Video and Computer Games

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that computer and video games have become a very popular form of mass-market entertainment because they offer a wide variety of virtual, realistic, unrealistic and fantasy type scenarios. The author describes the ways that many video and computer games contain violence, which the author believes is one of their disadvantages. The author relates that, although there is an indication that excessive violence in these games might be related to violent behavior in children, the outcome is not irrefutable. The paper concludes that it is up to parents to know their child and the types of games he or she is accessing.

From the Paper:

"Yasmin Kafai has written numerous articles on learning technologies and environments for young children in the fields of education, developmental psychology, computer and information studies. In her book "Minds at Play" Kafai states that video games more than other media have become an essential part of contemporary children's culture. This is quite an interesting perspective considering you would think most children would be playing the games rather than trying to create them especially since it's such a complex process."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Van Horn, Royal. "Violence and Video Games." Phi Delta Kappan (1999): 173-174.
• Grossman, David. "We are training our kids to kill." The Saturday Evening Post (1999): 54-59.
• "Video Games and Youth Violence: Examining the Facts." Interactive Digital Software Association (2001): 1-14. http://www.idsa.com/IDSAfinal.pdf.
• "Becoming a Video Smart Parent." Mothers against Violence in America. 2001: 1-11. http://www.mavia.org/pdfs/videosmart.pdf.
• Walsh, David. "Video Game Violence and Public Policy." National Institute on Media and the Family. 2001. http://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/conf2001/papers/walsh.html.

More papers on Video and Computer Games:

• Research Paper # 27867 : "Exploring Interactivity in Computer Games"
• Research Paper # 56417 : "Computer Games and Internet Violence"
• Research Paper # 61488 : "Computer Games Research"

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