Video Games and the Effects on Children

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Video Games and the Effects on Children Dillyn Chadwick Abstract How do video games affect the minds, behavior and health of children and teens? This article will discuss this matter to inform people about the dangers of this type of entertainment. Ever since video games have become more advanced, this problem has come up countless times, ranging from government officials to the parents of these children. Parents should take this into consideration with their children when playing video games: video games affect their thoughts, behaviors and health in a negative way and could get worse with prolonged use and if they become addicted to them. Past or current medical conditions in children also will be affected by video games. While calling video games dangerous, it may also be beneficial or have no effect whatsoever on children. This will all be explained using other scholarly sources and my own observations to help me come to a conclusion and consensus on the matter. Violence in Video Games Throughout the years, video games have been thought to be too violent for children. So violent that kids who have committed crimes are said that video games are to blame. Guy Porter and Vladan Starcevic (2007) did a study on the relationship between violence and video games to find some answers. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, two students that went to Columbine High School in 1999 who went on a killing spree at their school, may have been influenced by the 1993 first person shooter game “Doom.” The two students claimed that the rampage would be “just like Doom” in a video they made before the shooting. These “first person shooters” are much more realistic and interactive than other games because it gives you the feel you are actually there in that world. Children get lost in it and want to actually experience what they are playing and their violence may get

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