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CONTENT SUMMARY
In the article, we will summarize an academic article stating that computer games with violent content do not make people prone to violence, and we will try to examine the link between child reality and video games based on our own academic identity.
Reading time: 5 minutes.
A ten-year longitudinal study was published in an academic journal called Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, which was scanned by international indexes. The team, who started working with a group of young people under the age of ten, investigated whether playing violent computer games at an early age could lead children to commit violent behavior in the future.
According to the article Growing with Grand Theft Auto, there is no correlation between the aggression levels of children who grew up playing violent games at an early age and children who grew up not playing.
CONDUCT OF THE RESEARCH
The team, which started to identify participating families in 2007, even used flyers to find participants when they had difficulty in reaching the sample, especially in the low socioeconomic group. Instead of developing a new scale on whether computer games are violent or not, it has determined violent games through Common Sense Media, which is known as a valid rating body.They categorized these games as low-level violent, modium-level violent, and high-level violent games. Then, they examined the participants who played these games for ten years according to their aggression, depressive symptoms, anxiety and behavioral characteristics.
The research revealed that boys play violent games more than girls. In general, 73% of children play games with low- level violent, 23% prefer medium-level violent, and 4% play games high-level violence.
Computer Games and Violence
According to the research, there is no significant difference in aggressive behavior neither in adolescence nor in youth between children who play these games and those who do not.
Of course there are many variables. Although the researchers tried to equalize the other characteristics of the two groups that they divide as playing and non-gamer, it is not a study based on the actual experimental pattern. For example, it is normal for a child who does not play video games but is abused to be more aggressive. These are also involved in the research process, validity and reliability studies are carried out, but the representative competence of the sample is also important.
WHAT DO THE EXPERTS THINK ABOUT THIS?
The 21st century is a brand new century in which new and interactive methods of storytelling are discovered. It is a period in which interactive books and interactive movies appeared. Video games are actually a new form of storytelling that integrates the actor and character by addressing our multiple senses similar to these, and adds life experience to people as literature does.
Although competitive games that do not rely on any narrative basis have become more demanded in the market in recent years, some games have qualified scenarios and look like really impressive novels. There are also studies that show that pleasant competitive games improve children who are low in social skills, but it should be known that computer games also have downsides. Addiction is one of them. Unfortunately, being addicted to computer games does not produce positive results as addiction to reading books.
COMPUTER GAMES ADDICTION
In order for a habit to be called an addiction, there are certain criteria such as affecting your daily life, reducing your performance at work, and stealing your sleep hours. Game addiction brings some people to the point of ending their daily lives, jobs, even relationships with their parents or wifes. This is one of the downsides. However, the elements of violence in computer games, which are the subject of the article, are another issue that has been discussed for years and thought to be negative.
VIOLENT BEHAVIOR
Let’s say it as an expert: We do not find anything strange in including violence elements in children’s novels. Literature should reveal the reality of life, and the task of children’s literature is to prepare the child for this reality of life at an early age. Therefore, drawings or events that remind the elements of violence can be included in children’s literature. The problem here is with the legitimation of violence. If violence is normalized and legitimized, it creates a pornographic situation and leads to the deterioration of children’s memory and mental health.
I think the discussion here is wrong. The problem is not about whether video games are violent or not. The main problem in computer games is the masculine language used, the legitimation and negative aestheticization of violence. Therefore, children should not really play violent games that adults can play blindly and maybe even relax. Just as not every child should watch every novel or movie, every computer game should not be played by children of all ages. There are also global non-governmental organizations making the assessment of this and this age information is also on the covers of the games.
In a nutshell, high-quality video games actually look like novels. Just as not all novels should be read by people of all ages, the same goes for computer games. Just as it is not reasonable to hold computer games responsible for a single maniac who committed terrorist acts, it is not correct to comment on a single study that games lead children to violence or not. It is possible to come across many articles claiming the opposite of the study, especially for children.
Apart from that, let the adults go. Just as an adult can watch a deviant movie, he can also play any computer game he wishes with peace of mind. As long as it does not come to the point of addiction, it is a good method of discharge.
If you are interested in the topic, you can also read this academic article titled Computer Games as a New Stage of Art.
