Violent Video Games in Society

Scott Watson
Mrs. Henderson
English Honors 1
May 8, 2011

Violent Video Games in Society:
A Teenage Gamer’s Experience

At school two children are playing on the playground. The two start talking bout their favorite video game and soon, are acting out their favorite parts of it. An adult sees their behavior, misinterpreting their actions for fighting, and they are both disciplined for it. Upon explaining their actions, the video game is immediately put into question as to whether or not it has taught the children inappropriate behavior and also if they should be allowed access to it. The ESRB (Electronic Software Review Board) would restrict children from playing violent video games, but I however oppose this. I say that many violent video games not only educates children, but also invokes creativity within a child’s mind.

To begin with, many violent video games can educate a child in different ways. Various World War 2 theme video games teach children about the conditions the US Military went through in the early 1940’s, as well as demonstrating the geographic differences between Europe and the Pacific. Some games teach the importance of teamwork, such as in Left 4 Dead, a zombie theme video game where several players much and support each other and by doing so ultimately lead the team as a whole to survival. But on the flip side, it also shows the consequences of lack of teamwork, showing the chaos and destruction that can befall them. The ESRB would oppose my views and say that video games based on war train and teach children how to kill another human being, as well as glorifying was as a whole. They would also say that children do not recognize the teamwork involved in video games due to the amount of violence they contain, as well as a general lack of maturity in the average child. I argue these claims, I believe that the observant of military coordination and action benefits children by teaching them basic self-defense with a weapon, but also showing how grueling taking another’s life. It’s been demonstrated time and time again that anyone who has acted out violently and blamed video games for their actions usually have psychological problems. When this is the case, video games are in no solely to blame. To the ESRB’s other claim, I believe that although it may be difficult for children to recognize teamwork at times, teamwork is constantly a major factor of their gaming experience. Without it, they would never be able to succeed and achieve their goals within the game. Even with a large lack of maturity, a child will realize the benefits of teamwork through trial and error, eventually realizing that without it, they are bound to fail.

My second argument is that different video games can promote creativity within a child’s mind. Half Life 2, a sci-fi theme video game with violent elements mixed into it faces the player with constant environmental and psychological puzzles. Only through straining their minds can a player pass these trials. In Fable 3, a video game in which the play must rise up and conduct a military Coup d’état to overthrow a tyrannical kind, the player must balance how he rules his kingdom after the coup is successful. Sometimes, improvising and stretching the kingdom’s gold reserve is the only way to keep the kingdom afloat. Failure to do so results in the downward spiral of the country. The ESRB claims that children are unable to benefit from puzzles within violent video games, explaining that violence shrouds and destroys any benefits that mind could gain. In opposition to this, I claim that while violence is occasionally the dominant them in puzzle oriented games, the violence itself cannot dissipate the benefits from solving puzzles. More often than not, situations that require the player to solve a problem include no violence. Taking a break from it, the game then allows the player time to solve the puzzles without being preoccupied with violence.

In conclusion, the benefits of violent video games have been demonstrated time and time gain. Regardless of age, young players to elderly players can be educated and have their creativity tested, often both of these happening at the same time. I predict that within ten years, any regard given to the ESRB will be discarded and will become considered obsolete due to irrelevant standards. To end, i ask all those who feel that the ESRB lack the ability to rate video games in a relevant and helpful way should not only ignore them, but also to tell other’s your beliefs. Children today are exposed to so much, video games can be on of the only beneficial things to them. Who has the right to take that away?