People are able to buy video games that behead police officers, shoot them with a pistol, slaughter them with a chainsaw, and set them in flames. You are probably thinking no one would ever think of buying a game like that, but unfortunately people have purchased such games. There is a large question that is often asked; can video games train people to murder? The answer is, of course, yes. Video games have a large impact on our minds and the ability to learn, creating an obsession in youth, and aggressive thoughts and actions towards others in everyday life.
Video games flash across the world on millions of televisions and computer screens day after day. The most frequent word that processes through a youths mind each day is a word we all seem to know, video games. The next new “fad” or “cool thing” is often the newest and most popular video game that everyone else supposedly has. But would you rethink and alter playing video games if you knew that your clever mind was slowly deteriorating each hour? Is it true that video games can be a distraction to not only essential things such as school, but to stop the human mind from increasing and expanding knowledge? David Walsh, a child psychologist was asked “Does repeated exposure to violent video games have more of an impact on a teenager than it does on an adult?” David Walsh replied; "It does. And that's largely because the teenage brain is different from the adult brain. The impulse control center of the brain, the part of the brain that enables us to think ahead, consider consequences, manage urges -- that's the part of the brain right behind our forehead called the prefrontal cortex," says Walsh. "That's under construction during the teenage years. In fact, the wiring of that is not completed until the early 20s." If it is true that video games cause children to be violent, and children are at risk, why do they continue to play and interact in their video games? An average teenager would say, because they’re fun and obviously exhilarating; adults even play them to get their adrenaline rushing. But because video games can be addicting and thrilling to the human mind, it causes them to not be able to see that video games gradually drag you in and ensnare you into thinking that it is everything you need. Sometimes it even mesmerizes you, and consequently you don’t hear or think of anything that is in the region around you. Video games are hurting our youths mind and the power for them to gain knowledge.
I’ve seen and experienced what video games can do to you. I’ve seen the affect that it can cause on the individuals playing the video games, and the people around them watching. It not only affects you if you are the one playing them, but it has a large affect on the people viewing what you are playing. Dr. Anderson said; "Violent video games provide a forum for learning and practicing aggressive solutions to conflict situations,” but is it not true that video games seem to take over learning? Have you ever found yourself not able to turn away from something? Not able to even glance away for a split second afraid that you’ll miss something important? That is exactly what video games can do to you. Video games prevent you from turning away; even if you’re thinking “this is not what I should be doing” or “this is not what I want to waste my time doing.” Now for the person playing the video game, not only are you hurting your mind but you are also getting addicted to it yourself. This obsession seems to take place, overpowering everything else around you.
Video game fascination can lead to bad behavior afterwards. I have two brothers and a little sister that is just a fingertip away from playing a hefty variety of video games. We own pretty much every game system ever made, and of course you have to have games to play on those fine game systems. Right after school they run to the nearest game system and begin their next adventure into another world. They amuse themselves with just a click of a mouse and a stroke of a key. Their faces are completely glazed over and you just know that they are in their own small world. There obsession in unbelievably surreal, making their whole life revolve around their playing time. What my siblings don’t seem to realize is that their attitudes absolutely change when they are finished playing. My mother has to force them to end their game, and sometimes there is yelling, screaming, grounding, and tantrums all about the house. Such attitude must result from the playing of video games since it occurs more often than not in our household. Dr. Anderson said the following; "In the short run, playing a violent video game appears to affect aggression by priming aggressive thoughts. Longer-term effects are likely to be longer lasting as well, as the player learns and practices new aggression-related scripts that can become more and more accessible for use when real-life conflict situations arise." Video games can lead to aggressiveness, which in turn can lead to violent thoughts, murdering, or fighting.
The task is up to us to modify the violence that is happening around us. We can change and alternate what is occurring in our youth’s constant life. We all have the power and capacity to change what revolves around us. You don’t have to quit playing video games all together, but you don’t have to allow someone to continue playing video games excessively. Do we want our minds to not think properly? Do we want to have an increase of murders to continue throughout the world? Video games are ruining our minds, creating an obsession, and causing us to act in such a shocking way of aggression. It all boils down to one question; will we do something when it could be a matter of life or death?
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