Over the past few years, researchers and parents have become increasingly interested in the potential effect of playing violent games on the development of aggressive traits, especially in adolescents. Results of these studies have thus far been mixed.
My view on the topic revolves around the fact that this correlation is a hard one to prove or disprove due to the fact that some humans are more aggressive by nature, regardless of whether they play violent video games or not. In addition, one could argue that such adolescents are drawn towards such violent games due to some pre-morbid traits they already had, which lead to them becoming aggressive individuals.
I personally find video games generally to be quite beneficial for many reasons, the main one being the undisputable fact that they are fun! When one plays a game it’s not just a bloody massacre of monsters and zombies. Nowadays exploring the world created, solving puzzles, finding challenging hidden items and of course tactical thinking plays a huge role in experiencing the game, the violent bits just harmlessly add to the fun. It could even be seen as a healthy outlet to relieve daily stress.
On the other hand, I agree with studies that talk about what they describe as ‘pathological gaming’ having a profound effect on teenagers. I do believe that some games, especially online games, are powerfully addictive and those that clock up insane hours playing a violent game while neglecting all other responsibilities unsurprisingly tend to become more aggressive and anxious, as the challenges in games can be stressful if done for prolonged periods. However, I believe the problem therein lies with individuals rather than the games, because as we all know too much of anything is bad for you. Another important aspect to consider is whether the games played are age appropriate to the child playing them.
In my opinion, I don’t think the violent nature of the game directly affects how aggressive adolescents become. Furthermore, I feel that concerned parents should focus on controlling their children if they feel they are playing excessively, however, if it’s within reasonable limits I see no harm whatsoever.
