Does Video Violence Effect The Teen Brain?

 

            The discussion of whether or not video violence is affecting young people has been around for quite a while now. It has been accused of being the main cause of many accidents involving teens, yet it has also been shown to be positive in some areas of the brain. Has the video age had a positive or negative influence on the teenage world today, or are we worried about something with a deeper underlying cause?

            Video violence has amassed itself into society today in a big way. Everywhere you look you can see a commercial or advertisement for a violent videogame or movie. The problem is, most parents or older citizens believe that this wave of technology is disastrously harming our younger generation. Is this true or false? Well, to answer that question, we’ll have to take a deeper look into the teenage mind itself.

            The first issue we should discuss is violence in videogames. This is the classic issue that has had parents frazzled and debating whether or not children should be exposed to these things. Ultimately, the answer will come down to what the parent decides for that child, but how does this affect the rest of our society? Well, for starters, when the first Grand Theft Auto game emerged, crime rates dropped a little more than fifty percent. That’s correct, after this violent videogame released, crime rates were cut in half. This crime rate was dropped not only by adults, but mischievous teens as well. The reason for this is actually quite simple. The violent videogame became an outlet. It was an outlet for anger, aggression, and other thoughts not beneficial to the outside world. The cause of most violence in teenagers comes from pent up rage or depression that they have no way to express out of fear, social anxiety, or possibly even a lack of trust in the world. Teenage years are the years of puberty, changes, and generally feeling strange or different. That means that it may be harder for some to adapt to these changes and feel unaccepted. This was the key for the videogames to take over. It gave them an escape from a reality and an entrance to a new life in a way. Speaking now on the accidents that occur with the blame of violent media, why is that always the first thing that people would jump to for blame? In most cases where a teen has committed a crime, violent videogames were blamed. Underneath though, most of the teens had some form of mental illness or instability that was also known! Now, could that be the actual cause of these violent and sporadic outbursts in our younger generation? Perhaps, like most cases, the child was abused or neglected resulting in another form of instability? Instead though, we turn our faces from that point and look towards blaming a visual media outlet. There has never been a proven case in which violent outbreaks immediately stemmed from a violent videogame. Always, there has been the underlying cause of mental issues. Does that not sound like a more reasonable explanation to this issue of teen violence instead of blaming an insentient object that has no actual control over teen thoughts?

            Risk factors are not only worried about from violent media, but from other causes too. These are also worried about from internet usage. Now, this is stemmed from parents spending more time with their children as well. If parents spend more time with their kids, it is proven that they will feel more accepted and participate more in school and other activities instead of risk behaviors. This is where the internet issue takes over. If parents are worried about what their children see online, then the closer the bond they have with their kids will allow them to monitor and control what they do or see on the internet. In most cases though, the internet is a helpful life tool, not a monster found on computers or smartphones. Finally, we need to speak about intelligence, which is also another stem from the parent issue. When parents spend more time with their children, they can help them in school or get them the proper tutoring they need. Yes, intelligence does  come from genetics in most cases, but a healthy parental relationship and school system can do just as much for the kids as any genetics could.