By watching the Horizon 'Are Video Games Really That Bad?' I noticed that many contributors claimed that by playing violent video games people become violent. They state that games contain more and more violent things and when performing them gamers are basically awarded for this violent behaviour. This causes different outcomes, which different contributors stated:
- violence in video games changes the way people think (Craig Anderson)
- violent content causes people to display higher aggression levels no matter what (Brad Bushman)
- exposure to violence makes people insensitive in response to real-life events (Dr. Doug Gentile)
- people exposed to violence are more likely to stay away from real-life violent situations (Chris Ferguson)
- violence in games raises one's aggression but only temporarily (Ian Livingstone)
In addition to this, one contributor, Dr. Andy Przybylski, stated that not only the violent games do make people aggressive, but also unfair games. To prove this, he created an unfair version of Tetris called Bastet, which was making it harder to win by giving unwanted pieces.
There were also contributors (Ian Livingstone) stating that violence in games doesn't cause people to become violent any more than other events, such as watching football and that people making these claims have never played a game themselves. Another contributor, Chris Ferguson added, that there are multiple other factors making a person violent, including mental health as well as social and family situations.
My opinion regarding this subject is that many people play games in order to escape boring or sad reality. Because of that they want to experience things that are different from real life (or even would be impossible to experience in reality).
That's why majority of gamers don't become aggressive and if they are, then I believe they would have been otherwise, regardless of playing video games. We as an audience no longer believe and do everything that media texts say. After all we do have minds of our own, which can oppose or negotiate the aspects of the game and if someone doesn't like a certain aspect then he or she doesn't have to play the game in which it occurs.
My opinion regarding this subject is that many people play games in order to escape boring or sad reality. Because of that they want to experience things that are different from real life (or even would be impossible to experience in reality).
That's why majority of gamers don't become aggressive and if they are, then I believe they would have been otherwise, regardless of playing video games. We as an audience no longer believe and do everything that media texts say. After all we do have minds of our own, which can oppose or negotiate the aspects of the game and if someone doesn't like a certain aspect then he or she doesn't have to play the game in which it occurs.
Of course when playing some games, usually with friends, gamers tend to express their excitement or the opposite, but the same happens to sport fans and during any other competitions. This behaviour in my opinion is perfectly normal as long as people don't start punching themselves for it.
Summarising my point, being exposed to a VIRTUAL violence is not the cause of people becoming more violent. It is the escapism which people need and it's the choice of some to perform while playing a game featuring violence. What is a bigger issue is the fact that some people become addicted and nearly entirely isolate themselves from real world, sunking into the virtual one.