I S T H E V I O L E N C E T O O M U C H ?B Y M I C H E L E E I L E R T S E N

THE EFFECTS OF VIDEO GAMES ON CHILDREN

HISTORY

• The very first video game was created for the oscilloscope by William Higinbotham in 1958 and titled, “Tennis for Two.”

• Fourteen years later, in 1972, the first commercial video game console was invented by Ralph Baer and released by Maganox. It was called the Odyssey and it came programmed with twelve different games.

• It was only three years after this, in 1975, that the first video game containing violence came out into the market. Named “Gun fight”, the objective of this game was to shoot the other cowboy first in order to win.

HISTORY

VIOLENCE AND ITS ROLE IN SOCIETY

• There is no question that violence is a hot topic in our society today. Gun control is one of the most controversial and debated on subjects, especially in light of recent events.

• Why are video games that contain violence so popular among kids and teenagers? Because the sad reality is that violence sells.

• In 2008, 298.2 million video games were sold in the US, totaling $11.7 billion in revenue. Six of the top ten best-selling video games included violence, with four of the games carrying a "Mature" rating recommended for persons aged 17 and older.

RATINGS

RATINGS

• Although a person must be at least 17 years of age to purchase a game rated M for mature, this does not stop younger children from getting their hands on them.• Many times friends, older siblings, or even

parents will offer to buy the games for the kids.

REASONS WHY WE ENJOY THESE GAMES

• Kids would much rather play a game that allows them to blow someone’s head off instead of a traditional arcade game for a variety of reasons.• For most, it’s an adrenaline rush to be able to do

something they would never be able to get away with in real life, such as bombing a government building or chasing zombies through a city while throwing grenades at them. • Others enjoy the aspect of suspense they get

from playing these games.

THE TEN MOST VIOLENT GAMES OF ALL TIME

• According to PC Mag, the following is a list of the top ten most violent video games currently available to the public.

1. Call of Duty – Modern Warfare 2 (2010)2. Postal (1997)3. Mortal Kombat (2011)4. Grand Theft Auto III (2001)5. MadWorld (2009)6. Manhunt (2003)7. Splatterhouse (2010)8. Soldier of Fortune (2010)9. God of War (2010)10. Dead Space (2008)

VIDEO GAME VIOLENCE

VIDEO GAME VIOLENCE

• How many of these games have you heard of? How many of them do you allow your children to play? • It might be time to think twice about letting your

kids play these violent video games.• The 2008 study Grand Theft Childhood reported

that 60% of middle school boys that played at least one Mature-rated game hit or beat up someone, compared to 39% of boys that did not play Mature-rated games.

VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS

• A 2000 FBI report indicated that playing violent video games was one of the behaviors associated with school shootings.• Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter Adam

Lanza, who brutally murdered over a dozen young children, school teachers, and himself in an unexplained massacre had reportedly been an avid video gamer.• The two men who were involved in the Columbine

shooting in 1999 had also loved to “sit in front of a computer and play violent games for hours”.

VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS

MORE PROBLEMS

• In most video games, players are given multiple lives in case something is to go awry in their storyline. This desensitizes people from real life violence because obviously we do not have multiple lives.• Studies have proven that when people are

playing these violent video games their aggression tends to increase. This can lead to anger and depression, as well bullying.• Younger children may not be able to associate the

difference between what is right and wrong, choosing to imitate what they see in video games.

CONCLUSION

• While it’s no secret that violence has been around long before the time of video games, there is clearly a correlation between aggression and playing these violent games.• There are far more negative consequences from

playing these games than there are positive, and it would be advisable for young children and teens to avoid these types of games all together.