Do video games result in more violent youth?

The progressively realistic features and marketing of video games has increased their over-whelmingpopularity among youth. "79% of American children now play computer or video games on a regular basis[and] children between the ages of seven and 17 play for an average of eight hours a week" (Walsh, 2). Crueland gory video games have been a constant debate among parents, educators, and government officials, andalthough youth with a history of aggression are more prone to the affects of violent video games, this doesnot mean there is a lack of harm to the 'normal' children of society. When focusing on the influences of videogames, we must remember that parents have the ultimate authority when it comes to controlling thebehavioral affects violent video games have on society's youth.

A meta-analysis focusing on the effects of normal American children initiates a debate on prominentand reoccurring information when comparing violent and non-violent games. As mentioned in Walsh's article,studies measuring the physiological responses have shown that violent games increase physiological arousalincluding heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure.

No Video Games

A typical retail display (in Geneva, Switzerland) ...

Walsh's Royal Mail and Day Car

These physiological effects arealarming, as they are the same types of physiological reactions bodies have when engaged in a fight. Also,studies measuring cognitive responses have shown that violent games increase aggressive thoughts. Childrensubjected to brutal games tend to interpret ambiguous social cues as being of hostile intent such asdepression, negative self-perceptions, and peer rejection. Similarly, studies measuring pro-social attitudes andbehaviors after playing violent video games have shown that they decrease a player's tendency towardpositive behaviors like helping others and changing emotions. Finally, studies measuring aggressive actionsafter have shown that vicious games increase aggressive behavior.

Furthermore, when looking at a particular study of eighth and ninth graders, "students who playedmore violent video games were more likely to see the world as a hostile place, to get into...