Sunday, July 3, 2016

Media Violence



Faith Norford
JoAnne Harris
English 1101
3 June 2016
                      

                         Mediaviolence.org: Top Kid Games 2011
         Kids have been playing games for centuries, but what’s the difference from games back then like hopscotch, to games now like Grand Theft Auto? Violence, the violence in the 21st century games have our siblings, children and grandchildren addicted to that big screen in our living room. The picture posted on mediaviolence.org shows a lot to different people. Some say the picture just shows an excited kid playing a game that he is so in tuned to because he wants to win. To me this picture shows one thing, it shows how the thing that has children’s minds is no longer just the game but the violence in the game.

      “The top 5 games of 2011 are Rage, Bullet storm, Max Payne, Twisted Metal and Deus Ex.3: Human Revolution” says CNBC. Anything weird about those names listed to you? They are all violent games, no game listed was Barbie or Just Dance. The reason behind that is because violence has took control of so many of the youth’s minds and we are so blind to it because we say “if they are quiet and happy they are okay.” But when is it not okay, when another Columbine happens? When the kids’ take what the game is teaching them to the world and other people get harmed in the process, is that when it is not okay? This picture may show a kid playing a game that wants to win, but it also shows an addicted kid who represents more than 20% of kids in the 21st century playing violent games on an everyday basis.

            Most say the violence in the games help people more than harming them. Texas A&M studies show “In fact, one recent study suggested that surgeons who played violent games were better at certain kinds of surgical procedures that require good hand-eye coordination.” Some even say the video games keep their kids inside from the dangerous outside world, which saves them from the peer pressure of their friends who are probably doing drugs or worst. My brother plays video games and my mom lets him, “It’s his vacation place where he doesn’t have to deal with the school bullies” she says. “That’s the only place where he doesn’t feel defeated by all the teenage boy issues” my mom constantly says.

            Even though that may be true, even I know the video games harm my brother more than help him. He has been in 3 school fights and suspended twice since he started playing the video games. He treats the kids he fight like the bad guys in the video games he watches and if it wasn’t for us taking his games, only a higher power will know what it could have spent off to. It’s not only my brother but even other kids around the world have jumped off of buildings because they thought they were super heroes or got into fights at school because they thought the other kids were the bad guys.  The games our children play are dangerous to their minds and dangerous to our world. 


“By the age of 18, the average child has witnessed 200,000 acts of violence, including 18,000 simulated murders, on television. It is not always easy to provide clear, consistent structure for children, but providing it often helps keep children safe and helps them grow to be responsible adults.”
— Jean Clarke

Works Cited
Alex. "Quotes: Media Violence." LDS Missions. N.p., 25 Dec. 2013. Web. 03 July 2016.
Ferguson. "Texas A&M International University." Texas A&M International University. N.p., 3 Oct. 2014. Web. 03 July 2016.
Nauert, Rick. "Media Violence." MediaViolenceorg Addiction Comments. N.p., 18 Oct. 2011. Web. 03 July 2016.

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