Do Video Games Make You Violent?
Like many other people, I grew up playing video games and it was only after life happened that I have had to stop and I have been missing them ever since.
It doesn’t matter if you are a kid or a grown up, it is always a lot of fun to be able to escape into that virtual world for a bit and experience all the things that the game designer has planned so meticulously.
Video games have changed a lot since I first got my hands on one as a kid. Today, they are more immersive, adventurous, time-taking and well made with life like graphics. All these make for a really addictive experience.
Add to that the increasing violence that is heavily featured in today’s video games and people start questioning whether they can affect us on a psychological level. In fact many debates have been had on this matter.
Violent Video Games = Violent You?
Different people have different opinions about this. Some say it is true and some think that, that is just ridiculous. Even studies have been conducted to find out for sure but nothing has be concluded definitely.
The problem is that this question concerns human behaviour which is so uncertain and so different from one person to the other that one single yes or no simply cannot be true for everyone.
The general consensus however, is that though playing a lot of violent games may have some really short term effects like increased aggression, they are not going to have long term impact on a person’s behaviour. There are simply too many factors in play for a game to be able to change someone permanently like that.
I like playing Assassin’s Creed a lot but you won’t expect me to start wearing a badass assassin’s costume and go around killing people now, would you?
Video Games Can Have Positive Impacts
No, I’m not just saying that to justify my love for them. Many studies have showed positive health benefits of playing video games. (Only if my mom knew about it when I was a kid).
Regular video game playing can help you improve your memory and some cognitive abilities like easier pattern recognition, making faster decisions, improved spatial attention and can even help overcome dyslexia.
They can also help you reduce stress in life by helping you kill virtual enemies over and over again. There are many games specifically aimed at this. Go check them out, they are real fun!
And believe it or not, video games can actually help you make new social connections through multiplayer games, especially at a time where a game is not just a game anymore but a phenomenon.
What Do You Think?
So, what do you think about the matter? Can something as virtual as a video game affect someone so much that they become more aggressive, more violent in their real life and that too permanently?
Video games have been around for quite a while now and if they had such an effect on people, how come we are only now talking about it in recent times?
Have you played any violent games and felt that it has started affecting you on a psychological level or has made you act in an aggressive way in places and time that you normally wouldn’t?
I think these are the questions we would need to ask ourselves if we ever want to determine if we are really being affected by a video game in our lives. I doubt the answer would be yes to any of these questions, but you never know. Humans are very unpredictable!
I Noticed an Instance About Human behaviour and video games recently. I was a big video game addict when I was a kid. I would play counter strike, Call of duty and many more like these and keep playing until I clear all the levels or Become a Pro so that I can beat all of my friends.
I remained so much absorbed by them all the times during my childhood that I wouldn't care which relative has come to visit us, or if my family was calling me for something or to just join them and sit with them to have a little talk.
My Nephew has come to visit us recently and I share a deep bond with him. So I was pretty much excited to see him.
After a few minutes on reaching our home, he started playing His favourite Football game in his Tablet.
I asked him to go for a walk in the evening so that we could talk a little bit about our life, his school, and anything else. But he said he would be bored if he go on a walk and he is much more excited about his game as he is on a new level. So he denied my offer.
I felt pretty bad abouf it, but After a few moments I remembered that I was exactly the same. I would not care who has come to visit us. It was just that technology wasn't developed so much then that I could Carry my desktop to other's home and play there.
Our adults just want to spend some time with us. Which we don't get because we are kids and how the hell are we supposed to understand that, we are almost foolish at that time and would do certain erratic things that might hurt them.
Wish I could have understood it when I was a child, so that Instead of the Game memories That I still have, I would have memories with people that are now not in this world. Guess this is what I think about video games and human behaviour.
You are absolutely right. Video game addiction is a big problem in today's younger generation and technology has made it possible by not only creating an immersive experience but have made it portable so you could enter that world at any time.
I think this sort of behaviour is upto the parents to correct in their children. If they are allowed to do as they wish, it can really have long term effects in this case.
That's true, parents have to work out to find our ways to drop video games and socialise more, which is actually quite difficult.
u right all things but.. all about what the parents do! Video game addiction bcs of parents..
That might be.
By desensitizing us to violence, the more real the more desensitize one becomes, we uprise our own tendencies to use violence as an automatism... Sadly so...
Luckily, there is more and more games oriented toward creative and positive thinking experiences moving humans away from the depression inducing games that tend to promote violence.
Namaste :)
Yes, there are some really good games aimed at other awesome things as well and it's fun to play them more than the violent ones :)
I have played many violents and I never felt I was getting more agressive, the complete opposite, I think by playing videogames you release your personal stress and you act more respectfully in your real life.
You hit the nail right on the head. Violent video games can actually serve as an outlet for whatever aggression we may have. I sure feel nice killing virtual zombies on days when I'm angry! :D
I couldn't agree more.
I was just going to add that for years I stayed away from playing anything overly violent, because I had agressive friends and I thought it corelated their choice of gaming.
But after picking up farcry 3 and skyrim, and I saw my frustration and anxiety actually reduce, it changed my mind entirely.
It had a way of stimulating my mind, and just like tv my brain can spot a difference.
Honestly I see more horror in television series such as Dexter. I never got into semi-real horror drama because that shit feels like I'm watching real life.
Instead, hand me a new cartoon series, pixar, or similar and I rewatch those repeatedly.
Has watching Gravity Falls and other kids cartoons made me soft and inquisitive like a child? Perhaps. But not much more than I already am. ;)
Nope, and masterbation does not lead to blindness.
Bwahahahah! Good one and true!
hahaha!!!
LOL
sometimes violent video games plays vital role to make teenagers violent :)
Thank you for gifting this outstanding article, Upvoted already :)
Thank you for reading :)
Hmm, I think video games can actually make you violent, but when you don't have friends, or are basically lonely. Otherwise it's just an short bubble of violence, which pops out, when we divert our attention.
Yeah, I think they have short term effects too. A momentary outburst and they are done.
I've played video games since I can hold a controller. One of my favorite video games has a gun with a chainsaw attachment to saw the bad guys in half!! (Gears of War). I'm 36 years old and have been in maybe 2 fights my whole life. (I am 6'4" and 315 lbs so that may have stopped a few fights from happening) but I'm known as a giant teddy bear! Doesn't mean I won't defend myself or go after someone hurting my loved ones with the full extent of my wrath. But I am the farthest thing from violent.
haha those chainsaw weapons are so cool. I used them in resident evil and man that was satisfying :D
P.S. you should have made your Steemit username as giantteddybear ;)
Oh man, I haven't played a videogame since Hitler invaded poland :P
The latest I played was called Resident Evil... I didn't get violent, I just didn't sleep for 2 days being hooked on the story line.
The last I checked Resident Evil was not made at the time when Hitler invaded Poland :P
But yeah, I think games have more of an addictive influence rather than violent.
Haha I was joking :) But it seems like long time ago :P
I've not played violent, as in bloody, games. I've played many games in my life though, and even in fantasy games, you have to defeat your foes. I can't speak for others, but I don't feel violent in real life. I've never really understood why people would say games make people more violent. It's all just fun and games!
Don't small kids outside sometimes play with fake guns? Don't people watch violence on tv? I don't see much difference. I even think maybe gaming lets people blow off steam, so they don't have to do that in real life.
It might bring out something in people that is already there, but I think that's about it.
I'm no expert though!
Exactly! It's just fun and games. Maybe people were frustrated with their children spending too much time playing video games and they just made that myth up! haha.
That is kind of what I think, yes. It's the same when people say their children are spending way too much time playing games on the pc, while they themselves spend all evening watching television. I'd argue gaming is better, atleast when it's a proper challenging game and especially when played with friends. My brother basically learned perfect English playing World of Warcraft with friends from all over Europe.
Not that I'm saying screen time is better than playing outside, but gaming is looked down upon much more than watching television is. Not because it's worse, but because it is less socially accepted.
You are absolutely right!! It's exactly what happens!!!!
Video games don't make us violent... LAG DOES
Oh yeah. That's for sure!! :D
Brilliant! That's basically it :D
@jmehta please join us at #India channel on Steemit.chat sometime! :)
Can't stop laughing. Pranaam Guruji!
@rishi2184 please join us at #India channel on Steemit.chat sometime! :)
Sure! Thanks for letting me know.
Welcome!