Video games have certainly come a long way since they were first introduced to the main stream audience. With video games becoming increasingly sophisticated and using advanced technology, they have come closer to reality than ever before therefore creating the idea that video games cause violence. Ever since these realistic violent video games became popular, politicians such as Joe Lieberman and Hillary Clinton have repeatedly stated that these violent games have caused children and teenagers to become demonic criminals bent on the destruction of the American society. According to these politicians, playing a video game, even for five minutes, can turn a person into a destructive, violent lunatic. I disagree.
In my view, as a teenager, I believe that videos games, even the scary ones loaded with violence, have a positive effect on children and teens. The games have many creative levels which are packed with numerous amounts of puzzle solving, planning, and estimation. Games can be a sort of physiological therapy, because they can make children feel a sense of accomplishment, and allow them to feel as if they are a part of something, thus allowing them to build character and self-esteem as well. I don't think that would build anger and violence in a child. Do you?
In fact, video games help children with the urge to commit something violent by letting them express their anger or violent feelings by jacking a virtual someone's car, robbing a bank, or beating innocent cyber by standers in the game Grand Theft Auto, and others. Therefore; decreasing the amount of teenage violence. According to Dr. Ferguson, a TAMIU professor, violent video games help relieve stress and depression, rather then promote aggressive behavior. Also, the games allow the players to stretch their imagination, gain hand-eye coordination skills, and heighten their reflex abilities.
Pew Internet & American Life Project surveyed 1,102 teenagers between the age of 12 and 17 and found that 97% play video games regularly. A number of these teens probably do not play violent video games, but I'm sure quite a few do, and I don't believe most of these 1,102 teens will turn out to be murderous, or violent. Not only that, but most children in America are exposed to TV shows such as Family Guy, American Dad, 1,000 Ways to Die, and many more shows that portray violence, drug use, and inappropriate topics. TV can be much worse than violent videos games, and video games are interactive, while TV is only mind numbing pictures on a screen that we stare at constantly to satisfy boredom, and so on.
Video games were intended to entertain, not corrupt, and to this day they continue to entertain. They are like vast plains of creative and imaginative hills, readying to be mountains in the future. Just because a random murderer in Indonesia played BioShock, or Dead Space does not mean that every child that plays those games will do the same, thus, video games are beneficial in many ways. The idea that video games pose a negative effect is absolutely ridiculous and I stand against it. As you now see, games are quite positive in many aspects. You may disagree, and there may be negative sides, but the positive effects most certainly outweigh the negative effects. Games create positive effects!