A
society that glorifies violence will grow more violent’ [1]
How do video games such as 'call of duty' and 'grand theft auto' push
the boundaries of on-screen violence and what is the impact of this on
audiences?
This critical investigation will focus on the
negative influences that video games carry and have on audiences. It will
investigate whether games such as ‘call of duty’ and ‘grand
theft auto’ reinforce or subvert the stereotypical image of video games where ‘Teenagers
who play violent video games over a number of years become more aggressive
towards other people’[2] and as a result ‘Video games
were accused of glorifying violence and encouraging anti-social behaviour’[3] . This allegation has
created a negative image for the younger generation who are seen to
be aggressive due to the fact that 'Video games provide extremely
powerful symbols that can be used to mold a youth subculture' [4]. In this case the aggressive
and violent subculture which has currently been portrayed within the media as
they blame many of the institutions responsible for the productions of these
games, such as Infinity Ward for Call of duty and Rockstar Games for Grand
Theft Auto, given the amount of attacks over the years which have taken place
from media texts such as the ones mentioned in this critical investigation.
'Videogames have experienced an enormous
growth in recent years, in terms of revenue’ [5] this is supported by the fact that
its revenue has ‘overtaken cinema and are now almost at the level of
worldwide music sales'[6]. This shows how ‘the videogame industry has thus gone from its birth as
a cottage industry to mirror the organisational structures and working
practices of other large media institutions[7]’. Not only has video games benefited consumers, but also
contributed to the economy as well as 'In the UK British games companies contributed around £2 billion to the
economy’[8] This
is a positive outcome from video games as they help built a better
infrastructure for the UK and its economy given the current situation of the UK with threats of heading into a
triple dip recession.
With video games emerging in the
late 1970s, ‘violent video games came of age in the 1990s’[9] Mortal Kombat a 2d violent
fighting game, which redefined the boundaries of acceptance with its ‘combination
of excessive gore violence’[10]. During the 1990s there were a
considerable amount of controversies which Mortal Kombat brought about, one of
those controversies being the lethal finishing move, known as the fatality
which was a unique feature of the game. The way deaths were portrayed was far
too explicit and brutal for that day and age, as the zeitgeist of the 1990s was
the total opposite to gore and violence. However controversially it
was the extreme violence which lead Mortal Kombat to its success of becoming
one the most popular video games of all time. Mortal Kombat provides the perfect
example of how the issue of violence within video games has changed over the
years, with newer games producing more violent content with aesthetically pleasing
graphics, shows how the advance in
technology has manipulated people’s culture into forming a much aggressive
subculture, which has been prevalent amongst the young throughout the
media. At the time video games were breaking into a wider market with the
upcoming fourth generation consoles being produced and distributed by
gaming conglomerates Nintendo, Sega and Sony. It can be said that
theories such as Stanley Cohen's moral panic can be applied to Mortal Kombat as
it received widespread complaints of gore and violence, which resulted in the
forming of the Entertainment Software Rating Board, a self regulatory
body, whose job it is to apply age restrictions on videogames to censor harmful
content from the young and vulnerable. Games
such as this show how the spirit of age has changed, as consumers of modern
society have become desensitised to violent content, as the repeated viewings
of violent imagery has led to consumers accepting violence rather than
rejecting it, therefore raising the concern of the effects of violent video
games on its audience.
With Web 2.0 Converging many of the media
platforms, accessibility to violent media content on the web has been made more
easier than ever, ‘User generated content on sites such as youtube does
not carry any age classification, nor is there a watershed before which it
cannot be viewed’[11] it can be argued that
regulation of sites such as these are hard to put in place due to
the globalisation of the web, some argue that it is down to the
parents to be the censor, to protect their kids from viewing
violent content as the cultivation theory suggests that those who are
exposed to violence in the media are influenced to behave in a violent manner[12]. This may lead to
copycat behaviour where people who consume violent texts
may start to imitate the behaviour seen within violent video games
such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty. Evidence of this would be the most
recent incident being the Connecticut school shooting where 27 people were
killed. It was said that the shooter ‘Adam Lanza spent hours playing violent
video games such as Call Of Duty in a windowless bunker’[13] Not only does this show how the
game may have influenced his behaviour in the real world, but also shows how
the media drew connections between the shooting and the video game Call of
Duty. This therefore reinforces the issue/debate whether violent video games
are corrupting its audiences, and highlights how the media are turning violent
video games into a moral panic.
Following the increase of violent content being
prevalent amongst most video games in today’s era, there has been a number of
concerning issues surrounding violent video games. ‘Neuroscientific studies show reduced cognitive brain functions in individuals exposed
to violent media.’[14] This infers that violent content can
have a damaging affect on audiences as it reduces vital mental processes such
as decision making and problem solving. Similarly ‘Gentile & Anderson
(2003) state that playing video games may increase
aggressive behaviour because violent acts are continually
repeated throughout the video game[15]’ this again can be linked to
desensitisation and the copycat theory as the repeated viewing of violence may
influence audiences to mimic the actions seen within games such as Call of Duty
and Grand Theft Auto. This could perhaps be present within this incident where
the video game Grand Theft Auto was ’used as the rationale behind the
fatal shootings of three police officers at the hands of 18 year old Devin
Moore in June 2003’[16]. This conveys the influences
that violent video games such as Grand Theft Auto have on its audiences, as
individuals are no longer becoming consumers of media texts, but becoming
products of them instead. ‘One boy followed the motto of “eat, sleep
and play games” and had got kicked out of higher education, which subsequently
meant he was damaging his relationships with his friends and family’[17] This study illustrates how
‘the time spent in our hyperreal states means we are ignoring the loss of
the ‘real’ and the world’s shift into simulation[18]
In
contrast, the oppositional reading of violent video games is that they may
benefit some audiences as it ‘satisfies
some basic human needs. The adrenaline rush, the satisfactions of imagination,
fantasy, and vicarious adventure, probably explain why millions of nonviolent
people enjoy violent entertainment’[19]. Similarly violent content may
offer audiences uses and gratifications such as escapism as they are diverted
away from any problems that they may have in the real world ‘Today, most children play real-time,
first person shooters in which the players view the world through the eyes of
the video game character that they control’[20]this infers how players become immersed
within the game as they become someone else rather than themselves, it can
be argue that this can be a positive outcome from violent video games as it’s ‘a
way to explore their violent tendencies without hurting anyone’[21]. This can be applied to Grand
Theft Auto as ‘if they want to
steal a car, they steal a car in the game instead of in the real world’[22] therefore can be argued that
violent video games do carry some positives about them as it offers audiences
with uses and gratifications, and gives them a way of exploring their violent
nature without causing any harm in the real world.
Moral Panics about violent video games have been
present throughout the years concerning the excessive violence within video
games. It can be said that ‘Violent
video games are easily blamed by the media and some experts as the reason why
some young people become violent or commit extreme anti-social behaviour’[23] This shows how the media use
violent video games as an escape goat for the anti-social behaviour seen within
society, creating an amplification spiral, leading to an overall moral panic
over violent video games. This can be linked to the cultivation theory as
audiences who consume heavy amounts of TV will start to believe what the media
show them, leading to an eventual acceptance that violent video games are
corrupt. Some argue that violent video games needs to be censored in order to
protect the youth, according to new legislation which has be introduced the
government claim that ‘responsibility will be
transferred to the Video Standards Council (VSC), which will rate games
according to the Pan European Game Information system (PEGI)’ [24] This shows how the government are
taking action in the regulation and censorship of video games as they
have assigned the responsibility over to Video Standards Council,
however the concern raised by critic Nick Robinson that the 'the
new rules are just “a smokescreen” because they enable Government to look like
it is acting when in fact it is abdicating its responsibilities'[25] This raises the
question that although the government have assigned responsibility of
regulation and censorship to VSC, there's still
nothing stopping younger kids getting their hands on games which may
display violent and x rated content, therefore being a concern to society. An
example as to where censorship and regulation has taken place would be the
incident ofAnders Behring Breivik, where he ‘claims in
his manifesto that he used this video game to perpetrate the 2011 Norway
attacks’[26] as a result of this ‘Coop
Norway, a chain of retail stores in Norway, removed this video game from its
shelves as a result of the Norway attacks’ [27]
Throughout violent video games,
there have been clear boundaries between genders; it can be argued that the
dominant sexes that play these types of video games are males as ‘males are more attracted to violent
imagery than females are’[28] this can be
argued that most men are seen as having a dominant hegemonic masculinity, and
therefore play violent video games to reinforce this. From a feminist
perspective, violent video games such as Grand Theft Auto oppress women, as it
can be argued that voyeurism is omnipresent within the game. An example of this
would be the prostitution see within the game, ‘Such actions were made possible by
game, and arguably encouraged, since the player received a health bonus by
having sex’[29] this connoting how women are seen as
sexual objects linking Laura Mulvey’s theory of male gaze, as the game demeans
women, portraying them as worthless.
To conclude, it can be argued equally whether video
games are at the heart of violence, some argue that they produce a self
fulfilling prophecy where by audiences imitate the behaviour seen, whereas
others argue that it’s simply a medium where users can explore their violence
tendencies without harm in the real world. With gaming institutions producing and
distributing masses of violent video games, it is becoming clear that this has
evolved into a major concern, as it may pose a threat to society as the more
desensitised audiences become with violent content the more they will think
that violence is acceptable, leading to an eventual moral panic. Conversely it
can be believed that 'Video game popularity and real world youth
violence have been moving in opposite directions'[30] as Henry Jenkins of Massachusetts
Institute of Technology noted that ‘players are able to leave the emotional
effects of the game behind when the game is over’[31] therefore providing evidence
against the hypothesis that on-screen violence causes individuals to behave in
a violent manner whereby is seen as going against societies norms and values.
Word count: 2067
[1] Congressional Record, V. 144, Pt.
10, June 25, 1998 to July 14, 1998 – by Congress published by
government printing office
[2] Violent video games make
teenagers more aggressive, study finds - Telegraph. (n.d.). Telegraph.co.uk
- Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph.
Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/9593188/Violent-video-games-make-teenagers-more-aggressive-study-finds.html
Sheffield, England:
Sheffield Academic Press.
[4]
IBID
[5] MediaEdu - Media Studies
Resources. (n.d.). MediaEdu - Media Studies Resources. Retrieved
January 10, 2013, from
http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/understanding-video-games/
[6]
IBID
[7] GTA IV
Cultural Milestone MM25 Fans Sept 08. (n.d.). Scribd. Retrieved January 10, 2013, from
http://www.scribd.com/doc/83377244/GTA-IV-Cultural-Milestone-MM25-Fans-Sept-08
[8]
IBID - MediaEdu - Media
Studies Resources. (n.d.). MediaEdu - Media Studies Resources.
Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/understanding-video-games/
[9]
EFFECTS OF VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES ON AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, AGGRESSIVE COGNITION, AGGRESSIVE
AFFECT, PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL, AND PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR: A Meta-Analytic Review
of the Scientific Literature By Craig A. Anderson and Brad J. Bushman, from http://www.soc.iastate.edu/sapp/videogames1.pdf
[10] Mortal
Kombat (video game). (n.d.).GiantBomb.com ~ Video Game Reviews, News, Videos
& Forums - Giant Bomb. Retrieved January 31, 2013, from
http://www.giantbomb.com/mortal-kombat/61-15743/
[11] Government response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee
report on harmful content on the internet and in video games. (2008). London: TSO.
[12]
MediaEdu - Media Studies Resources. (n.d.). MediaEdu - Media Studies Resources.
Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/understanding-regulation-and-censorship/
[13] Connecticut
school massacre: Adam Lanza 'spent hours playing Call Of Duty’ - Telegraph.
(n.d.). Telegraph.co.uk -
Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph. Retrieved
January 31, 2013, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9752141/Connecticut-school-massacre-Adam-Lanza-spent-hours-playing-Call-Of-Duty.html
[14]
Playing violent video games good or bad. (n.d.). Psychology today. Retrieved January
10, 2013, from www.psychologytoday.com/blog/moral-landscapes/201011/playing-violent-video-games-good-or-bad
[16] Massey, R. (2009). The Link Between Video Games and Violence.
München: GRIN Verlag.
[17]
Gaming
addiction: myth, medical condition or moral panic? « Rebecca Craft's world….
(n.d.). Rebecca Craft's world…. Retrieved January 31, 2013, from http://rebeccacraft.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/gaming-addiction-myth-medical-condition-or-moral-panic/
[18] Call of Duty Gamer as Author MM33 Sept 10. (n.d.). Scribd.
Retrieved January 31, 2013, from http://www.scribd.com/doc/83377533/Call-of-Duty-Gamer-as-Author-MM33-Sept-10
[19] Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children: A
Review of Self-Regulation and Industry Practices in the Motion Picture, Music
Recording & Electronic Game Industries, Appendix A - "A Review of
Research on the Impact of Violence in Entertainment Media" (Sept. 2000);
[20] Signorielli, N. (2005). Violence
in the media: a reference handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO.
[21] Is Media Violence a Problem? Essays and Articles at eNotes.
(n.d.). Study Guides, Lesson Plans, Homework Help, Answers & More - eNotes.com.
Retrieved January 31, 2013, from http://www.enotes.com/media-violence-problem-article%20Is%20Media%20Violence%20a%
[22] Diploma – the c-word: censoring the media?. (n.d.).www.englishandmedia.co.uk.
Retrieved January 31, 2013, www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/_mmagpast/mm28_diploma_censor.html
[23]
The Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games.
(n.d.). Smart Kids Parenting | Raise
Smart Kid. Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://www.raisesmartkid.com/3-to-6-years-old/4-articles/34-the-good-and-bad-effects-of-video-games
[24] (BBFC), t. B., & manufacturers, t. g.
(n.d.). New video games regulation a ‘smokescreen’ - University of Leeds. University of Leeds. Retrieved
January 10, 2013, from http://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/3273/new_video_games_regulation_a_smokescreen
[25]
IBID
[26]
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
2 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved January 10, 2013,
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_of_Duty:_Modern_Warfare_2
[27]
IBID
[28] " Family and Relationships: Our Appetite for
Aggression." Vision-Insights
and New Horizons. A quarterly journal.. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Feb. 2013. http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=457
[29] Nielsen, S., Smith, J. H., & Tosca, S. P.
(2008). Understanding video games: the essential introduction. New
York: Routledge.
[30] Kutner, L., & Olson, C. K. (2008). Grand theft childhood: the surprising truth
about violent video games and what parents can do. New York: Simon &
Schuster.
[31] IBID - The Positive and
Negative Effects of Video Games. (n.d.). Smart
Kids Parenting | Raise Smart Kid. Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://www.raisesmartkid.com/3-to-6-years-old/4-articles/34-the-good-and-bad-effects-of-video-games
A
society that glorifies violence will grow more violent’ [1]
How do video games such as 'call of duty' and 'grand theft auto' push
the boundaries of on-screen violence and what is the impact of this on
audiences?
This critical investigation will focus on the
negative influences that video games carry and have on audiences. It will
investigate whether games such as ‘call of duty’ and ‘grand
theft auto’ reinforce or subvert the stereotypical image of video games where ‘Teenagers
who play violent video games over a number of years become more aggressive
towards other people’[2] and as a result ‘Video games
were accused of glorifying violence and encouraging anti-social behaviour’[3] . This allegation has
created a negative image for the younger generation who are seen to
be aggressive due to the fact that 'Video games provide extremely
powerful symbols that can be used to mold a youth subculture' [4]. In this case the aggressive
and violent subculture which has currently been portrayed within the media as
they blame many of the institutions responsible for the productions of these
games, such as Infinity Ward for Call of duty and Rockstar Games for Grand
Theft Auto, given the amount of attacks over the years which have taken place
from media texts such as the ones mentioned in this critical investigation.
'Videogames have experienced an enormous
growth in recent years, in terms of revenue’ [5] this is supported by the fact that
its revenue has ‘overtaken cinema and are now almost at the level of
worldwide music sales'[6]. This shows how ‘the videogame industry has thus gone from its birth as
a cottage industry to mirror the organisational structures and working
practices of other large media institutions[7]’. Not only has video games benefited consumers, but also
contributed to the economy as well as 'In the UK British games companies contributed around £2 billion to the
economy’[8] This
is a positive outcome from video games as they help built a better
infrastructure for the UK and its economy given the current situation of the UK with threats of heading into a
triple dip recession.
With video games emerging in the
late 1970s, ‘violent video games came of age in the 1990s’[9] Mortal Kombat a 2d violent
fighting game, which redefined the boundaries of acceptance with its ‘combination
of excessive gore violence’[10]. During the 1990s there were a
considerable amount of controversies which Mortal Kombat brought about, one of
those controversies being the lethal finishing move, known as the fatality
which was a unique feature of the game. The way deaths were portrayed was far
too explicit and brutal for that day and age, as the zeitgeist of the 1990s was
the total opposite to gore and violence. However controversially it
was the extreme violence which lead Mortal Kombat to its success of becoming
one the most popular video games of all time. Mortal Kombat provides the perfect
example of how the issue of violence within video games has changed over the
years, with newer games producing more violent content with aesthetically pleasing
graphics, shows how the advance in
technology has manipulated people’s culture into forming a much aggressive
subculture, which has been prevalent amongst the young throughout the
media. At the time video games were breaking into a wider market with the
upcoming fourth generation consoles being produced and distributed by
gaming conglomerates Nintendo, Sega and Sony. It can be said that
theories such as Stanley Cohen's moral panic can be applied to Mortal Kombat as
it received widespread complaints of gore and violence, which resulted in the
forming of the Entertainment Software Rating Board, a self regulatory
body, whose job it is to apply age restrictions on videogames to censor harmful
content from the young and vulnerable. Games
such as this show how the spirit of age has changed, as consumers of modern
society have become desensitised to violent content, as the repeated viewings
of violent imagery has led to consumers accepting violence rather than
rejecting it, therefore raising the concern of the effects of violent video
games on its audience.
With Web 2.0 Converging many of the media
platforms, accessibility to violent media content on the web has been made more
easier than ever, ‘User generated content on sites such as youtube does
not carry any age classification, nor is there a watershed before which it
cannot be viewed’[11] it can be argued that
regulation of sites such as these are hard to put in place due to
the globalisation of the web, some argue that it is down to the
parents to be the censor, to protect their kids from viewing
violent content as the cultivation theory suggests that those who are
exposed to violence in the media are influenced to behave in a violent manner[12]. This may lead to
copycat behaviour where people who consume violent texts
may start to imitate the behaviour seen within violent video games
such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty. Evidence of this would be the most
recent incident being the Connecticut school shooting where 27 people were
killed. It was said that the shooter ‘Adam Lanza spent hours playing violent
video games such as Call Of Duty in a windowless bunker’[13] Not only does this show how the
game may have influenced his behaviour in the real world, but also shows how
the media drew connections between the shooting and the video game Call of
Duty. This therefore reinforces the issue/debate whether violent video games
are corrupting its audiences, and highlights how the media are turning violent
video games into a moral panic.
Following the increase of violent content being
prevalent amongst most video games in today’s era, there has been a number of
concerning issues surrounding violent video games. ‘Neuroscientific studies show reduced cognitive brain functions in individuals exposed
to violent media.’[14] This infers that violent content can
have a damaging affect on audiences as it reduces vital mental processes such
as decision making and problem solving. Similarly ‘Gentile & Anderson
(2003) state that playing video games may increase
aggressive behaviour because violent acts are continually
repeated throughout the video game[15]’ this again can be linked to
desensitisation and the copycat theory as the repeated viewing of violence may
influence audiences to mimic the actions seen within games such as Call of Duty
and Grand Theft Auto. This could perhaps be present within this incident where
the video game Grand Theft Auto was ’used as the rationale behind the
fatal shootings of three police officers at the hands of 18 year old Devin
Moore in June 2003’[16]. This conveys the influences
that violent video games such as Grand Theft Auto have on its audiences, as
individuals are no longer becoming consumers of media texts, but becoming
products of them instead. ‘One boy followed the motto of “eat, sleep
and play games” and had got kicked out of higher education, which subsequently
meant he was damaging his relationships with his friends and family’[17] This study illustrates how
‘the time spent in our hyperreal states means we are ignoring the loss of
the ‘real’ and the world’s shift into simulation[18]
In
contrast, the oppositional reading of violent video games is that they may
benefit some audiences as it ‘satisfies
some basic human needs. The adrenaline rush, the satisfactions of imagination,
fantasy, and vicarious adventure, probably explain why millions of nonviolent
people enjoy violent entertainment’[19]. Similarly violent content may
offer audiences uses and gratifications such as escapism as they are diverted
away from any problems that they may have in the real world ‘Today, most children play real-time,
first person shooters in which the players view the world through the eyes of
the video game character that they control’[20]this infers how players become immersed
within the game as they become someone else rather than themselves, it can
be argue that this can be a positive outcome from violent video games as it’s ‘a
way to explore their violent tendencies without hurting anyone’[21]. This can be applied to Grand
Theft Auto as ‘if they want to
steal a car, they steal a car in the game instead of in the real world’[22] therefore can be argued that
violent video games do carry some positives about them as it offers audiences
with uses and gratifications, and gives them a way of exploring their violent
nature without causing any harm in the real world.
Moral Panics about violent video games have been
present throughout the years concerning the excessive violence within video
games. It can be said that ‘Violent
video games are easily blamed by the media and some experts as the reason why
some young people become violent or commit extreme anti-social behaviour’[23] This shows how the media use
violent video games as an escape goat for the anti-social behaviour seen within
society, creating an amplification spiral, leading to an overall moral panic
over violent video games. This can be linked to the cultivation theory as
audiences who consume heavy amounts of TV will start to believe what the media
show them, leading to an eventual acceptance that violent video games are
corrupt. Some argue that violent video games needs to be censored in order to
protect the youth, according to new legislation which has be introduced the
government claim that ‘responsibility will be
transferred to the Video Standards Council (VSC), which will rate games
according to the Pan European Game Information system (PEGI)’ [24] This shows how the government are
taking action in the regulation and censorship of video games as they
have assigned the responsibility over to Video Standards Council,
however the concern raised by critic Nick Robinson that the 'the
new rules are just “a smokescreen” because they enable Government to look like
it is acting when in fact it is abdicating its responsibilities'[25] This raises the
question that although the government have assigned responsibility of
regulation and censorship to VSC, there's still
nothing stopping younger kids getting their hands on games which may
display violent and x rated content, therefore being a concern to society. An
example as to where censorship and regulation has taken place would be the
incident ofAnders Behring Breivik, where he ‘claims in
his manifesto that he used this video game to perpetrate the 2011 Norway
attacks’[26] as a result of this ‘Coop
Norway, a chain of retail stores in Norway, removed this video game from its
shelves as a result of the Norway attacks’ [27]
Throughout violent video games,
there have been clear boundaries between genders; it can be argued that the
dominant sexes that play these types of video games are males as ‘males are more attracted to violent
imagery than females are’[28] this can be
argued that most men are seen as having a dominant hegemonic masculinity, and
therefore play violent video games to reinforce this. From a feminist
perspective, violent video games such as Grand Theft Auto oppress women, as it
can be argued that voyeurism is omnipresent within the game. An example of this
would be the prostitution see within the game, ‘Such actions were made possible by
game, and arguably encouraged, since the player received a health bonus by
having sex’[29] this connoting how women are seen as
sexual objects linking Laura Mulvey’s theory of male gaze, as the game demeans
women, portraying them as worthless.
To conclude, it can be argued equally whether video
games are at the heart of violence, some argue that they produce a self
fulfilling prophecy where by audiences imitate the behaviour seen, whereas
others argue that it’s simply a medium where users can explore their violence
tendencies without harm in the real world. With gaming institutions producing and
distributing masses of violent video games, it is becoming clear that this has
evolved into a major concern, as it may pose a threat to society as the more
desensitised audiences become with violent content the more they will think
that violence is acceptable, leading to an eventual moral panic. Conversely it
can be believed that 'Video game popularity and real world youth
violence have been moving in opposite directions'[30] as Henry Jenkins of Massachusetts
Institute of Technology noted that ‘players are able to leave the emotional
effects of the game behind when the game is over’[31] therefore providing evidence
against the hypothesis that on-screen violence causes individuals to behave in
a violent manner whereby is seen as going against societies norms and values.
Word count: 2067
[1] Congressional Record, V. 144, Pt.
10, June 25, 1998 to July 14, 1998 – by Congress published by
government printing office
[2] Violent video games make
teenagers more aggressive, study finds - Telegraph. (n.d.). Telegraph.co.uk
- Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph.
Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/9593188/Violent-video-games-make-teenagers-more-aggressive-study-finds.html
Sheffield, England:
Sheffield Academic Press.
[4]
IBID
[5] MediaEdu - Media Studies
Resources. (n.d.). MediaEdu - Media Studies Resources. Retrieved
January 10, 2013, from
http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/understanding-video-games/
[6]
IBID
[7] GTA IV
Cultural Milestone MM25 Fans Sept 08. (n.d.). Scribd. Retrieved January 10, 2013, from
http://www.scribd.com/doc/83377244/GTA-IV-Cultural-Milestone-MM25-Fans-Sept-08
[8]
IBID - MediaEdu - Media
Studies Resources. (n.d.). MediaEdu - Media Studies Resources.
Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/understanding-video-games/
[9]
EFFECTS OF VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES ON AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, AGGRESSIVE COGNITION, AGGRESSIVE
AFFECT, PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL, AND PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR: A Meta-Analytic Review
of the Scientific Literature By Craig A. Anderson and Brad J. Bushman, from http://www.soc.iastate.edu/sapp/videogames1.pdf
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