There is a common belief that the participation in violent forms of virtual entertainment (video games, movies, etc.), but specifically the former, allows people to get in touch with their Mr. Hyde persona more so than their Dr. Jekyll persona. However the question is why? BBC News Journalist, David Lee writes about a study involving a violent video-game called Half-Life 2. Lee records researcher from the Oxford Internet Institute, Andrew Przybylski calling
...for more sophisticated research into violent gaming.
"There's a need for researchers who are interested in these questions not just to pull two video games off the shelf from the high [street.]... We need to have a more sophisticated approach so we're all reading from the same experimental methods."[ii]In sum let's research the effect that violent video games have on people to see what *all* is involved and not chalk it up to the immoral act of killing, even if it is only virtual. A test was done where
...researchers created a modified version in which rather than violently removing enemies, the player would instead "tag" foes who would then evaporate. This version was tested alongside the normal, violent version. However, only some of the gamers were given a tutorial before playing the game so they could familiarise themselves with the controls and game mechanics.[iii]What was their results?
The researchers found that it was the players who had not had the tutorial who felt less competent and more aggressive, rather than people who had played the more violent version of the game."[iv]Lee summarizes Przybylski in saying
We focused on the motives of people who play electronic games and found players have a psychological need to come out on top when playing,... If players feel thwarted by the controls or the design of the game, they can wind up feeling aggressive. "This need to master the game was far more significant than whether the game contained violent material.[v]Researchers are saying that much more research is needed; but the results are undeniable:`
Players of games without any violent content were still feeling pretty aggressive if they hadn't been able to master the controls or progress through the levels at the end of the session.[vi]So indeed, there is a factor in violent video gaming that has nothing to do with the violence itself. However does this mean that engulfing oneself into entertainment that promotes immorality is okay? Would it be okay for example to expose a child to a violent video game as long as they first master the controls? Simply, no as the immorality of the entertainment plays a significant part. USA Today journalist, Julia Savacool records professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University, Brad Bushman in saying:
We just finished a major review of studies, looking at 381 effects of violent video games in over 130,000 [people.] ... We found that violent video games unmistakably raised levels of aggression and heart rate, and decreased feelings of compassion toward others."[vii]Could it possibly be that this decreased feelings of compassion is due to the aforementioned disability to master the mechanics of the game? A frustration with the game controls sure plays a part but there is a difference between being angry because of a failure to achieve a goal and loosing one's feelings of compassion for others. Savacool continues to allude to "[a] study in the Feb. 4 issue of the journal Psychological Science found a correlation between the type of character people chose to play and their behavior immediately following the session. Assuming the role of a virtual villain, for instance, prompted players to treat people in negative ways after the game concluded, according to study co-author Patrick Vargas, a professor of psychology at University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign. Meanwhile, those who played the virtual hero acted more generously toward others in a post-game setting."[viii] An evil character encourages evil behaviour in the real world. In sum "[emotions] and attitudes generated in the virtual world do not simply disappear once the game is finished, and the interactive component of video games enhances this lingering effect."
Now of course it isn't this simple as just because someone plays an evil character like GTA-5's Trevor Philips, once, twice or even 100 times, doesn't mean that they will adopt his worldview, even on low and still very legal levels; as most people have a moral compass allowing them to simultaneously hate immoral acts but nevertheless still enjoy a fictional character type like Trevor Philips. As Savacool points out "...thousands have played violent games and not gone on to steal motor vehicles, join organized crime gangs or physically assault other [people.]"[ix] However what about prolonged exposure to immorally motivated entertainment? Is it possible that after years of exposure to one kind of entertainment genre may it be by cinema, a video-game or literature that someone's morals and values could change; or at least cause them to be desensitized to immorality? In discussing the relationship between video-gaming in teenagers BBC journalist, Sean Coughlan opens his article with
In-depth research into the behaviour of about 100 13- and 14-year-olds found over-exposure to violent games weakened empathy for others.[x]The key word is 'over-exposure', hence a prolonged subjection towards violent content, especially with developing minds and video games. In coming to a close in his article Coughlan states that the conducted studies showed that the de-moralization in a teenager's worldview arises when they had
...spent more than three hours every day in front of a screen, continuously playing these violent games without any other real-life interaction. Empathy, trust and concern for others, which should develop as teenagers grow up, were found to be delayed.[xi] (my emphasis)He summarizes that:
It was the combination of the content of games and the amount of time that seemed to affect teenagers' attitudes.[xii] (my emphasis)Now of course this discusses the developing minds of teenagers; however how might this play out in the adult brain? At the 2011 annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America at the Indiana University School of Medicine a study was discussed that analyzed the brains of young men between the ages of 18-29 years of age regarding the effects of violent video games on the brain. The study shows that:
Sustained changes in the region of the brain associated with cognitive function and emotional control were found in young adult men after one week of playing violent video games,...[xiii]Dr. Wang says that the "...findings indicate that violent video game play has a long-term effect on brain [functioning.] These effects may translate into behavioral changes over longer periods of game play."[xiv] So adults are likewise not immune to longterm behavioural effects due to prolonged violent video gaming.
So what can one do to prevent being effected? ANSWER: 1) Engulf ones self into a wide variety of games! There is nothing wrong with playing games with mature content, but participating into family safe games is also wise. 2) Spend more time in this real world than in the virtual world. 3) If a game impedes one's moral view of life and respect for the basic human rights - stop playing the game and get rid of it; as Kenny Rogers might say in The Gambler: you got to know when your controlling the entertainment and know when the entertainment controls you; know when to give up a method of pass time away and know when to destroy it with prejudice.
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[i] - http://www.lyricsfreak.com/k/kenny+rogers/the+gambler_20077886.html - accessed April 13, 2014
[ii] - http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-26921743 - accessed April 16, 2014
[iii] - Ibid.,- accessed April 16, 2014
[iv] - Ibid.,- accessed April 16, 2014
[v] - Ibid.,- accessed April 16, 2014
[vi] - Ibid.,- accessed April 16, 2014
[vii] - http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2014/03/30/video-games-violence/6437253/ - accessed April 16, 2014
[vii] - Ibid.,- accessed April 16, 2014
[viii] - Ibid.,- accessed April 16, 2014
[ix] - Ibid.,- accessed April 16, 2014
[x] - http://www.bbc.com/news/education-26049333 - accessed April 14, 2014
[xi] - Ibid.,- accessed April 16, 2014
[xii] - Ibid.,- accessed April 16, 2014
[xiii] - http://communications.medicine.iu.edu/newsroom/stories/2011/violent-video-games-alter-brain-function-in-young-men/ - accessed April 16, 2014
[xiv] - Ibid.,- accessed April 16, 2014
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