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Violent Video Games Create Aggressive Behaviors

Violent Video Games Create Aggressive Behaviors

The marketing and selling of video games is a multi-billion dollar business and is considered to be the main form of entertainment for young people. The popularity of video games and gaming systems continues to increase as evident by the lines of people standing outside your local Best Buy or Walmart store to purchase the newest version of Madden or Halo. A staggering 97% of U.S. children play video games today (Norcia, 2014). Video game developers continue to create games that appear more realistic, sophisticated, challenging, and even more violent making them more attractive and popular among school-aged children allowing them an escape from reality. These enhanced videos encourage players to become more engaged and at a deeper level physically and emotionally resulting in more time spent actively playing and less time socializing (Norcia, 2014). Many studies have been conducted and show that prolonged playing of violent video games by adolescents and teenagers increases aggressive behaviors, creates desensitization, and prohibits social interaction.

Aggressive behavior among adolescents and teenagers has been linked to video games where violence is necessary to achieve a successful outcome (Norica 2014). Over 85% of video games contain some form of violence (Carnagey & Anderson, 2005). Bluemke, Friedrich, and Zumbach (2010) determined through a controlled study that playing a violent video game produced a significant increase in aggressive thoughts and feelings when compared to playing a non-violent or peaceful game. The violence and violent acts are what attracts most users to play these types of video games. Children begin to think more aggressively after practicing being vigilant towards video game enemies (Gentile, Anderson, & Prot, 2014). One of the most troubling characteristics of today’s video games is players being repeatedly...