Video Games and Violence Violent Essay

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Winning a game activates a cerebral reward center, in a way that 'teaches' players to be violent in a Pavlovian way, so the players associate acting violently with gaining a reward. This thesis has been supported by recent MRI scanning research examining the brains of children who have just played violent video games: "A new study employing state-of-the-art brain-scanning technology…say that brain scans of kids who played a violent video game showed an increase in emotional arousal -- and a corresponding decrease of activity in brain areas involved in self-control, inhibition and attention" (Kalning 2006). Rather than enhancing the types of personality traits that are desirable in a harmonious society, video games numb the qualities that make us social animals.

Advocates of video games, however, note that the games have been used in positive ways: "Several studies cited by the ESA [Entertainment Software Association] point to games' potential benefits for developing decision-making skills or bettering reaction times" in a way that can make children better able to cope with stress, and can have an enhancing effect upon the cognition skills of older adults (Kalning 2006).

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Furthermore, playing a soccer game or playing 'war' in real life, the argument goes, can have similarly simulative and rewarding effects, and children have been participating in such violent activities for many ages. Violence is a part of life, and thus it is a part of children's games that prepare them for life.

Perhaps the most persuasive argument against banning video games is that children will invariably be exposed to violence, but parents must still find a way to communicate positive values. Laboratory studies do not take into account the ways video games are viewed in the home -- if parents take the time to discuss the content, for example. Violating First Amendment principles by banning or eliminating the dissemination of such games to minors might be less effective than parents taking the responsibility to ensure their children use the games judiciously, and do not become obsessed with playing the games, violent or otherwise, at the expense of other activities.

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