Violence and Video Games
October 31, 2008 at 12:18 am 6 comments
http://gezric.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/call-of-duty-4.jpg
Hello again! This week I was assigned the task of analyzing a mass medium and its affects, intentional or not, on society—specifically youth. I chose to evaluate a video game that I personally have played, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (CoD4). Again, I will be using Toulmin’s model as a structure for my argument.
Despite the game’s rating, M for Mature (must be 17 or older to purchase), it is not uncommon for younger children to obtain it. CoD4 can be categorized as a MMOFPS (massive multiplayer online first person shooter). In a sense, the gamer plays as the main character, viewing the virtual world through his/her eyes. Like many others of its kind, it endorses coldblooded carnage as a viable method to achieve success. Upon playing the game, the reasons for its rating become obvious. The premise is set around an American-Middle Eastern War. As a private, your task is to complete the required missions at any cost to enemy life. Inherently, the realistic game play promotes ruthless, gruesome violence.
Although I was not able to find an academic journal on CoD4, I managed to find several that explain the correlation between violence in video games and its effects on children. One researcher describes Grand Theft Auto IV, another realistic and violent first person game, as “a perfect expression of violence without restraint, a magnificent mechanism for involving the viewer in a completely enrapturing simulation while doing away with all boundaries.” (Marche, Stephen 2008).
A recent study suggests that up to 90% of all video games contain some sort of violent content, with at least half of these games including the potential for serious harm toward game characters (Funk 2005). These games are continuing to grow popular with the youth demographic.
Children’s level of exposure to violent video games is directly related to a variety of forms of aggression ranging from verbal aggression to outright violence (Barlow, 2007). Research shows that repeated exposure to violence in video games does in fact increase aggressive behavior. In addition, it also decreases empathetic behavior.
As technology continues to increase, it is inevitable that graphics in video games will become more realistic. Call of Duty serves as a perfect example of this. Although it provides a more realistic scenario, it also incorporates gruesome violence. As a society, it is necessary to realize the effects that continuous exposure to violence will bring. In this case, violence takes on the contemporary media role and broadcasts it in mass to children throughout the United States. Ultimately, responsibility lies with parents to regulate this exposure and limit it.
References:
1. Marche, Stephen (2008). Are Things Getting a Little Violent? Esquire Aug, Vol. 150 Issue 2, p38-39
2. Funk, J B (2005). Children’s Exposure to Violent Video Games and Desensitization to Violence. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of America
3. Barlow, D (2007). Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy. The Education Digest. 72 (6), pg 79,2.
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1.
Zac | October 31, 2008 at 2:59 am
good post, it seems to me that now days if a video game is to succeed it needs to incorporate some level of violence. Take, for instance, Halo, Gears of War, WoW.
2.
cod4source | November 8, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Although I love playing the game, I agree with you. It is so lifelike sometimes, it’s hard to see it as “fake video game violence” as compared to earlier video games.
3.
Wai Yen Tang | November 16, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Hello, I’m Wai Yen. Your mass media and society professor probably mentioned me a couple of weeks on scientific reporting and video games. I am sorry for not reading your blog post, apparently my google alert didn’t catch your blog.
I’m not sure Esquire qualifies as an academic journal, it’s a men’s magazine according to wikipedia.
CoD4 is too recent for psychological video game research, it would take at least 6 months for a research article on CoD4 to come up and that’s if someone wants to study CoD4 which I highly doubt.
Your selection of academic articles is very good, especially when you link Funk’s study with Barlow’s results. Makes readers pause and reflect.
Good job!
4.
Eli | December 20, 2008 at 4:27 am
While your article isn’t malarky by any means, I am obliged to comment on some of your errors. CoD4 is not about ruthless killing and murder; it is an emulation of what real soldiers go through and what they do, not a glorification of violence.
The game does not have “ruthless, gruesome violence” as you stated. There is no murdering of civilians, no torture that is anything beyond fisticuffs, and no prolonged suffering that you are responsible for. You are fighting to stop cold-hearted terrorists, not peaceful civilians. It is kill or be killed, as simple as that. I agree wholeheartedly that the game is violent and not safe for children, but the problem is children’s access to the game, not the game itself.
However, there are plenty of better examples of games that deserve criticism such as this. Saint’s Row, for example. It’s a game which openly encourages mass killing of bad guys and innocents alike, for no reason other than to have a blast. No remorse, and minimal consequences.
I understand your concern about violent video games, but I do not believe that they should be homogenized for the sake children. Call of Duty 4 is clearly a game aimed at older people and it is the parents’ job to make sure it stays that way.
5.
PJN47H | December 20, 2008 at 6:18 pm
First of all GTA IV is not a first person game it is a third person.
CoD4 is going to be a violent game, it is of course set in a warzone.
However if parents want to get their children a game such as Cod4:MW or GTA IV, let them. If it’s the parents getting the child the game, and who watches over the child while it plays then I don’t see the problem.
If the parent gives good guidance and teaches the child that violence should not be used in the real world and like you said it’s up to the parents to expose and limit the childs access to these types of game, then I don’t think there should be a problem.
6.
Semi-Anonymous | December 26, 2008 at 11:47 pm
I remember good times, and I’ve spent a decent amount of time playing that specific game. I wanted to comment on a couple of things, so I’ll do it in order.
@Rego: It’s a game, and most children in the American society know that. An example being a hero jumps out of a plane without a parachute. Does this mean that the child would too? This is a real question, just put yourself in their shoes. I think to truly understand it, you have to feel it. Did you ever get a rush while you were playing it? And how would you be feeling standing at the doorway of that plane? Would you do it?
@Zac: Well, I don’t think I’d find a game about trying to find a medical treatment for the flood, making a peaceful compromise with the Horde, or the like would prove very entertaining. That’s not always true, either. Have you ever heard of Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing, Viva Pinata, or any number of sport games?
@Eli: I have to disagree when you say that Call of Duty 4 isn’t glorified. I doubt any soldier will die in a nuclear explosion to find themselves fighting as someone else . Unlike real soldiers, there is a restart button: the consequences cannot get much smaller than that. Although that’s a personal opinion.
Violence can be fun for any number of ages, but when you put it into real-life terms it becomes scary, especially when you’re speaking of children. Video games can desensitize to violence, sure, but I believe that can be good. It’s not a perfect world quite yet and at least when people see it, they won’t end up under a section 8.