Some parents nowadays just want an electronic babysitter. They don't care what it is, just as long as their kid stays in the room and is occupied.
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Study: Violent Video Games May Make Kids More Aggressive
- Thread starter ComputerMKII
- Start date
Some parents nowadays just want an electronic babysitter. They don't care what it is, just as long as their kid stays in the room and is occupied.
DryvBy
Member
I think fanboys do more of that than just seeing violence.
Also, bad parenting does this. Putting kids in front of things for hours and never actually teaching them right from wrong. My dad grounded me if I smarted off for an excessive time if I was getting rude and I played DOOM and Wolf3D.exe all the time back in my pre-teen days. But he also bought me way more games than just violent games, something parents I don't think are doing. Too much bad is going to produce that.
Also, bad parenting does this. Putting kids in front of things for hours and never actually teaching them right from wrong. My dad grounded me if I smarted off for an excessive time if I was getting rude and I played DOOM and Wolf3D.exe all the time back in my pre-teen days. But he also bought me way more games than just violent games, something parents I don't think are doing. Too much bad is going to produce that.
I'm not sure how much of the original article is available for those who can't get past the paywall. The researchers' conclusion summarizes the study well, so I'll go ahead and post that:
This study found that habitual violent VGP [Violent Game Play] increases long-term AB [Agressive Behavior] by producing general changes in ACs [Agressive Cognitions], and this occurs regardless of sex, age, initial aggressiveness, and parental involvement.
This study found that habitual violent VGP [Violent Game Play] increases long-term AB [Agressive Behavior] by producing general changes in ACs [Agressive Cognitions], and this occurs regardless of sex, age, initial aggressiveness, and parental involvement.
I agree with the American Psychological Association. I don't think violent media consumtion affects most kids to the point where they would become more aggressive. However I am sure that more influential children who also do not have parental supervision explaining what they are experiencing are affected.
The problem with this study is that the most important part, increase in aggression, is not observed by the actual psychologists. It's here say testamonial told to them by the children and their parents. Seeing as they are all aware of this study its obvious they would be more aware of aggressive behavior afterwards even if their behavior really has not changed.
I would be more interested in a long term study showing how many of these kids end up committing violent crimes. I mean thats the only reason why we care, right? Teenagers rage against their parents and their friends all the time. My question is do these kids grow up to be criminals. If not who cares.
The truth is nothing replaces good parenting. Especially media consumption.
The problem with this study is that the most important part, increase in aggression, is not observed by the actual psychologists. It's here say testamonial told to them by the children and their parents. Seeing as they are all aware of this study its obvious they would be more aware of aggressive behavior afterwards even if their behavior really has not changed.
I would be more interested in a long term study showing how many of these kids end up committing violent crimes. I mean thats the only reason why we care, right? Teenagers rage against their parents and their friends all the time. My question is do these kids grow up to be criminals. If not who cares.
The truth is nothing replaces good parenting. Especially media consumption.
No one is stating otherwise.
bigboss370
Member
thats why violent video games are M for mature!
MaximoffZero
Banned
I think it's okay as long as you are aware of what they're watching/playing and you discuss it with them. Education is always better than censorship.
I don't really get why anyone is surprised by this though. Kids tend to imitate things. I'm not saying this means a kid playing Call of Duty will go pick up a gun. But I remember when I was a kid, we used to watch Wrestling and Power Rangers. And you better believe we tried to act out that crap (wrestling each other, doing stupid jump kicks). So it's not surprising to me at all that violent/aggressive games, are going to probably have influence on behavior being more aggressive.
This is why kids aren't supposed to play these kind of games. It's why we have a rating system, and why this applies to film as well. So nothing surprising here at all.
This is why kids aren't supposed to play these kind of games. It's why we have a rating system, and why this applies to film as well. So nothing surprising here at all.
ComputerMKII
Banned
Not gonna lie, playing Hotline Miami for as little as half an hour makes me feel aggressive.
Perhaps you did read it but you jumped to a pretty cynical conclusion.
Either way, the larger issue is still a lack of parenting - people shouldn't let young kids play a game like COD: BLOPS 2 (which kicks of the single player campaign with a graphic depiction of a man burning to death inside of a crashed truck) any more than they should allow them to watch the Normandy landing sequence from Saving Private Ryan (the most realistically violent thing I can think of in a film.)
This. So much this.
The problem with this article is that it implies (or at least leaves the door WAY open for people to infer) that games are the only things that do this.
Video games, by their nature, are no worse than any other medium. Certainly not movies.
ComputerMKII
Banned
Did anyone in the article even say that?
Metroid-Squadron
Banned
"Main Outcomes and Measures The final outcome measure was aggressive behavior, with aggressive cognitions (normative beliefs about aggression, hostile attribution bias, aggressive fantasizing) and empathy as potential mediators.
Results Longitudinal latent growth curve modeling demonstrated that the effects of violent video game play are mediated primarily by aggressive cognitions. This effect is not moderated by sex, prior aggressiveness, or parental monitoring and is only slightly moderated by age, as younger children had a larger increase in initial aggressive cognition related to initial violent game play at the beginning of the study than older children. Model fit was excellent for all models."
Doesn't specify what are the aggressive behaviors. We also don't know what variables they controlled. Maybe kids these days watch the news more.
muleyman13
Member
I was coming to say something like this. I have 3 sons and I think the best things parents can do is to educate, discuss and teach our children about the realities of life. That there is love, kindness in this world but there is also many ugly things so that they are not bombarded with the harsh realities of life. I do not think parents should subject there kids to these things but to break things in slowly as to teach them. Just my 2 cents guys
Handy Fake
Member
When I was 6 years old, I was watching my Dad play Chuckie Egg on our Acorn Electron.
Enraptured was I. The joyfulness of ye olde gaming and the restlessness of youth, the knowledge that my Father could do no wrong, could never be beaten. Was a hero.
So when he fell down a lift shaft, I was so incensed that I hit him in the face with a cricket stump.
There's a moral in this story somewhere.
Enraptured was I. The joyfulness of ye olde gaming and the restlessness of youth, the knowledge that my Father could do no wrong, could never be beaten. Was a hero.
So when he fell down a lift shaft, I was so incensed that I hit him in the face with a cricket stump.
There's a moral in this story somewhere.
There's a difference in a kid seeing something and understanding that it's pretend and being capable of realizing that there are consequences for actions and not. Like you all realize that we are all very privileged because we are capable of understanding that these things aren't real and that it wouldn't be cool or possible to do the things we see in fantasy in real life. Like imagine that something dumb you thought you could do as a kid like example jump off a roof with an umbrella and land perfectly fine. Well take that and replace it with beating the shit out of another kid. This kids subgroup of children already lean towards violence and so forms of media push them or teen force their thoughts that this is okay behavior.
MaximoffZero
Banned
entremet
Member
There's a lot of issues at play here.
I didn't play ''mature'' games until my mid teens. That's when the PSone came out and we got stuff like MGS, Resident Evil and Tomb Raider.
Before that it was Nintendo and Sega stuff, which was very kid friendly. Even though Sega had the attitude of sorts it was still mostly harmless.
Cue to today, when you have preteens and younger playing CoD and GTA.
The industry has shifted its dollars to more mature experience, because gamers are growing up, which leads to a small place for more kid friendly fare, though it still exists. But I know my younger cousins want to play GTA and COD and not Lego video games or Mario.
I didn't play ''mature'' games until my mid teens. That's when the PSone came out and we got stuff like MGS, Resident Evil and Tomb Raider.
Before that it was Nintendo and Sega stuff, which was very kid friendly. Even though Sega had the attitude of sorts it was still mostly harmless.
Cue to today, when you have preteens and younger playing CoD and GTA.
The industry has shifted its dollars to more mature experience, because gamers are growing up, which leads to a small place for more kid friendly fare, though it still exists. But I know my younger cousins want to play GTA and COD and not Lego video games or Mario.
MaschinenZimmer
Banned
I don't understand. Did they give a 8 years old boy/girl something like GTA 4 or Fallout 3 and started wondering why the kid behaved differently after a constant exposure? Do they make the same study with porn and other mature content?
Sorry, but the study looks like useless shit to me that every sane human already knows.
Sorry, but the study looks like useless shit to me that every sane human already knows.
plagiarize
Banned
This isn't about ratings. When studies like this talk about violent games, they are talking about any game that includes violence, be it of a cartoon nature or of what we would put an M rating. No study has ever found a correlation between age rating and the level of increased aggression in the children playing it.
if you do not want your children to experience increased aggression then you need to stop them playing violent T and E rated games too. And contact sports. And watching violent cartoons.
not that those things mightn't be a good idea, but this conversation completely missed the point when people brought in age ratings. Just because we as adults perceive a difference between M and T rated titles has no bearing on how much effect they have on children.
and incase anyone doesn't get it, this finding isn't new and the supreme court were well aware of it when they threw out legislation limiting the sale of M rates games. Increased aggression doesn't mean a person becomes violent. Media changing our behavior is not reason to limit anything. People are still aware of right and wrong.
its important for parents to know what might be contributing to unwanted behaviors in their children, so such research is important, but its misuse in legislation is a bridge we already crossed. When it comes to young children, ratings aren't what you should be looking at.
if you do not want your children to experience increased aggression then you need to stop them playing violent T and E rated games too. And contact sports. And watching violent cartoons.
not that those things mightn't be a good idea, but this conversation completely missed the point when people brought in age ratings. Just because we as adults perceive a difference between M and T rated titles has no bearing on how much effect they have on children.
and incase anyone doesn't get it, this finding isn't new and the supreme court were well aware of it when they threw out legislation limiting the sale of M rates games. Increased aggression doesn't mean a person becomes violent. Media changing our behavior is not reason to limit anything. People are still aware of right and wrong.
its important for parents to know what might be contributing to unwanted behaviors in their children, so such research is important, but its misuse in legislation is a bridge we already crossed. When it comes to young children, ratings aren't what you should be looking at.
Yeah, I'd like to know what is "aggressive behavior". Are we talking kids playfully emulating the things they've seen or are we talking about a notable increase in malicious acts against others.
Dude instead of writing this long winded thing just say you didn't read the article.
plagiarize
Banned
I did. And I have read numerous studies on this matter. Care to actually highlight the parts you disagree with in my post?
Natureboy99
Banned
Breaking news: the things you experience affect you. In other news, the sun came up today.
Salvor.Hardin
Banned
It's great to have watchful and caring parents but not every child has that privilege and not every parent is responsible or even cognizant of what good parenting entails. Some are downright selfish and destructive.
Fried Food
Banned
Any game can make a person aggressive (in the short term anyway)
Anyone who disagrees with this is wrong.
Anyone who disagrees with this is wrong.
This commercial isn't so far from reality as one might think. Really, it's funny because it's true.
The studies must not have involved Viva Pinata then.
SkeptiMism
Member
It's not that simple really. Even if they don't become criminals (not that likely I'd imagine) there are a million other consequences (very indirect of course, just as them becoming criminals - it's all about subtle effects and combinations of multiple factors). Dozens of millions of people in the US for example have things like depression, anxiety, panic disorders or whatever. In an individual level these are nasty things, but they are also pretty nasty things in a society level because they can be very expensive.
And to clarify, no I'm not saying video games are the reason for such things, but I think they can certainly be one factor. And you can be very "normal" person to get them.
But yes, good parenting is the thing to remember always.
goldrush80
Neo Member
I lived in a urban area and heard it all the time IRL.
LingeringRegime
Member
I am conducting another study. The laboratory is my neighborhood. Irresponsible destructive kids have idiots for parents. So far my hypothesis is holding true.
plagiarize
Banned
we don't know what games were involved. What we know is that thousands of children in Singapore reported how much violence there was in the game they played and the study looked to see trends. This is why I'm shaking my head at people talking about esrb ratings like they have any baring on this study, or on how aggressive a kid might become.
there are plenty of reasons you might not want your kid exposed to the language and themes you find in M rated games. But in terms of the effect on their aggression the studies suggest rating has nothing to do with it. That what matters is the number of violent incidents and whether the game shows consequences or not, rather than how graphic those acts of violence are.
or to put it another way, solely in terms of the effect on a kid's aggression, mortal combat and street fighter are no different.
at least based on the studies I've seen on the effect of violence in media on children.
I quite like this.
plagiarize
Banned
ratings have nothing to do with this study. The studies that look at ratings do not show correlation between age rating and effect on aggression.
but sure, keep back seat parenting based on unsupported and unsubstantiated personal opinion.
Well the article had nothing to do with the video game rating system. It's a study to help develop strategies to help parents with kids that are reacting strangely to various violent media. It also states that children that show an increase in aggressive tendencies are children already with problems. So it stating that there aggressive behavior increases from their relative norm.
So I guess I disagree with everything you are saying since it has nothing to with the article we are all talking about. And it's not just you it's like half of these other people in this thread. That for some reason feel threatened by these studies and are so quick to disregard the information in them.
Violent media doesn't make you violent but it will give you a boost.
LingeringRegime
Member
This makes sense to me. How many parents out there would take their 7 year old to see "The Conjuring" when it was in theaters? Probably not many. But parents do buy Call of Duty for their 7 year old.
The thing is, kids brains are still developing and crating new pathways. The kinds of stimulation they receive does have an effect. The answer to the problem is simply parents taking responsibility for what their kids are doing. Of course, we know how great a lot of parents are ...
Also, I think the type of violence and the context matters. There is a lot of violence in Persona 4, but it's in the context of helping and protecting people. The violence in multiplayer FPS has no context. It's violence for the sake of being the best or getting rewards.
Edit: I'd like to add, I'm not against FPS - I play them. But, we have to sometimes step back and be objective about our hobby.
Also, I think the type of violence and the context matters. There is a lot of violence in Persona 4, but it's in the context of helping and protecting people. The violence in multiplayer FPS has no context. It's violence for the sake of being the best or getting rewards.
Edit: I'd like to add, I'm not against FPS - I play them. But, we have to sometimes step back and be objective about our hobby.
So you're saying that violence it's self, not so much it's intensity, is the issue. I can dig it, though I don't know that I agree the intensity doesn't matter at all.
plagiarize
Banned
I am not disagreeing with the findings of this study. I am telling everyone relating it to age ratings that they are wrong to do so, and that parents concerned about aggressive behaviours need to know that it isn't about preventing your kids from playing M rated titles, but games with lots of violence NO MATTER THE AGE RATING.
I am also pointing out that these findings have no baring on possible legislation limiting the sale of M rated games to minors, because these findings were taken as given by the supreme court when they ruled such laws unconstitutional. That's more of an aside though.
But one final thing, aggression not violence. Violent games make children more aggressive, but not more violent. Aggression is not inherently negative. Where it becomes a problem we should hope parents would understand the things that may be contributing to the child's behavior. All of he things.
children with neglectful parents have much greater problems than violent video games, and equating a parent that lets their child play violent games to a neglectful parent is frankly offensive, given that in many cases there is no harm at all in doing just that, and many of the parents that let their children play GTA5 well below the age of seventeen are closely monitoring their child for behavioral problems.
if a calm eleven year old getting good grades in school and socializing normally has parents that buy him any M rated games he wants, that in no way shape or form makes them bad parents.
Can Crusher
Banned
Yeah I can see this making sense. Kids playing GTA is a bad idea.
IdreamofHIME
Member
I think there's no way you can deny violence in games can effect someone who has something wrong with them.
The problem is that percentage of people is very small, so should all the normal people be punished just in case 1 game triggers 1 person to do something crazy?
The problem is that percentage of people is very small, so should all the normal people be punished just in case 1 game triggers 1 person to do something crazy?
plagiarize
Banned
studies so far have shown the level of effect is basically the same. Not to say improved studies that look more closely at the issue mightn't find otherwise... And again I'm not saying an M rated game doesn't bring with it other wholly separate concerns... I just haven't seen any evidence that GTA5 makes kids more aggressive than Infamous Second Son, say.
Agreed. Ratings are very general things. The parent needs to know the kid, and what is appropriate for the kid. They also need to be involved with the game. Learn about the game and what it involves.
Unfortunately, most parents are really, really ignorant about games. The least they could do is keep little 9 year old Bob from playing Knifegun of Duty: Stabby, stabby, gibs, sexy edition, rated M.
That's not an excuse to avoid being knowledgeable about what you're kid consumes, but it's better than nothing.
TheKastorian
Member
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