Violent Video Games and Aggressive Behavior Essay Example

Van Puymbroeck). This aggression is almost always focused on the people closest to the person playing the violent game such as parents, friends, and siblings, but can include classmates, co-workers, and many others.

As the aggression continues to spike, another factor is rising as well, from the constant video gaming. The physical effects of playing violent video games can go unnoticed, but deep inside the body danger is building. In the article, Acute Effects of Violent Video-Game Playing on Blood Pressure and Appetite Perception in Normal-Weight Young Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial, the authors Siervo, Sabatini, Fewtrell and Wells claim, 'Violent video-game playing elicited a higher cardiovascular load in a state of low physical activity (seated playing and unchanged HR), most likely through the activation of the stress response'. This undue stress on the heart is disturbing and can eventually result in heart attacks or heart disease later on. In the magazine Men's Health, the article When Killing is a Game explores violent video games and comments, 'Numerous studies have shown an uptick in all the measures you might imagine: blood pressure, heart rate, stress hormone levels. In short, though the violence isn't real, your body reacts as if it were'. Once again the physical effects on the body are measurable and can lead to actual health risks.

Fueling the aggression, even more, is the aggressive mental and emotional changes that follow after playing violent video games. These changes can be as subtle as easily agitated to violent thoughts toward other people or animals to full-blown anger. This is shown in the article, Research update: the joystick generation: video games have measurable social effects on adolescents, by

the authors Jami Barenthin and Marieke Van Puymbroeck when they state, “Research has indicated that aggressive and other related behaviors have a negative effect on social skills. Animosity, which was found to be detrimental to social skills… ” This demonstrates that after playing violent video games a person's social skills begin to deteriorate. This, in turn, contributes to the struggle gamers have with relationships in the world around them. Research has also shown that the constant play of violent video games conditions the player to be less social and numb to the real world. In the article Brain on video games, the authors Bavelier, Green, Hyun Han, Renshaw, Merzenich and Gentile examined research and found:

… when we practice being vigilant for enemies and then reacting quickly to potentially aggressive threats, we are rehearsing this script. In fact, this is what has been shown in several studies: playing violent video games increases what is called a 'hostile attribution bias', a perceptual and cognitive bias to attribute hostile intentions to others' actions. When people with such a bias are bumped into in the hallway, they assume that it was done with hostile intent rather than by accident, and the most automatic response is to retaliate in some way.

Clearly, the repetitive play of violent video games in a make-believe world carries over into real-life unbeknown to the gamer until something tragic occurs.

It may seem that video games can cause aggressive behaviors both physically and mentally; however, some believe that playing video games can actually be educational and inspire learning. In the article, Research update: the joystick generation: video games have measurable social effects on adolescents, the authors Barenthin

and Van Puymbroeck state, 'that positive benefits from playing video games include enhanced problem solving skills, better communication skills and team-building skills'. This illustrates how effective video gaming can be. It also leads to actual positive skills that can transpose into real-life situations. Another benefit of video game play can be the relationships that can be formed via the internet. This is stated from the previous article when the authors claim, 'online video gamers can promote interaction with others across the game network and establish new friendships.' For many, that connection with others may be the only way for relationships to flourish. Unfortunately, these positive studies do not address the video games that are violent and involve shooting and killing other individuals. This is where the problem lies. While educational games do have a positive place in teaching, the results of the violent games on aggressive behavior far outweigh the education findings.

In conclusion, violent video games have the propensity to cause aggressive behavior both physically and mentally. First, violent video games can cause aggressive behaviors and thoughts. Many are not even aware of their aggressive behavior because they have played for so long it becomes their normal. Moreover, violent video games can lead to aggression that is both physical and mental. High blood pressure, heart rate, and stress as well as, anti-social behaviors and perception problems have increased. Even though research shows that some video games have educational benefits, the problems with violent video games and aggressive behavior both physically and mentally are strong enough that action needs to be taken.