Topic > The Effects of Violent Video Games: The Effects of…

Children today are exposed to more graphic violence in video games than in any past generation. This is because the media believes that making a profit is beyond the lives of the teenagers who play these games. However, over time two types of opinions have been formed from violence in video games. James D. Sauer, graduated from the Faculty of Psychology. In his article, “Violent Video Games: The Effects of Narrative Context and Reward Structure on In-Game and Post-Game Aggression,” Sauer describes that adolescents acquire forms of aggression and violence after playing certain games. Not all video games cause post-game aggression, but documented in her article, “Players who enacted in-game violence through a heroic character showed less post-game violence. Radboud University graduate, Isabela Granic brings to light the reasons for that young people actually benefit from playing." violent video games. For example, in his article “The Benefits of Playing Video Games,” Granic illustrates the fact that children acquire social skills, much more efficient motor skills, and an understanding of human beings as a whole. Observed by the author, "While adolescents and adults often use self-disclosure and direct discussion with close friends to resolve emotional problems, children use play to resolve them through fiction-based narratives enacted on their own or with others" (Granic 67). What the author means is that children use a different form of actions to express their feelings. While both Sauer's cause-and-effect approach to adolescent gaming and Granic's physiological approach and their conclusions on the effects on children led me to observe a new approach to understanding the complexity of young players' minds. However, what causes violent video games and do they truly result in a negative or positive effect on in-game and post-game aggression,” in Sauer’s article “Violent Video Games: The Effects of Narrative Context and Reward Structure on in-game and post-game aggression,” James, a psychology graduate, details why children choose violence or less violent games. Additionally, how the outcome of a violent game influences children's actions immediately after playing finished playing. Analyzing the work of physiology professor Helen Fisher, Sauer concludes that playing a wide variety of games can have different effects on a child. Documented by Sauer, “To the extent that this task is representative of risk taking in a real-world driving context, Fischer et al. found that racing games can have negative effects on road safety: increased risk-taking behavior, risk-promoting cognitions, and positive attitudes toward reckless driving” ( Sauer 206). A child does not necessarily have to shoot in a game like Call of Duty or rob a bank in GTA V, the end result is that the child will think that these things are accepted in society. Most games played by children today depict some type of violence. However, parents overlook the fact that the games contain warnings about violence, language and even nudity. In my personal experience, children will ask for the most trending games at that time and parents will buy the game to meet the needs and