New Study Shows Impact of Violent Video Games Lasts for Years

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?

Body Image and the Media

In many ways kids today have more than most people could have ever imagined.  They have access to people, programs, and information from all over the world at the push of a button available 24/7. They have more choices:   from what they wear, what music they listen to, activities, who they relate to and spend time with, occupations, where they'll live, what they do on the weekend...the list goes on and on. 

In this time of more, however, there are some distinct drawbacks.  Overload from being connected 24/7, commonplace violence in the news, games, and movies, the need for immediate gratification.  What I'd like to focus on today though, is the bombardment of media and social pressures on our kids to look a certain way. 

Historically speaking, "skinny" wasn't always the sought-after goal.  In earlier centuries, being skinny was a sign that a family did not have enough food or that illness was wide-spread. In the mid 20th century women were marketed with products to make them more curvaceous.  Even as close as 25 years ago, models typically weighed 8% less than the "average" American.  Today, the disparity is 23%.  In fact, only 5% of the population would be able to attain the current media ideal (From "Mirror, Mirror"- Social Issues Research Centre).  And the really sad part is that even those people are photoshopped and airbrushed to look different.

On one hand, kids (and adults) are being shown advertisements that make it seem like eating out, and eating a lot, is the way to go- giant cheeseburgers or super sized fries and big gulps of soda.  It's easy to go through drive through, pick up the processed quick and easy meals at the grocery store, or snack on whatever bag of chips or fast food we can get at our local convenience store. 

On the other hand, we're being shown that to be happy, to fit in, to "make it" in life, we need to be super skinny, have clear skin, perfect teeth, and wear the right clothes.  It's in our tv ads, shows, movies, magazines, advertisements on games, music, and our internet searches.

Just today, I read an article and watched a video about a new app that had been removed from the iTunes and google play called  "Plastic Surgery & Plastic Doctor & Plastic Hospital Office for Barbie."  The problem:  it promoted the notion that women need to be thin and that plastic surgery is the way to achieve that goal.  And add that the app was geared towards kids as young as 9.  You can check out the article and video here.  (I found it interesting that on the page with the article and video there was an article about "how to look as gorgeous as an NFL cheerleader" and an advertisement for the newest diet pill.)

Another video to get you thinking comes from Dove's Campaign for real beauty showing how we describe ourselves versus how others see us...

It made me think about the conflicting messages that our students receive and how many of them take those messages to heart.  It makes me wonder who their role models are? If we've taught them how to distinguish the messages they see and hear to determine what's real?   If we've provided good examples of being loving towards our own bodies?  I certainly like to think so, but I also realize that I am not immune to societal pressures- agonizing over those 5 or 10 pounds I'd like to lose, going to McDonalds because I'm too tired when I get home from work to cook a meal, or complaining about the size of some body part.

I love that there are more and more people everyday making the choice to be a role model for a healthy, whole body and mind.  Check out some videos...

• Here's a great video from a sorority that started a "fat talk free" week back in 2008
• A clip from one of Jennifer Lawrence's interviews
• Dove's Evolution video (using photoshop)
• "She said it" Celebrity quotes

Love your body.  Love your kids. Teach them how to be healthy and happy in their own skins.

Common Sense Media Reviews Two HUGE "Teen" Entertainment Options this Holiday Season

    And guess what?? They are not necessarily appropriate for all teens and young people. If you have not used Common Sense Media, you need to. It is our family's go-to site before we watch a show, go to a movie, or buy a videogame. Even DirecTV now uses Common Sense Media as their source of "parental information". When you watch a show or movie on DirecTV and click on Parental Info, it takes you to the information that Common Sense Media provides. There detailed review gives a much better idea as to what age is the appropriate age to consume the media you are considering. Rated PG? PG-13? R? Doesn't matter. This site combines parent, kid, and expert reviews and gives you an actual age that is appropriate. But it also gives so much more. My favorite part is the question section where if you decide to let your child/teen watch the show or movie, you can help them process and debrief what they just saw. Helping a young person and their developing brain understand what they just saw and why the real world may or may not be just like what they saw is very important. So....long story short, check the site out at www.commonsensemedia.org


   So....what did they say about Hunger Games: Catching Fire? Click here to find out, but here are some of the bullet points:
     *Parents say age 13 is appropriate, kids say age 12 is appropriate

     *It ranks really high in the Positive Messages and Role Models category, but also very high in the violence category

     *While young readers have enjoyed the book series, the website has concerns that the movie violence may be "too dark" for some of the readers of the series.


  And what about Grand Theft Auto V?? Again, click here to find out more, but here are some of the bullet points from their review. Hint....it is totally not appropriate for some teens!
     
      *Parents say age 14 is appropriate, kids say age 15 is appropriate. (Did you catch that?? Kids actually have more concern than parents! That should tell you a lot about this game.)

      *A huge "Not For Kids" tag is all over this review. You don't see that often on this site.

      *It scored a "0" in positive messages and role models, but a 5/5 in Violence, Sex, Drugs, and Language.

      There are some parent questions/talking points a parent could use if they decide to let their child play this game, but you can see from the three bullet points above, no matter what the age, you should proceed with caution if you plan on allowing this game in your home with your children/teens.


   As you hit the Holiday season and decide which games to buy, which movies to take the family too, and which shows to catch on cable, please consider using this website. It is a great resource to families and kids. Happy Holidays!

Revisiting CommonSenseMedia.Org for the School Year

   If you are new to this blog, you may not have heard about CommonSenseMedia.org before. If not, you need to check it out. As a parent and as a counselor, I love it. The basic premise of the site is to review all forms of media (books, TV shows, movies, games, etc.) specifically to show what images, messages, and ideas might be communicated to your child if he/she watches or consumes that form of media. It is very specific and gives age recommendations for each media title. But even if you do choose to still let your child watch or read something that this site says might not be appropriate, it gives you some guiding questions to help your child make sense of what they just saw or read. So, the makers and contributors of this site (parents and kids/teens), understand that you cannot always control what your child consumes in the forms of media, but you can at least follow up with them and debrief so that the correct messages are sent and the child can see why it may or may not be appropriate or like/unlike the real world. I have placed several links below to help you explore CommonSenseMedia.org even more. Bookmark the website and use it as your growing teen may want to start seeing more adult movies, TV shows, or read more adult books or play more adult games.

(*Of note....there is a movement out there wanting the movie ratings system to be more like this website instead of their simple letter rating as parents and kids would know more about what they are going to view with this type of rating)

CommonSenseMedia.Org website click here. Also, towards the bottom of the page, they have a just released survey of teens and social media. Interesting information.

Past blog posts of mine about CommonSenseMedia.org:

   50+ Summer Activities by CommonSenseMedia.org click here!

  Blogpost I wrote to introduce parents to CommonSenseMedia. I included several current reviews at the time of shows students were telling me about. On some of them....YIKES!

  And of course, a blogpost specifically about the Hunger Games movie. Since it is now out on DVD, this is pretty timely again.

Infographic Showing Young People's Current Nutrition and Habits.

Thank you to Larry Ferlazzo and his Websites of the Day blog, I found this infographic about the nutrition, or lack of nutrition our young people are getting. It also contains some information about their habits and what media and media advertisements they are exposed to. The "results" section is probably the most alarming. Click on Larry's blog by clicking here to read and see more. You can also click on his "best sites for learning about nutirtion food safety" to learn more.




Here is one part of the infographic, but there is a 2nd smaller infographic on his blog post.

High School Teacher Jill Hathaway Launches Her Book "Slide" Worldwide!

  Since my blog posts today seems to be media focused (books and movies), here is one more very special book debuting this month right here in Iowa and all over the world. Our very own Jill Hathaway, a literacy teacher at the high school, has had her Teen Fiction novel published and it is getting great reviews. In speaking with Jill, she wasn't so sure this book was age appropriate for our young middle school kids, but thought 14 and up might be a good age range for her target readers. CommonSenseMedia.org has not reviewed it yet as they do not review a lot of books, but many other sites and reviewers have. In fact, just today the teen magazine "Seventeen" published an online review of her book. You can read it here!

   Mrs. Hathaway will be at the West Des Moines Barnes and Noble on March 31st from 2-4 p.m. for her book launch. You can read about the details here! on the Barnes and Noble website of events.

   I am so excited for Mrs. Hathaway as I know she worked very hard for this, all while balancing her growing family and her job as an educator. Carlisle is honored to have her working with our students every day, many of them hoping to be published authors themselves. Now they get to watch a teacher of theirs reach her dreams and go through the process and continue to inspire teens she comes into contact with to do the same. Congrats Jill and I am looking forward to your book launch and all the success that comes with it. Parents and teens who read this blog....look for "Slide" on your local bookshelf and give it a read and enjoy the ride!

Also, CommonSenseMedia.Org Reviews Another New Movie: "Bully"

And while some of you are visiting CommonSenseMedia.org, another movie review to check out is the new movie titled "Bully". This movie has been in the news alot because it is a very real documentary geared for kids in school. But, the movie is so real, it received an "R" rating and despite appeals, the rating has stuck. Therefore, many schools are not showing the movie to kids even though the director had hoped that this movie would be seen in schools everywhere. I found it interesting that the movie was listed as a similar age range as The Hunger Games, age 12-14 with caution, 16 and up okay. Language is the key issue as the hurtful words are pretty blunt. But the comments from parents and kids seem to look past those issues and say the movie is too important to not been seen by kids. Please click on the link below to read the CommonSenseMedia review and the 2nd link to see what reviews the movie is getting from critics across the country (hint....5 reviews are in and ALL are positive). Again, these reviews might be helpful if you decide to let your child watch it or even if you as a parent watch it. I plan to watch it to better educate myself on the topic of bullying and to see what all the fuss about this movie is about.

CommonSenseMedia.org review of "Bully"

RottenTomatoes collection of reviews of "Bully"

Hunger Games Movie Review by CommonSenseMedia.Org

   If you haven't used CommonSenseMedia.org to research a movie, a TV show, an app, or a video game, or even a book, you really should give it a try. I have blogged about this site before, but long story short, Commonsensemedia.org is a website that reviews anything pop culture and the reviews are by experts, educators, parents, and kids. Combining all of this knowledge, they give you a more accurate idea of what age the media is appropriate for. Not only that, but my favorite part is they talk about both the positive and negatives that piece of media (such as Hunger Games movie) contains and they give you some talking points and questions you could discuss with your children should you decide to let them watch the movie, play the game, or read the book. In other words, it understands that kids may be exposed to some material that is not 100% positive, but it makes a point of involving the family and some discussion to process what was just watched, read, etc.

  With all that said, they just released their review of the Hunger Games movie. The movie has been talked about non-stop at our middle school and middle schools around the country. But even adults are talking about this book and this movie. I have not read the book, but I have heard it is great and a book that teens and adults both love. But the premise of the book and movie, teens fighting to the death via a futuristic reality show does cause some concern for parents. I thought the review and some of the comments on CommonSenseMedia.org did a good job of explaining all of this. The age they say could watch the movie is no younger than 12 or 13 and is actually more appropriate for 16 and up. Please click on the review below to learn more. Many kids age 11-13 are likely going to see it, but at least after reading the review and comments, you as parents can be prepared for some discussion questions and some method of helping your child process what they just saw.

And as the kids would say, "Happy Hunger Games"

CommonSenseMedia.org

Hunger Games review on CommonSenseMedia.org

CommonSenseMedia.Org....Still One of the Best Sites for Families Out There!

I can't tell you how much I love this site and how cool it is for a Dad (and teacher/counselor) like me! I originally found this site and used it just as a site to review movies and TV shows before my kids watched them. As a counselor, I am always amazed at what my middle school students tell me they watch. Sure the R rated movies surprise me, but sometimes PG-13 or TV shows can be pretty bad too. Well, this site breaks every TV show and movie down in multiple categories so you can see just what is so bad or so good about that particular entertainment choice. They even give you a suggested age where this show or movie would be appropriate. And it is not just expert opinions, it combines parent and children opinions too. This is a site that the whole family could visit and discuss before planning what movie to see or what show to watch. I have placed a few examples below of some good and bad shows that students have told me they have seen recently. But please, check out this site and bookmark it.....it is truly an amazing site!

(Oh, I forgot....for every show, if you decide to let your kids watch it, the site gives you talking points on even the bad things the show has. How cool is that?! Now you can discuss things about the show with your children and have a built in cheat sheet on what to ask and talk about!)

Jersey Shore: Guess what? Not a good show and now scientifically proven. No role model or positive messages to be found.

Up All Night: A new favorite show for my wife and I. My kids are too young, but this site actually says this show has some good qualities in comparison to most other shows. Interesting!

Spongebob: Not much for good qualities and even "iffy" for 6 year olds. For middle schoolers, it is probably fine, but if you have little ones, you might want to read up.

Thor: Pretty typical superhero movie. You might think these movies are great for kids and in many cases they are pretty good, but reading about it on a site like this might make you more prepared for talking with your child/teen when before or after they see the movie.

Saw: As we approach Halloween, some kids may want to rent and watch the original "Saw" movie or some of the sequels. This makes my skin crawl. As you can see from the research, this movie doesn't even have a suggested age as the movie is deemed not suitable for any age kid. Yet, I bet nearly 50% of my students have seen it!

The Hangover: This one still baffles me. So many middle school students ask me if I have seen it and want to know what I think. Then they tell me they loved it and have seen it many times. I watched it after it was on DVD and I kept thinking "My students watched this??" Anyway, here is the review.

These are just a few examples but you can really see the detail put into each review and study. Next time you are questioning if a movie or TV show is suitable for your child or family, give this site a try.

Common Sense Media: A Great Site for Parents and Kids!

I found out about this site reading through some blogs I follow and had to check it out. Normally, I do a quick check on a site and if it is worth it, I will post it to my own blog. With this site, I spent a considerable amount of time just researching different games and shows to see the reviews. I was very impressed. As a parent of 3 young children who will be growing up in a quickly changing world of not just technology, but social norms, morals, and behaviors, I was glad to see such a collection of unbiased reviews about everything my eyes and my kids' eyes see in a given day. Whether it be a game, a movie, a TV show, or a book, I can figure out what kids are saying about it, what parents think about it, and what this website says about it. The website breaks down each item into categories like "educational value", "violence", "sexuality", and "alcohol/drugs", plus several other categories. Very quickly, you can learn about the questionable or mature items (or hopefully lack of items) in a product your child might want to buy or watch. Suggested ages are given in both the kids point of view and the parents point of view. Guess what? The parents usually feel the ages need to be older before viewing these things while the kids say younger, but not always. The kids' reviews on this site are even pretty thoughtful and understanding.

So, before you just let your kid watch something, play something, or read something because the box says they can or because they say all their friends can, do some research. Start with this site as I found very little not reviewed by this site (even the newest show Skins that parent groups nationwide are protesting against has been reviewed and talked about on this site!)

Click here to go to Common Sense Media