Are Violent Videogames the Trigger to Extremely Violent Acts

On April 20, 1999, two high school seniors walked into Colorado high school carrying AK47 rifles and opened fire. They shot dozens of people, killing 12 students and one teacher. School shootings had happened before, but this was a new scale of carnage. While searching for the reasoning behind this massacre, it was found out that the shooters had spent a lot of time playing violent video games. The question that has been asked by many is â€Å"Do violent video games cause violence in real life?† The answer is yes. They do cause violence in real life, but not to the extent publicized. Many different studies and experiments have shown varying results. Most say that violence in video games does cause violent behavior. However, it is too†¦show more content†¦Science has come to a general agreement that under certain conditions, TV does influence children’s behavior. Some believe video games are more likely to affect behavior because theyre immersive. People do not just watch video games; they  ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬interact with them. The games are also repetitive and based on a rewards system, primary components of classical conditioning, a proven psychological concept in which behavioral learning takes place as a result of rewarding (or punishing) particular types of behavior. Other physical links were revealed in a 2006 study at the Indiana University School of Medicine regarding brain activity. Researchers looked at the brains of 44 kids immediately after they played video games. Half of them played a nonviolent game, and the other half played a violent game. The brain scans of the violent-game group showed increased activity in the amygdala, which stimulates emotions, and decreased activity in the prefrontal lobe, which regulates inhibition, self-control and concentration. These increases did not show up in the scans of the nonviolent-game group. However, other studies show different results. A study by Drs. Christopher Ferguson and Cheryl Olson has shown that video games do not cause violent behavior and instead have a slightly calming effect on people. This is because the games help people to relieve their stress and anger through the games. Games that are too violent, hard orShow MoreRelatedMedia Kids Essay1262 Words   |  6 Pageswhen the brain undergoes critical development phases. During this time it is important that kids develop an accurate perception of the world they are growing up in. Over consumption of media (in general) presents a false reality that rewards for violent behavior, hinders mental and physical development, and promotes risky behavior. 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