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To What Extent Do You Agree That Video Games Have Positive Effects On People?

Introduction

While video games have positive effects on people in the education area, these games greatly
contribute to acts of violence or aggression as well. Many studies have reported that video games
have violent content through which players are desensitised, especially children, to violence in
their real life. When an individual becomes insensitive, he or she inclines to increase aggression
while decreasing the nature of empathy. Other studies have reported that when children play
playing video, they does not result in any major aggressive behaviour, as the degree of the
impact in the meta-analysis may be due to publication bias. In spite of pressure from different
societies, mostly video games have a substantial amount of violent content, which foster feelings
of enthusiasm, contentment, and empowerment among players. Nevertheless, some researchers
believe that the desire and enjoyment for future play are strongly associated with competency
and the experience of independence in the video game, and not the violence and aggressive level.

Thesis Statement

There are different scholarly figures arguing about both the positive and negative effects of video
games, especially among children. This paper favours the argument that video games have
negative impact on children’s social lives and they only increase violent behaviour in children.

Discussion

Reason 1: Violent Scenes Contained in Video Games Lead to Negative Effects

Counter Argument: Video games can be helpful and positive for children, and the first counter
argument against the negative impacts is the ground reality that children are not segregated,
because they have gaming communities on the Web. Young adults who are not capable of
associating with others do not feel isolation when they play video games. As an instance, an
individual with some physical disability can play video games when he is free to reduce boredom
(Dietz, 1998).

Researchers have been noted that violent crimes committed by teenagers have been declining,
and the popularity of video games has been enhancing. Barlett, Harris and Bruey (2008)
conducted a study by examining the period between 1995 and 2008 and found that the arrest of
juvenile murderers rate dramatically declined by 72%, while the general arrest cases also
declined by 50%. During this same period, cruel video games have been sole increasingly more
than the years before. Thus, it can be concluded that video games have no direct association with
violent juvenile crimes. Indeed, no connection has been established between children’s violent
behaviour and video games (Barlett, Harris and Bruey, 2008).

Refutation

Violent scenes contained in video games result in the negative effects on people. People become
socially isolated by spending a substantial amount of time playing video games. It simply
suggests that an individual does not have a large amount of time for off-line social or
interpersonal activities by interacting with others (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). An individual
spending lot of time playing games will have limited amount of time to make and meet new
friends. Thus, this situation may lead to more depression. Little time will be spent by children on
other activities including outdoor games, book reading, etc. Any individual, especially children,
becomes socially inactive because of lack of participation in social activities.

Video games foster people to associate contentment and enjoyment with the ability to cause pain
to others. People, especially children, playing video games incline to develop self-centred
behaviour (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). The player is taught by video games to be dependent
and as the child is frequently left alone when he or she plays a video game, selfish behaviour can
be developed. According to Sherry (2001), children can be affected by video games by getting
addicted to them and show social irrational fears. These games’ interactive quality is far different
from inactively watching TV or movies. The players are allowed by games to be active
participants, and those have the ability to take advantage of violent acts are then fully capable of
proceeding to the next stage (Sherry, 2001).

Reason 2: