What Parents Need To Know About Violent Video Games

Articles about video games and gamers.
Post Reply
penix
Site Admin
Posts: 195
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2010 1:25 pm

What Parents Need To Know About Violent Video Games

Post by penix »

http://www.digtriad.com/news/article/25 ... ung-Adults

11:24 PM, Dec 18, 2012
Written by Lauren Melvin

Greensboro, NC -- More details continue to emerge about Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old who allegedly shot and killed 20 children, six adults and his own mother in Newtown, CT.

The shooting has sparked debate over gun laws, mental illness and now, video games.

According to various reports, Adam Lanza spent hours playing violent video games.

According to at least one published report, a family friend said Lanza played the video game "Call of Duty".

The game has stirred a lot of debate because of it's use of assault weapons and depiction of violence.

But can violent video games actually trigger real life violence?

According to Dr. Nannette Funderburk with The SEL Group, just because someone plays violent video games doesn't inherently mean what they do in their virtual world will blur with reality. However, for someone who is already dealing with mental health issues or personality issues, it could.

"Peanut butter by itself is harmless. It's a good snack. But there are some kids, who are predisposed to having a violent reaction to eating peanut butter. So that's a small number of kids when you compare it to the entire population. That's what these violent video games are like," said Funderburk.

Funderburk said violent video games are more likely to affect kids, teens and young adults because their brains are still developing.

Marina Krcmar, an associate professor at Wake Forest University, has also taken closer look at the relationship between children and violent video games.

Krcmar's most recent research shows playing violent video games affects moral reasoning, as well as the connection between increased realism in video games and increased aggression.

"We learn what's right and what's wrong by consequences. In many of the most popular video games, shooting people results in no negative consequences. In fact, killing is rewarded, which affects moral reasoning," said Krcmar.

That's why parents play such an important role. Here are some tips for parents when it comes to violent video games.

1. Do your homework before you buy any video game for your kids.

2. Don't just trust the marketers. Some games that are marketed to kids could still be inappropriate for your child.

3. Talk to your kids about the games they're playing or play with them.

4. Always set up a gaming system in a family living space and set limits on how long your kids can play.

"It doesn't mean the child is going to go out and shoot someone, but there's an increase in aggressive language and aggressive behavior because we start to mimic what is around us and what consumes us," said Funderburk.

There is a rating system for video games. The "T" rating is for teen and "M" is for mature, but some experts say the ratings are not very consistent so parents really need to pay attention to the content.


WFMY News 2

Post Reply