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Dylan Didiano
Dr. Alexandra Bal
MPM 107-021
5 November 2012
Youthful Thinking: Balance and Ethics in Video Games
New media is constantly changing, as it is never a concrete thing. Any form of
communicating or displaying content through a digital realm is considered new
media. This can include something broad such as the Internet as a whole or
something much more small scale such as an Instagram photo. Another great
example of new media can be video games.
Today’s pop culture plays a huge role in the development of youth in North
America, Europe, and other continents of the world that film, music, and video
games are found abundant. In particular, video games have become part of the
youth culture around the world. This is not to say that every child plays video
games, because that is definitely not the case, but it is arguable that most children
play or have played video games, at least the ones that have the medium available to
them. With that said, over the past decade or so there has been a lot of controversy
as to whether violent video games are harmful to the development of children and if
these types of games influence violence at a young age. Violent video games such as
Grand Theft Auto or Saints Row are highly popular and have sold millions of copies
worldwide. Now although these video games are not available to youth directly from
the stores due to the ESRB ratings that prevent them from purchasing such games,
once they are brought into the home environment by someone who is of age to
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purchase it, there is no stopping the youth from playing these violent games.
However, various scientific studies about video games have concluded that there is
indeed a connection between the aggression and violence in youth and their
exposure to video game violence, but none of the studies succeeded to prove that
violent video game exposure causes violence or influences violence in the long term
(Parks, 2009).
The highly controversial debate about whether video games are helpful or
harmful to the youth of this century can be easily won or lost by both sides. There is
enough evident information that has been researched by both sides of the debate to
argue that video games can either be beneficial or harmful to adolescents. It is ironic
how both the critics and the backers are technically correct about the effects of
video games. Depending on your perspective and how you look at it, video games
can be harmful or beneficial to youth. The problem with the debate is that nobody
really looks at both sides of the argument; instead they give relevant information
and research that relates to their side. This usually ends up making their argument
biased and hence not relevant. “The existing research suggests that there are at least
5 dimensions on which video games can affect players: the amount of play, the
content of play, the game context, the structure of the game, and the mechanics of
game play.” (Gentile, 2011) Through his article, The Multiple Dimensions of Video
Game Effects, Douglas A. Gentile describes the 5 dimensions on which video games
can affect players, specifically youth and supports his argument with scientific
evidence that incorporates both sides of the debate rather than just being a biased,
one-sided opinion.
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It is often assumed that video games are a powerful influence to the aggression of
youth, however, most people view this matter with only one perspective and don’t
take into consideration that there are numerous amounts of genres and even within
genres, every single game is unique in its own way. On top of all the differences
pertaining to the games themselves, there are also differences in players; people
play games for different reasons. For example, some may play violent games to kill
and destroy in order to get things off their mind or some may play a sports game to
experience that sport digitally because they cannot in reality due to a medical
problem. The point is that circumstances revolved around playing video games are
virtually infinite, making it almost impossible to prove that all violent video games
cause aggression and violent actions. Karen E. Dill and Jody C. Dill’s article, VIDEO
GAME VIOLENCE: A REVIEW OF THE EMPIRICAL LITERATURE, explains and analyzes
the relationship between youth playing violent video games and the occurrence of
aggression and violence in an abundance of adolescence.
In relation to Nancy S Parks’ article, Violence, Video Games, and the Serious Game
Movement, Douglas A. Gentile and Karen E. Dill and Jody C. Dill both argue about
whether or not video games are healthy for young people. Gentile is more focused
on providing a balanced, unbiased opinion into the debate by looking at both
perspectives. The Dills, on the other hand, are doing the same thing but they are
doing it in a different way by looking at all of the possibilities that may be present
when people play video games. Rather than Parks, Gentile is neither a critic or a
supporter of video game violence because he is explaining both the pros and cons
that video games have to offer. He is not focusing on violent video games alone,
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however, he is including the fact that they exist and are very popular especially
within the youth cultures of today.
Overall, the question as to whether video games are harmful or helpful to
youth will always be a debate based on perspective. In order for an unbiased point
to be made, one has to take into consideration different circumstances and
consequences.
“A great example of this would be a 12-year old boy who spends a lot of time playing
Grand Theft Auto:
• Because he spends a lot of time playing, we might predict poorer school
performance.
• Because of the violent content, we might predict increased aggressive thoughts,
feelings, and, ultimately, behaviors.
• If he plays with other friends online, this might enhance (or mitigate) the violence
effect and could train teamwork skills.
• Because it is both a shooting and driving game, we might predict improved 2D to
3D transfer skills and improved visual attention skills.
• If he plays with a joystick, we might predict improved joystick skills (and perhaps
improved hand–eye coordination).” (Gentile, 2011)
The real problem lies within the hands of the developers of these video games. Game
developers need to start considering circumstances and consequences like the
above mentioned and begin to create games that will incorporate that will
encourage critical engagement with real world issues and problems, including forms
of violence (Parks, 2009). Although the game developers can control this, they don’t
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always have a choice when it comes to making ethical or educational games.
Unfortunately some games, such as the Call of Duty series, are made solely for the
purpose of competition and money making. These game developers do not care
about ethical gameplay or helping the youth learn. The only thing they care about is
making an addicting game that everyone, including young children, will buy. The
fact is that these violent, cash-cow video games will always be around because they
keep the industry growing and strong financially. Although this is the case, there
needs to be a balance between these violent games and ethical or learning-based
games.
“All video games are not created equal. Some video games can promote learning of
new information and skills in positive ways. These games have the potential to
engender a new excitement about learning. Video games can be engaging,
challenging, and can offer an excellent forum for self-guided learning. For example,
the video game Myst was designed specifically to be nonviolent. This game hones
problem-solving skills and promotes self-efficacy for exploration and discovery. A
discussion of research into the more positive side of video games follows.” (Karen E.
Dill and Jody C. Dill, 1998)
The bottom line is that video games, like everything else in the world, need balance.
There needs to be a consistent balance between the male-oriented, money making,
competitive online first-person shooter games and the ethical, mind-crunching, high
educational value games. With this in mind, think about the video game industry as
a foundation for the youth of today. Although this is true, the developers can only be
blamed to a certain extent. Parents and guardians of these young children should
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also be aware of the effects that some games can have on children; the ESRB rating
is there for a reason and should not be overlooked so often. If the above mention can
be addressed by both the gaming industry and parents of young gamers, then the
problem of video games being harmful to children can be averted more often.
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Works Cited
Dill, Karen E., and Jody C. Dill. "VIDEO GAME VIOLENCE: A REVIEW OF THE
EMPIRICAL LITERATURE." Aggression and Violent Behavior, A Review Journal 3.4
(1998): 407-28. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.
<http://journals2.scholarsportal.info.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/details
sfx.xqy?uri=/13591789/v03i0004/407_vgv.xml>.
Gentile, Douglas A. "The Multiple Dimensions of Video Game Effects." Child
Development Perspectives 5.2 (2011): 75-81. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.
<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/doi/10.1111/j.1750
8606.2011.00159.x/full>.
Parks, Nancy S. "Violence, Video Games, and the Serious Game Movement." Journal
of Cultural Research in Art Education 27 (2009): 82-93. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.
<http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/docview/1037025469>.