Video Games In General
For the early part of the 90's video games often had a bad rap. There were multiple "studies" done in the 90's that showed how video games resulted in violent behavior in men. Of course these "studies" were done by biased researchers who were looking for a correlation in aggression in teenage males and video games. Unfortunately for the politicians who sought to gain support through these bogus claims, recent studies have shown that while prolonged exposure to violence can make someone have more aggressive tendencies, there is no direct correlation between violence and video games.
What the scientists found out was that all males tend to be more aggressive, whether or not they play video games, than their female counterparts. They also did a study of ever school shooting since Columbine (because that's where politicians started blaming violence on video games) and found out that ever single shooter had played video games of some sort. However, they also found that there were extraneous circumstances in each case that led to the shooter performing his heinous act.
However, popular belief even today would have us believe that too much interaction with a video game console will make us lean towards the violent side and go on random school rampages. I'm pretty sure that's not video games causing all of this. I'm pretty sure it's this generations parent's and thier lack of involvement in their children's lives. I could go on a rant about this, but I think I'll save that for another day (perhaps tomorrow).
If you really want to look at a culture of violence, look no further than the middle east. There has been constant fighting in Israel since it's creation in 1949 and I won't even begin to discuss how many terrorists have come from that reigon. Yes, much of the culture is pacifist, but even so, the middle east has seen more terrorists per capita in the last 50+ years than any other country in the world. Unfortunately, when it comes to crime, the finger has to pointed back at the United States. Violent crimes are on the rise, but not because of video games. The poverty level is at an all-time high and studies have shown that those living in a lower-income area are more likely to be involved in a violent crime than those living in a higher income area.
Video games actually have been shown to have positive effects on people (although naysayers would try to ignore this). Studies have shown that there is a definite correlation between increased hand-eye coordination and video games. Those who play socially also have higher social skills than previous generations. And belive it or not, video games have been shown to be healthier than watching television as they prevent the user from snacking.
So the next time you start bashing video games and all their inherent evils, remember this: yes they can cause damage to anyone who uses them. But the same could be said for food, alcohol, television, the internet, and pretty much anything else that causes harm in great quantities. The key to it all is moderation. Don't spend 5 hours in front of the television with your PS3 or XBox 360. Take a break once in a while. Make sure to get moving, even if it is for only 20-30 minutes a day.
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| Yes, I know I stated this before, but this was just too good to pass up. |
What the scientists found out was that all males tend to be more aggressive, whether or not they play video games, than their female counterparts. They also did a study of ever school shooting since Columbine (because that's where politicians started blaming violence on video games) and found out that ever single shooter had played video games of some sort. However, they also found that there were extraneous circumstances in each case that led to the shooter performing his heinous act.
However, popular belief even today would have us believe that too much interaction with a video game console will make us lean towards the violent side and go on random school rampages. I'm pretty sure that's not video games causing all of this. I'm pretty sure it's this generations parent's and thier lack of involvement in their children's lives. I could go on a rant about this, but I think I'll save that for another day (perhaps tomorrow).
If you really want to look at a culture of violence, look no further than the middle east. There has been constant fighting in Israel since it's creation in 1949 and I won't even begin to discuss how many terrorists have come from that reigon. Yes, much of the culture is pacifist, but even so, the middle east has seen more terrorists per capita in the last 50+ years than any other country in the world. Unfortunately, when it comes to crime, the finger has to pointed back at the United States. Violent crimes are on the rise, but not because of video games. The poverty level is at an all-time high and studies have shown that those living in a lower-income area are more likely to be involved in a violent crime than those living in a higher income area.
Video games actually have been shown to have positive effects on people (although naysayers would try to ignore this). Studies have shown that there is a definite correlation between increased hand-eye coordination and video games. Those who play socially also have higher social skills than previous generations. And belive it or not, video games have been shown to be healthier than watching television as they prevent the user from snacking.
So the next time you start bashing video games and all their inherent evils, remember this: yes they can cause damage to anyone who uses them. But the same could be said for food, alcohol, television, the internet, and pretty much anything else that causes harm in great quantities. The key to it all is moderation. Don't spend 5 hours in front of the television with your PS3 or XBox 360. Take a break once in a while. Make sure to get moving, even if it is for only 20-30 minutes a day.
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