Playing video games has become one of the favorite pastimes of young people in recent years. The gaming industry has seen a rise like never before and the virtual worlds it offers are more numerous, complex, realistic and more appealing with each passing year. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that most video games contain an element of violence or aggression. This has raised some concern with parents fearing that their children might be negatively affected if exposed to said violence. While I agree with this idea to some extent, meaning that small children should not play violent games, I believe that kids acquire discernment relatively early in life and from that point on it is ok to let them play mildly violent games and as they mature, to move on to more graphic content. I say that because I believe children can tell the difference between a game and reality much like they can tell the difference between a story in a book or a movie on TV, and real life. We underestimate their level of understanding and mistake their natural impulse to get emotionally invested in something they find interesting, with brainwashing or emotional trauma.
Video games tell visual stories. They take the main character through a progression of events that matches that of movies and books. There is no difference between these forms of expression in that respect. The only difference is that in a game, the spectator gets to control the main character/characters and by doing so, get even more immersed in the story. Children, teenagers and young adults playing games understand that what happens on the screen is different from reality just as they understand that a story in a book is just that: a story. They don’t consider the violence in the games to have any effect on the real world so they allow themselves to have some fun. That doesn’t make them more susceptible to violence or desensitizes them towards aggression in real life, but allows them to safely exteriorize impulses that they are not encouraged to express in the community.
People get angry. That is a fact of life. When they are angry, they search for a way to release that anger. Some individuals go to the gym and pump iron or hit the heavy bag until their knuckles hurt, some need to talk about what’s bothering them, some have a drink or smoke to calm down and some people sit in front of a computer or console and play games, allowing for all that anger to go into an activity that doesn’t hurt anybody. Games have a therapeutic effect, allowing people to vent anger and frustration on a virtual world instead of the real one.
Gamers take on roles in games. They become aggressive and perform acts that are undoubtedly a big no-no in real life. This is similar to empathizing with a character in a movie that performs questionable actions. It’s not about the violence, it’s about the feeling and excitement of being a part of an imaginary world where such actions are allowed and necessary for survival.
Games educate young people. We all manage to retain information better if we receive the information in a manner that is pleasing to us. Games need a story and a world, a context in which the action takes place. Many of these stories are based on real life, mythology, science and many more subjects, spanning across a vast area of the spectrum of human knowledge. This information is absorbed almost effortlessly by some of the gamers, making them more knowledgeable about subjects that they would otherwise be ignorant of. The principle of making learning fun is unintentionally yet masterfully applied to games.
Games are one of the best storytelling methods of the 21st century. Whether we like it or not, they are here to stay and will keep developing and having an even bigger influence on the young generations in the years to come. With emerging technologies like VR headsets and augmented reality making steady progress, a slight merging of reality and the virtual world is in the works. That is not a cause for concern but a reason for celebration in my opinion. Humanity is long overdue for an upgrade.
In conclusion, I believe that violent video games are not bad for young people. If anything, it educates them in a safe manner about the consequences of violent action. Gamers do not think about violence in video games as real, they do not feel the impulse to enact what they do in the virtual world outside of it.
While there are exceptions to the rule, individuals who do decide to act out a scene or aggressive action from a violent game have underlying issues that would have eventually manifested even in the absence of video games.
Before video games existed, some people would say rock music was bad for young people. If video games disappeared tomorrow, certain people would instantly find other targets to take the blame for the world being the way it is. Although I agree that an 8-year-old shouldn't be playing games like Grand Theft Auto. And if they are, it's not the video game industry we should blame, but the parents of the 8-year-old.
Before video games existed, some people would say rock music was bad for young people. If video games disappeared tomorrow, certain people would instantly find other targets to take the blame for the world being the way it is. Although I agree that an 8-year-old shouldn't be playing games like Grand Theft Auto. And if they are, it's not the video game industry we should blame, but the parents of the 8-year-old.