Video Games are constantly popping up at stores across the nation, especially violent ones. Kids love games such as Call of Duty, Doom, and Assassins Creeds. Because people play these games often, they begin to pick up traits from characters in the game without even realizing.  Violent videos games cause behavior issues that can lead to delinquent minds and crime, cause aggression in children, and invite illnesses into people’s minds.

From my standpoint, violent video games link closely with child violence. By playing video games often, children begin to learn that violence is common and natural. Kids constantly sit in front of a screen fighting people who are supposed to be bad guys, but sometimes, kids forget who the bad guys are in real life and will start fighting their friends at school or some family members at home.

Video games can cause kids of all ages to exhibit increased aggression. A teenager’s behavior can be hugely affected through violence displayed in video games. A study done by Sutter Health found that as video games reward the gamers for doing something helpful like planting a garden, the teen will be influenced to become more helpful, but as Sutter Health’s research continues, “However, studies also show that video games with violent content are linked to more aggressive behavior in teens” (Sutter Health). Researchers are very concerned about the study because most games today contain a lot of violence (Sutter Health). Violent video games can affect young children greatly, too. Researchers found that there is a consistent relationship between the usage of violence in video games and childhood aggression (“APA Review…”). They also found that the effect of aggression, aggressive cognitions, and behavior have increased over time (“APA Review…”). However, other researchers believe that they confirmed that there is no apparent evidence between violence in games and children’s aggression (Radowitz). As The Telegraph writes, “But it concluded that any effects were small and that overall video games were at most a ‘statistically significant, yet minor, factor’ in shaping children’s behaviour” (Radowitz). I believe that video games have a link to child aggression because kids spend a lot of time playing video games that they pick up traits of the video game character without even realizing it.

Not only can violent video games affect one’s behavior, but it can also affect one’s brain. Studies find that violent video games can cause one to lose their self control (Bushman). One study asked a group of kids play a violent video game, and the group would play a nonviolent video game (Bushman). Laying beside the computer was a bowl of M&Ms (Bushman). The kids were allowed to eat as many as they wanted, but researchers warned them that high consumption in a short amount of time wasn’t good for them. The results found that those who ate more M&Ms were the kids who played the violent video games (Bushman). Violent video games also can lead to pathological gaming addictions. Addictions like these can lead to even more serious health matters (“Video Gaming Can Lead to Mental Health Problems”).  The American Academy of Pediatrics identified that “Depression, anxiety, social phobias and lower school performance as likely outcomes of problem gaming” (“Video Gaming Can Lead to Mental Health Problems”). Another conclusion developed is that gamers feel better about themselves when playing a game because it gives them control. The good feeling then turns into an addiction (Oberg). Violence in video games doesn’t always affect the brain, but sometimes it’s just the game itself-with or without violence. The same article that discusses outcomes of gaming also claims that any video game has the power and does not specify the violence itself (“Video Gaming Can Lead to Mental Health Problems”). The first sentence in the article examines that “Pathological gaming, or video game addiction, has been associated with problems in youth” (“Video Gaming Can Lead to Mental Health Problems”).

To conclude, violent video games have huge effects on humans that can possibly lead to criminal behavior, give children aggression and even have certain effects on the brain and one’s mental health. Adam Lanza and Evan Ramsey are evidence that violent video games are linked to criminal behavior. Violent video games can also influence aggression in kids and teens behavior. In addition to behavioral issues, obsessive gaming-especially violent-can cause minor and major effects on one’s brain. To help this unaware issue there could be restrictions on the amount of violence a game contains. If the government can manage the violent content in a game there would be a smaller chance of criminals, children aggression can decrease giving a safe environment and lastly, mental health statuses would be a lot healthier.

Works Cited

“APA Review Confirms Link Between Playing Violent Video Games and Aggression.” American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association, 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2016. <http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/08/violent-video-games.aspx>

Bushman, Brad J. “Violent Video Games Decrease Self-control.” Psychology Today. Health Profs.Com, 16 Jan. 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2016. <https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/get-psyched/201401/violent-video-games-decrease-self-control>.

Oberg, Becky. “Link Between Violent Video Games and Mental Illness? | More Than Borderline – HealthyPlace.” More Than Borderline &raquo. Healthy Place, 8 Oct. 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2016. <http://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/borderline/2013/10/is-there-a-link-between-violent-video-games-and-mental-illness/>.

Radowitz, John Van. “Study Finds That Violent Video Games May Be Linked to Aggressive Behaviour.” The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 17 Aug. 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2016. <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/study-finds-that-violent-video-games-may-be-linked-to-aggressive-behaviour-10458614.html>.

“The Impact of Video Games.” The Impact of Video Games. Sutter Health, n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2016. <http://www.pamf.org/parenting-teens/general/media-web/videogames.html#Impact of Videogames on Adolescents>.

“Video Gaming Can Lead to Mental Health Problems.” Video Gaming Can Lead to Mental Health Problems. American Academy of Pediatrics, 17 Jan. 2011. Web. 07 Apr. 2016. <https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/Video-Gaming-Can-Lead-to-Mental-Health-Problems.aspx>