To Play or Not to Play?: Violence is the Question

There is constant debate over whether violence in gaming negatively effects the brain; however, no evidence has been presented that can unquestionably prove or disprove this theory. I personally believe that it is fine for there to be violence in video games and it will not damage your child’s ability to discern right from wrong. Many people are acting as though video games are the first portals to introduce violence to youth, when in fact our grandfathers and great-grandfathers were playing cowboys and Indians while running around and shooting each other with fake guns: the only difference is the lack of exercise video games provide. Violence has always been and will always be a fact of life and maybe on some level it is actually preparing these kids for the violence they will witness in their lives. It is then the parents’ responsibility to educate their children about the consequences of violence and to make sure the video games never become a reality; however, as long as this is done there are virtually no negative effects on the social skills of boys and girls who play video games. Growing up I was always surrounded by my family of 4 older boy cousins and 2 younger brothers, needless to say I have watched and played my fair share of shooting games. All of the boys in my family have grown up to be emotionally stable young adults who occasionally still enjoy playing an hour or two of Call of Duty. For this reason I feel that in such extreme cases as Columbine, where violence in video games was named as a cause, the responsibility should fall on the shoulders of the parents and not the gaming industry. As long as the violence remains in the game it can be a safe way for boys to release some aggression and provides no immediate harm to society.