Violent Video Games William Goldberg 813

William Goldberg 813


     A long time ago, the word video game meant arcades. It meant huddling around a small console with your friends fighting over who got to play. It meant something with simple controls, mediocre graphics, and a basic plot. Nowadays, you rarely ever play locally with your friends, most of the time you're using the internet to play with people far away. Video games can now be described as interactive movies with realistic graphics, fluid controls, and a complex plot that'll leave you thinking even days after playing. These new realistic video games bring more entertainment, while also bringing a new and controversial way of play.
     I recently read the article "Parents & Teachers: The Impact of Video Games" which discusses violent video games and how they influence teenagers. The article also provides tips on how to regulate your teen's "media consumption". Overall, I felt that it was very one-sided, but that is to be expected of a parenting guide sort of article. I mainly brought up this topic to express my feelings on the subject. The article brings up many points on how violent video games can make a teen more aggressive, more confrontational, and less likely to do well in school. They provide evidence from other articles to support these points. While I agree that without proper guidance a young child or a teen can experience these changes in behavior, I also think that with one serious conversation about how there is a difference between video games and real life and that you shouldn't let video games affect your real life, you can prevent them. Once a child understands the fine line between fiction and reality, their actual life shouldn't be affected by violent video games or any other video games whatsoever.
     In conclusion, despite the article "Parents & Teachers: The Impact of Video Games", I believe that it is definitely possible to let your child play as many violent video games as you will allow them, just as long as they understand that video games are fictional. Now excuse me, I'm going to play some Team Fortress 2.