Influence of computer games on the psyche of teenager

Influence of computer games on the psyche of teenager

Computer games have been played for already several decades, and their popularity only increases. There are many different kinds of such games, and some of them probably can even do good, for example educational games for children. But there is also much violence in many of the games nowadays, and children playing such games virtually deal with crime, murder, weapons and blood. Somebody may say that it’s only a game and it has nothing to do with reality. Perhaps that’s why many parents buy these games to their children without worrying if it does any harm. Though it is constantly discussed by researches and psychologists whether violence in computer games can lead to children’s violence.

Social scientists have been studying and discussing the effects of video games since the 1980s. And today this question is especially urgent, because the games are becoming more realistic and bloodier [Shooting…, 2013]. The games in which players kill, maim, decapitate or mutilate other human characters are called «violent» .

According to a study in Canada, more than a half of 13- and 14-year-old teenagers play video games every day, usually between one and three hours a day, and it is violent games that the teenagers mostly prefer. [Coughlan] It is not only in Canada, but in our country we can see the same problem. Children and teenagers are not interested in anything but computer games. And many boys choose games with violence.

According to the researches many teenagers can play these games without any evidence of a change in attitude. But the problem arises when teenagers spent more than three hours every day in front of the screen. Of course it also depends on the content of games.

The study says that spending too much time within the virtual world of violence prevents children from getting involved in different positive social experiences in real life. Gamers also cannot develop a positive sense of what is right and what is wrong [Coughlan]. Moreover empathy, trust and concern for others stop developing in the person’s character [Coughlan], so the teenagers who play violent games a lot can often lack these qualities.

To prove the fact that violent games can result in children’s violence it is worth mentioning one incident that occurred in Kirov region and described in a newspaper several years ago. An 8-or 9-year-old boy was playing the computer games, when his elder brother bothered him, probably he also wanted to play. The little boy took the knife and chived his brother and then continued playing the games. Other people and psychologists decided that it was the consequence of playing violent games. Though this occasion is rather an exception and there is another opinion on this subject.

Some psychologists say that children and teenagers play computer games, where they can kill and act aggressively, because they need somehow give way to their negative emotions [Audioveda]. Many parents try to prevent their children from showing their aggression. They shout at them or act aggressively toward them, suppressing children’s misbehaviour. And then children become fearful to express their aggression openly and just restrain their emotions. But we cannot restrain our feelings endlessly and so children search the way to express them. Thus violent games help them.

Some people also mention that violent games don’t do them any harm, on the contrary they have an opposite effect. Matthew Bryant, a 28-year-old marketer from Crewe and a participant in the research, says: «Last week we had a three-hour meeting where my boss berated the entire department for not using 'synergy'. I asked him what that meant exactly and I’m now on report for insubordination. After that I spent about five hours hacking up virtual zombies with virtual blunt instruments, and felt a lot less like I wanted to strangle my boss with that stupid school tie he wears, which is identical to the one the managing director has» [Burnett].

Dr Mario Vance, a psychological researcher at the Rapture Institute for headline-inspired science, also disagrees that violent games are harmful. And the reason why they are considered to make people violent is that enthusiastic gamers can’t differentiate between games and the real world. Thus, violent games will result in violent behaviour. The researcher confirms that anyone who has the ability to buy, set up and operate modern games mustn’t have trouble to differentiate between a cartoonish fantasy world and reality [Burnett]. But in this case the researcher tells about adults or, maybe, teenagers. As for children, I think, they can lose their understanding of what is reality and what is not.

As for me, I also cannot assert that violent games by all means lead to children’s violence. My brother, for example, when a child and a teenager, played computer games a lot. And among his games there were a large number of games where one must kill and maim other humans or zombies and monsters. In spite of this fact he rarely showed aggression and practically always was quite calm and peaceful. Though now when I think about that time I can assert that he restrained his anger and maybe that’s why he needed to play such games.

Nevertheless, I will always be against violent games as I’m sure they cannot do anything good to a child. And if a child behaves aggressively it is better to let him to express his emotions in real life and so there will be no need for him to go into a virtual world. He will have real experience in this case. The child needs supporting and understanding but not only prohibitions that can be really harmful for his development and future life.

computer game psychical teenager

Works cited

1. Audioveda

2. Burnett, Dean. Claims that 'video games lead to violence' lead to violence

3. Coughlan, Sean. Violent video games leave teens 'morally immature'. BBC News education

4. Shooting in the Dark. New York edition. 12 Feb. 2013