Arnelle Martinson
English 1101
Professor Jewell
11/29/2019
LETTER
Dear Parents of KIPP AMP Academy middle school,
In today’s society, video games have become rampant in our children’s day-to-day activities. Although these video games may seem very entertaining for your children many of these video games have a negative influence that can impact your children in aggressive and violent ways. Video games such as “Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto, Call of duty, etc” consists of features that allows you to scavenge for armor and weapons and the primary motives are to kill ,rob banks and hijack cars. In an article on Psychology Today website, “The American Psychiatric Association” states, “in 2015 concluding that playing video games may lead to more aggressive moods and behaviors and attracts the players feelings empathy and sensitivity to aggression”. This clearly shows that because of the savagery shown in these video games children will have a hard time empathizing with others and are more likely to be hostile towards their peers. Also on the USA today website an article named “Study Confirms Link Between Violent Video Games and Physical Aggression”, states that “It was learned Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the two teenagers who committed the Columbine High School shooting played the first shooting computer game Doom”. This text is significant because it shows how two teenagers decided to practice this video game in real life. This violence act had harmed many people in the process also the two teenagers had a lack of empathy. It also states on the Children’s Health website that “Research has shown that when children and adolescents see individuals they connect with in media… they are more likely to adopt to those influencers opinions…research believes the same way happened in video games”. This text is very important because it shows how as teenagers when we identify and like certain people we see on social media we tend to copy those influences and this can have the same effect on violent video games. If the primary goal of video games is to kill people in a virtual world and use AK 47 guns this will continue to have an effect on children’s behavior and social skills. This is why as parents we need to look at the type of video games our children play so that they would not end up becoming unsympathetic and antagonistic. Therefore, as parents we need to be cautious of the video games we buy for children. Parents need to consider buying children healthier video games that can exercise their mind and help with children’s learning abilities. In the end violent video games should not be bought in a household because children are easily influenced and persuaded to follow the lifestyle of these violent video games.
Sincerely, Arnelle Martinson
December 3,2019
LETTER
Dear CEO of Gamestop, George Sherman,
In this day in age, video games have become the social norm and trend for children and teenagers. These video games that teenagers are exposed to young adults can show very violent and graphic images. Because some of these video games are violent and sexually explicit, it can negatively impact teenagers to cultivate immoral behaviors. I propose to you CEO of Gamestop George Sherman, that violent video games are no longer sold at Gamestop.
Teenagers that are continually susceptible to violent acts in video games can send the wrong message to their minds. In an article called “Do Violent Video Games Trigger Aggression?” shows that a study created by a psychologist named Hull states, “ Hull theorizes violent games help kids become more comfortable with taking risks and engaging in abnormal behavior. Their sense of right and wrong is being warped”. This text comes to show that when children repeatedly play violent video games they are more likely to think its okay to carry out vicious behavior in schools such as being hot-tempered and becoming a bully to their peers without caring about the consequences. Children are supposed to be raised with morals that will allow them to be nice and friendly amongst their peers. Violent video games will lead a child to becoming anti-social and restrain them from taking part in social activities in school, if it takes over the child or teenager’s life. This is why it is very important to remove violent video games such as “Grand Theft Auto,Assassin’s Creed,Black Opps” out of the gaming market.
On the other hand, there are many gamers like you, Mr. Chairman, who would disagree with taking all the violent video games out of the market. For example a gamer named Tom Fober in an article titled “ Do Video Games Encourage Violent Acts?”states that “ While this desire might be considered unsavory, it can also be understood as an outlet for our aggression and darker desires, in a safe fantasy world where nobody dies forever.” This sentence suggests that video games is a place where people are able to satisfy their heart desires for violence and aggression in a secure place which is the “video game” without hurting anyone. However, I disagree with this statement because there has been multiple school shootings due to the use of violent video games. In an article on CBSnews.com titled “Do Violent Video Games Lead To Criminal Behavior” points out that “ The games came under fire in 2012 after Adam Lanza gunned down 20 children and six teachers in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. It later turned out that he was obsessed with violent video games.” This clearly shows that, although Adam Lanza played video games in his home safely without hurting anyone for a while, he later felt the need to take this practice of violent video games out into the real world and take innocent lives away. The violent video games he played repeatedly had impacted his behavior in becoming savage and hostile towards others in real life. This example shows why we need put all violent video games out of the market.
In the end, violence in any shape or form ,whether it is in a virtual world or real world should not be accepted. Violent video games can destroy the mind of a human being and can lead it into unhealthy acts of immorality. Ending Violent Video games would put this world in a safe place.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Casey, Michael. “Do Violent Video Games Lead to Criminal Behavior?” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 19 Aug. 2015, www.cbsnews.com/news/do-violent-video-games-lead-to-criminal-behavior/.
“Do Violent Video Games Make Kids More Violent?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evidence-based-living/201807/do-violent-video-games-make-kids-more-violent.
Faber, Tom. “Do Video Games Encourage Violent Acts?” Subscribe to Read | Financial Times, Financial Times, 14 Aug. 2019, www.ft.com/content/1c5914b6-bdb7-11e9-9381-78bab8a70848.
Health, Children’s. “Do Video Games Cause Aggressive Behavior?” Children’s Health, Childrens Health, www.childrens.com/health-wellness/do-video-games-cause-aggressive-behavior.
Moyer, Melinda Wenner. “Do Violent Video Games Trigger Aggression?” Scientific American, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2018, www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-violent-video-games-trigger-aggression/.
Snider, Mike. “Study Confirms Link between Violent Video Games and Physical Aggression.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 8 Aug. 2019, www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2018/10/01/violent-video-games-tie-physical-aggression-confirmed-study/1486188002/.
The Washington Post, WP Company, www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/the-effect-of-video-games-on-kids-behavior-achievement/2015/04.
