Computer Games and Internet Violence

Paper Summary:

This research shows that today there is more violence in television programming and video game content than just a few years ago and that more children than ever are watching such programming and playing such games. Furthermore,the paper points out that children, particularly boys, are playing more video games than watching television, and the violent content and gender role models exemplified in the games preferred by boys has been the source of increasing concern by educators, policymakers, and parents alike. The writer also states that the growing concern over violence in video games may be more justified than previously believed. The research suggests that playing such games can have an adverse effect on social development among young game players, especially boys, and may contribute to a higher incidence of aggressive behavior among this population.

From the Paper:

"According to Lachlan, Smith and Tamborini (2003), video games are the latest of the most recent forms of mass media to come under criticism for violent and female-bashing content Video game critics argue that games such as Mortal Kombat, Duke Nukem, and Doom are not only inherently violent, but that playing such games may be having a harmful effect on young players. In fact, U. S. Senator Joseph Lieberman (1998) stated, "these games ... are part of a toxic culture of violence that is enveloping our children, that is helping to desensitize them and blur the lines between right and wrong, and encouraging some of the most vulnerable of them to commit violence" (p. 1). Indeed, playing violent video games has also been implicated as being a potential contributing factor in the recent schoolyard massacres at Columbine High and Westside Middle School (Flatin, 2000)."

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