Computer games and violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Computer games and violence - Essay Example dition of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, research conclusions have been stated which prove that the violence depicted in computer games have a definite negative effect on social attitudes of the child. The experiment included research scientists from the Universities of California, San Francisco and Pittsburgh. A hundred male undergraduates, from varying socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds were chosen to participate. They were divided into two groups; each group playing a computer game, one more violent than the other. The results were surprising: Before and after playing the game, both groups filled out a questionnaire that tested their attitudes towards violent acts and their attitude towards risky pastimes - alcohol and marijuana use, and unprotected sex. Their blood pressure was measured during play. Men who played Grand Theft Auto had greater increases in blood pressure, more negative moods, more uncooperative behaviour, more conflict in their social interaction with others, and more permissive attitudes toward using alcohol and marijuana, compared to those who played The Simpsons. The more violent game, Grand Theft Auto included involvement with the mafia, bludgeoning the villain with a baseball bat, drug dealing and so on as part of its game’s plot; while, The Simpsons required the player to deliver Lisa Simpson’s homework to the Principal on time (ABC Health and Wellbeing, 2006). Long-term exposure to violence may lead to desensitizing the child or player to real pain. Battering or killing people becomes commonplace. If this idea is reinforced with rewards, the child may end up desiring this harmful kind of violence. The popular idea that playing violent games actually helps the child to vent their aggression is wrong. They only lead to skewed perceptions of Right and Wrong. How has the depiction of violence in computer games changed over the years? The first game to seriously bring up concerns was Legend of Zelda in 1987. The