Effects of Video Games Upon Children and Their Behavior in the Real Research Paper

Effects of Video Games Upon Children and Their Behavior in the Real Life in the USA - Research Paper Example However, despite providing jobs and improving the economy, parents and organizations are concerned about the vast negative effects it has in the American society. Organizations such as the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Academy of Pediatrics state that, vulnerability to violent media, such as video games, can lead to real-life destructive behavior and harm minors in other ways (â€Å"Violent Video Games and Young People,† Harvard.edu). 2. Types of Video Games There are eight main categories of video games namely; action, adventure and role playing, arcade, strategy, simulation, driving and puzzle. a. Action: They are characterized by excessive violence and are generally fast-paced. Majority of mature-rated games fall under this category so they are not appropriate for children. Mild games in this category have suggestive themes. These games may depict a human being against another human being or a human being against an alien or an animal (C aruana, V., Caruana, C., and Bruner, focusonthefamily.com). b. Adventure and Role Playing: These games contain an element of fantasy. They are less violent and less graphic than action games. However, they do contain some level of violence. c. Arcade: Games in this category range from being violent to classic. d. Strategy: These games require the making of tactical movements by the players. They have no violence making them suitable for children but they are quite difficult to play. e. Simulation: Games in this category mainly consist of aircraft simulations. Majority of their themes revolve around destroying enemies. f. Driving: Most of these games involve racing, however, there are a few that are mission-based. Players initially choose car, and with time, they get better and better... This report approves that the impact of exposure to violence in games has become a matter of concern. According to statistics, majority of American teenagers own their own computer or video games and spend approximately five to thirteen hours a week playing these games. This essay makes a conclusion that video games have a prominent place in the culture of the United States. With the passing of time, video games have evolved in many ways. Today, they come with a range of categories from the most violent to the harmless. However, all these games carry some level of harm that mainly depends on the amount of time spent playing them. This has led to concerns about potential harms and effects in the usage of video games. Despite having a number of benefits, the use of video games has been found to contain vast negative effects. Consequently, federal and state laws have been formulated to control these harmful effects and especially on children and teenagers. Parental control is essential to decrease the negative effects of video games on minors. Parents should therefore keep a closer eye on the kinds of video games their children play. Controlling the number of hours children and teenagers spend playing video game is also a positive step towards controll ing their harmful effects. It is not clear how inappropriate video games get to inappropriate audience in the United States. Therefore, there is need for more reviews, tougher laws and censorship to control this.