First off, here is the link to the KCCI story about a new Iowa State University study talking about the impact of violent video games:
Study: Impact of Violent Video Games Lasts for Years
As I read the article, I didn't hear anything really new to me, just another new study that is showing the same thing other studies have: Violent video games can and do have effects on young people. Most of these studies are new because the realistic violence of today's video games is still very new. We are just now learning the true effects of long-term exposure to these games. These are not the games we grew up with. As a student of mine said, "When I play these games, I get lost in them. They are so real. I play them so long that even when I take a break, I sometimes can't tell what is real and what isn't". Trust me....that didn't happen when we played Pac-Man, Contra, or Double Dragon growing up!
But the part that stuck with me after reading this article were the comments. I thought I would read a lot of parent support and a call to action. Instead, comment after comment (article is pretty new, so comments can change) talks about how the study has to be false and violent video games are okay because we all grew up with them. That got me thinking and thinking more and getting a little defensive. Normally internet comments don't get to me, but the comments simply weren't understanding the big picture. So I decided I would post a blog about my thoughts and try to counter the comments left on the article in hopes that parents, and hopefully even teens, can see why we need to listen to experts and even when we disagree, take a moment to think: If there is even a chance that this could negatively affect my child and it isn't required for my child to live....does he/she really need it? So....here I go.....
Comment #1: "Just another study": The study was done by Iowa State University and the topic was video games. Iowa State University invented the computer and is still a leader in computer science. They also have a pretty amazing virtual reality program. And they are a major research university. In other words....this isn't just another study. Also, they followed 3000 kids (that is 3000!) for 3 years. They didn't let 10 kids play Black Ops for a Day and then try to pick a fight with them and see how they reacted. They followed these kids for over 1000 days and continued to test them all through the study. This isn't just another study. And even if it was....it is another study among many recent studies that are learning that the brain can easily be affected by any sort of negative media.
Comment #2: "Isn't this just like Cops and Robbers or Cowboys and Indians like we used to play". Simple answer? No. I admit, when I was little, I played these games and enjoyed them. I enjoyed "killing" my brother or capturing him and taking him to jail. But I played them for 20 minutes at a time and it was my brother....someone I loved (most of the time). A typical middle school or high school student will play Black Ops or Grand Theft Auto for 3-4 hours at a time without moving their body. The only body part really doing work are the eyes and brain. And they are really working....recording all of the media put in front and processing each and every step and reaction. And these young people are playing their "enemy" which is sometimes the system itself, sometimes a friend, and many times a random person online. And their goal is not just to kill or capture their enemy, their goal is to kill them over and over in the most creative way possible. The students I talk to talk about how they love the blood spatter on their screen and love "trash talking" their opponent even though they admit that they often swear while playing this game because "that is just what you do in these games...you say vulgar stuff to the person you are beating". That does not sound like a game of brother vs brother Cops and Robbers to me. And remember the goal of Cops and Robbers? Not to get caught...run from your enemy. In other words....avoid conflict. The goal in violent video games? Score points, get kills. The more kills you get and the more creative you kill someone? The more points you get. Think about that idea......the more violence you cause and create, the more rewards you get. Ever hear of "leveling up"? This is the ultimate thing for a young person to do in a video game. In our day and age...this would be like getting a raise in your allowance. How awesome was that day!! But today's kids want to constantly "level up" in their games. And in violent video games, you level up by killing (or sadly in some games by beating women, having sex with prostitutes, or killing cops). So, no, these games are not like Cops and Robbers or Cowboys and Indians.
Comment #3: "Have them put down these games and enjoy some family time with UFC fighting, WWE wrestling, Walking Dead, etc.". Since I went a little long on the last comment, I will make this one short. Mainly because it is an easy one. There are other options. There seriously are. We live in a world with over 1000 cable channels, over a million Apps on the AppStore, and cell phones full of pointless, mindless games. If your child has to have a screen in front on them (that is whole other blog.....), there are non-violent options. My kids find them just fine. I love The Walking Dead, but my brain is fully developed and I am prepared for what I see. My kids will be maybe ready for that too....when they are in high school....maybe later.
Comment #4: "This is just like Looney Tunes and dropping anvils on someone's head". Again, no. Looney tunes never used blood. Never. Also, it is "silly violence", not realistic violence. The most popular video games currently are what are known as "realistic violence" games, which are even different than Mortal Kombat that I grew up around. People killing people in bloody ways using real weapons is very different than a road runner dropping an anvil on a coyote or a mouse lighting a cat's tail on fire. Our kids brains are in development, but they are developed enough to tell the difference between those two types of violence. They are not always able to tell the difference between realistic violence and real life though.
Comment #5: "Gamers are not the ones shooting up these places, mentally disturbed people who happened to play games at some point in their life are shooting up these places". Well...not all gamers are shooting places up. In fact, most aren't. But the study didn't say video games cause teens to "shoot places up". It said it increases aggression and influence their future behavior. As mentioned earlier, teen gamers are now learning to not back down but to fight back. They are learning that violence isn't always bad, but many times can be rewarded with power and glory. And yes, without proper adult interaction and instruction, and with a brain that doesn't develop quite like the others, yes they might just be the next shooter. In fact, one of the most common factors in school shootings after mental health issues is exposure to violent video games and media. Several recent shooters even told police that they trained for these events by playing video games such as Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto. But even if you forget about the school shootings, aggression is still the cause of bullying, gang fighting and violence, school fights, and youth violence. And I dislike these just as much as the school shootings.
I could likely keep typing rebuttals to these comments, but I think you get the point. Good parenting and debriefing with a child after any violence, either video game, media, or real, can limit or even erase these effects. But as a full-time working parent with a wife who works full time as well, we can't debrief with our children all the time. We make the easiest decision of all: we try our best to not expose them to any violent media (not even the news at times) and when we do, we do it with purpose and we talk them through what they just saw. Parenting is tough and technology was supposed to make it easier, but for today's parent, it has actually made it tougher.
Bottom line is this: If we continue to ask the question "where did we go wrong? Why are our kids bullying each other? Why are kids so mean these days? Why are there so many school shootings and violence in young people?" And when studies come out simply stating that violent video games and violent media biologically can be altering the brain and behavior of our young people and this helps us answer at least a little piece of these complex questions, why do we immediately say "science is dumb, my kid's just fine playing whatever he/she wants."? Sometimes we ask questions we don't want the answers to. The question is....will we change?
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