prove that videogames are a threat to mostly
everybody (mostly teenagers) no matter the age and that is why parents should take

Lazar 2

control of what their children are exposed to. The exposure to violence in any video
can very negatively affect many video gamers in a variety of ways: makes the players
have a negative way of doing everything, causes depression, and decreases social
behaviour, increases aggressive behaviour.
It has been nearly 70 years since the invention of the first video games Pong
and Table Tennis for two in 1958. If you compare the graphics from Table Tennis for
Two and the today table Tennis in Wii, the difference will blow your mind.
(BrookHaven) According to TIME Magazine the top video games with best graphics
are: Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Far Cry 4, The Last Of Us: Premastered, Alien:
Isolation, Assassins Creed Unity, Destiny, Mario Kart 8, Infamous Second Son,
Grand Theft Auto 5, Titan fall, Forza Horizon 2, 80 Days and Tomb Raider. All of
these 13 videogames are related with all types of violence: Shooting, killing, fighting,
crashing, blood, apocalypse, zombies, aliens, etc. (Time Magazine) All these video
games except Mario Kart 8 are 18+ but there are also 7 year olds that play these
violent games. Even Mario Kart 8, a game for kids over 5 years, is a very violent
game, because it requires racing, crashing and destroying the surrounding cars.
Every year new video games come out continuing the other ones with even more
complex graphics that make you feel as if you are actually there experiencing the
violence in real life.
When I play with my friends I feel happiness and joy, if I play something
online with strangers I feel stress and if Im losing then I feel bad about
myself because I want to be the best. When I get a very good score and
I am having an awesome moment I get very hyper. But when I miss a
goal that was easy to score I get very mad and depressed.

Lazar 3

Says Juan Sebastian Garcia Castillo, a 12 year old student at AIS. His emotions
relate with the top 10 most gotten emotions and feelings while playing, which are:
utter joyfulness, relief, pride, fear and surprise, feeling of triumph, curiosity,
excitement, wonderment, contentment, amusement (Only a Game). Jaden, a veteran
that loves playing video games in his free time has a unique and deeply expressed
opinion on his feelings and emotions while playing:
When I play the games I play, I become immersed in the gameplay,
especially with first person adventure games like Skyrim. And I
oftentimes become the character, as it were. I find it to be a nice retreat
from the stresses of everyday life(Wrong Planet)
Graphics and animation software today allow programmers to develop
far better graphics and animation effects that provide a realistic
experience for video game players. While this brings delight to the
players, it has posed a much greater concern for the critics. In fact it
has reinvigorated the debate that blames this technology to the
increase of violence in the country. (Life Tickler)
Do you know the Oculus Rift? Its a 2 year old custom tracking ultra-low latency 360
degree which allows you to look around your surroundings as if in real life with 3D
view with excellence, depth, and clarity. This technology is so good and with perfect
graphics that most people pick to play racing and killing games for better quality of
blood flying around and them actually doing stuff in 3D, this makes more violent video
games getting bought and to more people playing and getting more aggressive. Char
Lulz, a philosopher, feels like he is in the game in real life no matter if he is playing a
normal video game with controls or with the Oculus Rift:

Lazar 4

I get very attached to my games. I don't really feel like I become the
character but I often put myself in the characters shoes, wondering how
being in their situation would feel. For example, this happens to me all
the time when I play super metroid. I always wonder how it feels being
in such a deserted planet filled with nothing but mutated space
creatures. My imagination ends up scaring myself XD.(Wrong Planet)
3D video games are just like reality, and if there is too much playing, then soon this
could lead to tragic problems that happen from not being able to tell the difference
between a video game and real life.
There have been so many causes around the globe that began from a video
game addiction including violence, aggressiveness, depression, murdering for stupid
video game reason, suicidal thoughts, etc. Such as the Daniel Petric cause. Daniel
Petric is a normal 17 year old boy who murdered his mother and shot his father on
October 20, 2007. It all began with a snowboarding accident infection that ruined
Dannys life. He couldnt attend school or barely leave the house. He couldnt do
almost anything physical, just until his friend introduced him to Xbox at the age of 16,
and that became his daily routine. Danny found it a physical activity, of course he
didnt make any real life movements (except with his fingers), but in the game he did.
He fell in love with Halo 3 and played 18 hours a day. Dannys parents, Sue and Mark
Petric, were concerned when they found out that their son had snuck out of the
house at night and purchased the video game Halo 3. Scared to not happen again,
they confiscated the newly purchased video game. The teenager, after screaming
very rudely at his parents, he ran upstairs and slammed the door shut without leaving
his room until that evening. Not long after the confiscation, Daniel went downstairs to

Lazar 5

his parents that had just sat down to watch a movie. Daniel walked into the room,
telling his folks: "Would you close your eyes, I have a surprise for you.. Thinking he
wanted to apologize for his earlier behaviour, they did as told by their son. Instead,
he took out his fathers 9mm loaded handgun and fired multiple shots at his mom
killing her instantly. He then shot a bullet into his fathers head. Marks head went
numb while blood was rapidly pouring out. He remembered his teenage son say to
him : Hey dad, here's your gun. Take it." Daniel Petric had tried to make it seem like
a murder suicide scene. After about 3 minutes he was spotted by his sister and
brother-in-law "You guys shouldn't come in," Mark Petric recalled his son saying
when they knocked on the door. "Mom and Dad had a big argument. (True Crime
Report) When caught by his sister, Danny fled into the family van but was soon
caught by the Wellington police. In court, Daniel showed very little emotion except
when his mothers photos were shown on the screen, He bowed his head and stared
at his hands for about 20 minutes. According to her father, Sue and Danny had a very
close relationship "He was always her little boy," Petric told the judge.
"Dad, I'm so sorry for what I did to Mom, to you and to the family, I'm so glad you are
alive." said Daniel, when Mark visited him in jail. "You're my son," Petric responded.
"You're my boy." (Cleveland). Luckily there was only one death, and Petrics injury
was quickly worked on, but some other people who have experienced anything to do
with video games didnt get away that easily.
In Fayette, Alabama, 3 boys, Ace Mealer, a 911 dispatcher; James Crump, a
police officer; and Arnold Strickland, another officer were gunned down by the 18
year old teenager Devin Moore who had played Grand Theft Auto day and night for
months.

Lazar 6

"What we're saying is that Devin Moore was, in effect, trained to do

what he did. He was given a murder simulator. He bought it as a minor.
He played it hundreds of hours, which is primarily a cop-killing game.
It's our theory, which we think we can prove to a jury in Alabama, that,
but for the video-game training, he would not have done what he did."
says Attorney Jack Thompson, a long-time crusader against video-game violence.
According to Devins own statement, he was just turned in for stealing a car. When
Arnold Strickland wasnt vigilant he lunged at his 40-calibre Glock automatic and shot
him 2 times, one bullet in his head. James Crump heard the shot so he came rushing
to see what was happening. They met in the hallway and Devin fired 3 times at
Crump, again, one striking in the head. Devin didnt stop walking. He entered the
emergency dispatcher where he shot 5 times into Ace Mealer, one bullet hitting his
head. On the way out he grabbed the keys for a police car and took off. It all took
some seconds but in the end he stole a car and killed 3 police officers.
The video game industry gave him a cranial menu that popped up in
the blink of an eye, in that police station, and that menu offered him the
split-second decision to kill the officers, shoot them in the head, flee in a
police car, just as the game itself trained them to do."
Says Thompson. Video games are the best way to train to become more violent and
unsentimental. In Grand Theft Auto there are simple rules: See a car you like? Steal
it. Someone you don't like? Kill him/her. A cop in your way? Blow him away. Moore is
reported to have told police, "Life is like a video game. Everybody's gotta die
sometime." (60 Minutes)

Lazar 7

The unbelievable stories arent only murders (two men killed their internet
gaming rival after they met face to face) and violence (16 years old, Mario, stabbed
his father in the neck with a 15 inch knife, after unplugging his PlayStation.). But
there are also child neglects (A young Chinese couple Li Lin and Li Juan, both under
the age of 21, sold all three of their children in order to buy the video games Call of
Duty and Virtual Family), divorce (28 year old Jocelyn divorces after her husband
played so much that he eventually started ignoring everything around him. She had
bought World of Warcraft as a Christmas gift for him and he never stopped playing
since), running away (15 year old Brandon Crisp is found dead, after running away
from home. He was addicted to Call of Duty 4.), health effects (A man lost the use
of his index finger after spending six-hours a day playing on his playstation Warfare.)
and suicide (Zhang Xiaoyi, a 13-year-old boy who jumped to his death from a tall
building. He had been playing Warcraft for 36 hours consecutively. In a letter he left
behind, he said he wanted to join the heroes of the game he worshipped.) (Internet
Addiction Consequences) According to Mary L. Gavin from KidsHealth.org.
Too much of anything is just too much. It's true that some studies have
shown certain video games can improve hand-eye coordination,
problem-solving skills, and the mind's ability to process information. But
too much video game playing may lead to health problems. Really
overdoing video games also could affect other important stuff, like
friendships and how well a kid does in school. And kids who play violent
video games might act more aggressively. (Kids Health)
If you still dont agree that violent video games are bad, then how about some
better proof from professional scientists and psychologist. At any age children,

Lazar 8

adolescents and adults are exposed to crime, immorality, drug abuse, gun violence,
and obscene language. BOOM!, Head Shot! and I totally destroyed that guy! are
just some examples of what dialogues are being spoken between kids who play such
violent video games like Call of Duty, Resistance, Grand Theft Auto, etc.
In today's age, kids often brag about the number of people they
managed to kill while playing these games. Twenty years ago, this
would not be the typical pastime of an eleven year old, but now children
are seeing this type of violent activity as just another way to pass the
time on a Saturday morning. Since the video game market is booming
right now due to revolutionary gaming platforms like the Wii and X-Box
360, this issue is becoming more and more serious; parents need to be
aware of and strongly cautioned about the reasons why violent video
games could harm their child. Although the violence in these games is
fictional, the primary concepts behind the violence have been proven to
lead to more aggressive behaviours in developing children. (Vogler, 1)
States Jess Vogler in an essay from LA 101H, he means that violent video games are
morphing, taking over and influencing childrens minds into believing that gun
violence and murdering is a normal and a recreational thing to do.
Children who see a lot of violence are more likely to view violence as
an effective way of settling conflicts. Children exposed to violence are
more likely to assume that acts of violence are acceptable behavior.

Lazar 9

Writes the The American Academy of Paediatrics and American Academy of Child
and Adolescent Psychiatry in a July 26, 2000 "Joint Statement on the Impact of
Entertainment Violence on Children"
Craig Anderson, PhD, Director of the Center for the Study of Violence, wrote in a
2009 article "FAQs on Violent Video Games and Other Media Violence:
"The results, overall, have been fairly consistent across types of studies
(experimental, cross-sectional, and longitudinal) and across visual
media type (television, films, and video games). There is a significant
relation between exposure to media violence and aggressive behaviour.
Exposing children and adolescents (or 'youth') to violent visual media
increases the likelihood that they will engage in physical aggression
against another person.
Dr. Anderson knows from all the different experiments tested around the globe that
after playing a violent video game for more than 1 hour without stopping can make
the gamer more depressed and tired making him feel cranky and aggressive and
maybe even angry, taking out his anger or physically or vocally on someone else. By
Physical aggression he means by something that can harm a person physically,
such as punching or throwing something at him. Repeating this, over time, will cause
even more aggression.
The interactive nature of video games is vastly different than passively
listening to music, watching a movie, or reading a book. With interactive
video games, the child becomes a part of the action which serves as a

Lazar 10

potent agent to facilitate violence and over time learns the destructive
behaviours.
Says Leland Yee, PhD, State Senator (D-CA) wrote in a June 22, 2009 amicus brief
filed with the US Supreme Court for Video Software Dealers Association v.
Schwarzenegger: From his statement, you get that watching a movie is much better
than playing a video game because in a videogame you pick what happens, but in
the movie you never expect it. Even though video games are more like real life
because you get to make your own decisions, you sometimes get more chances or
you have to start over, theyre very bad. At the same time they are as well not at all
like real life, for example, you dont get away with killing, not every choice is yours,
you dont make money that easily, you dont get anywhere from just shooting and
stealing. The worst thing is that when kids play video games, they get to do what they
want and get money from stealing, and they dont understand that in real life you
have to work for money. Children grow up thinking that when they get older theyll
become rich with only the moves of two thumbs. (ProCons.org)
The Iowa State University Professors, Dr. Kimberly, Craig Anderson, Dr.
Giuliana and many others, researched and tracked the gaming behaviours and habits
on over more than 3000 students in Singapore. From interviewing every one of those
3000 children with the same question: What are the video games you play the
most?, About 5% didnt play video games at all, and the rest played violent video
games, such as: Call of Duty, Warcraft, Assassins creed and The Last of Us. They
found that those 95% of children that played violent video games tended to act and
behave much more aggressively and have aggressive and inappropriate thoughts.
"Unfortunately, these results aren't all that surprising. If children are exposed to

Lazar 11

violence, especially at younger ages, they're more likely to view those kinds of
behaviours as acceptable," said Cleveland Clinic Pediatrician Dr. Kim Giuliana.
(DailyNews)
Statistically it actually would be more unusual if a youth delinquent or
shooter did not play violent video games, given that the majority of
youth and young men play such games at least occasionally.
Quotes Dr. Ferguson a Clinical Psychologist. The word occasionally is the key word
in this statement. Psychological studies show that playing any type of video games
can lead to isolation after playing more than 13 hours a week. There is also a study
that was made on 10-12 year olds. They tracked their behaviour after playing more
than the average time and then compared it to their studies on adults in their 20s and
found that these children in their 10-12 are more aggressive and violent than adults
that play violent video games. (News4Jax)

Dozens of other studies, however, have shown more aggression and

less caring behaviour following game play. Brad Bushman, professor of
communication and psychology at Ohio State who led a 2010 review of
the research involving nearly 70,000 participants said, I think the field
is not really divided. It is like global warming. 95% of scientists believe
[video games can cause violence and reduce empathy], and a vocal
minority do not.
Says Teen Magazine about all the research results. (Teen Magazine) So many
studies have been done and they all mostly come to one conclusion: video games

Lazar 12

change everybody. Maybe not all the results are negative, but it is obvious that most
of them are. Video games always find a way of controlling your mind and changing
your mood and personality. Even the smallest and most childish game is violent for 4
year olds and older. Such as Blues Clues, a video game and Disney episodes, takes
over the childs mind, for example, they begin to believe that cameras and books are
alive and they believe they can fly. About 5 years ago, a 6 year old boy, after
watching Peter Pan, jumped off the 5th floor of a building when his babysitter wasnt
looking because he thought he could fly just like Peter Pan and his friends. Or even
Dora the Explorer, children might think that they can explore and do amazing stuff
and they try copying the game and end up getting injured.
Ever since 1958 so much detail and complex graphics were changed in video
games. Raising the percentage of teens in the U.S. playing video games to 97%.
This media form has both positive and negative effects on children of all ages. The
game industry makes over $12 billion per year. Over the last year video games have
become an integral of American culture. While playing violent video games outwardly
seems to be non-harmful, the unlimited data available shows and proves that these
games are all related to antisocial behaviour and aggressiveness. However, from all
of these facts and proofs given, it should not be assumed that whoever plays any
violent video game is likely to be way more aggressive than others, for that only
happens when the gamer plays more than 13 hours a week. Efforts should be made
from the parents to educate their children and pay close attention to what type of
video games they play. Video games are being increasingly used around the globe,
mainly by children and teenagers, but also young and old adults. There are
interminable studies that suggest that there may be a relationship between violent
games and real life antisocial behaviour and aggressiveness. Violent video games

Lazar 13

and every other type of games have been proven to be as addictive as drugs, and
because of that they have raised concerns, particularly from the media, and mental
health professionals. (Porter, 5)
"It is clear to me that the causal relationship between televised violence
and antisocial behaviour is sufficient to warrant appropriate and
immediate remedial action. There comes a time when the data are
sufficient to justify action. That time has come." (Steinfeld, 1972)

Work Cited

Lazar 14

Butler,

Dillon.

60

minutes.

Hartford.edu,

n.d.

Web.

12

Feb.

2015.

<http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/tsmith>
Conrad, Brent Dr. TechAddiction. Techaddiction.ca. n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.techaddiction.ca/effects_of_violent_video_games.html>
Eleazar,

Seryl.

Life

Tickler.

Lifetickler.com,

n.d.

Web.

12

Feb.

2015.

<http://lifetickler.com/do-violent-video-games-make-people-violent/>
Gentile, Douglas. Iowa State University. Iastate.edu, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2014/03/24/violentgamesbehavior>
Mohrmann, Jodi. New4Jax. News4jax.com, 10 Apr. 2010. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.news4jax.com/news/violent-video-games-linked-to-aggressive-thoughtsin-kids/25416240>
Park,

Alice.

Time.

Time.com,

24

Mar.

2014.

Web.

11

Feb.

2015.

<http://time.com/34075/how-violent-video-games-change-kids-attitudes-aboutaggression/>
Porter,

Guy.

Media.

Easternct.edu,

n.d.

Web.

15

Feb.

2015.

<http://www.easternct.edu/~lugow/courses/videogames/violence.pdf>
ProCon.org

Procon.org

2004.

Web.

24

Jan.

2015.

<http://videogames.procon.org/>
Sparks, Griffen. BrookeHaven Hospital. Brookhavenhospital.com, 13 Dec. 2013.
Web. 9 Feb. 2015.

Lazar 15

<http://www.brookhavenhospital.com/are-violent-video-games-improving-your-childsmind/>
Teen

Health

Teenhealth.com,

n.d.

Web.

24

Jan.

2015.

<http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?
p=243&np=295&id=2375>
Vogler, Jess. Violent video games. Personal.psu.edu, Apr. 2010. Web. 14 Feb.
2015. <http://www.personal.psu.edu/jlv5124/blogs/jessvoglereportfolio/violent-videogames-essay.html>
Ward, G. Daily News. Nydailynews.com. Rudy Zaccagno, 25 Mar. 2013. Web. 22
Jan. 2015.
<http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/kids-addicted-video-games-violentexperts-article-1.1298338>
Wilkins, Elizabeth. Empowering Parents. Empoweringparents.com, n.d. Web. 24
Jan. 2015. <http://www.empoweringparents.com/video-games-violence.php>
Wrong

Planet.

Wrongplanet.net,

20

Aug.

2012.

Web.

<http://dev.wrongplanet.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=207300>

11

Feb.

2015.