Delinquency-Reinforcing_Video_Games

DELINQUENCY-REINFORCING VIDEO GAMES 1 DELINQUENCY-REINFORCING VIDEO GAMES 1 Delinquency-Reinforcing Video Games And their Negative Effects on our youth's ability to become positive members of society Outline Term: Delinquency-Reinforcing Video Games Thesis: Playing Delinquency-Reinforcing Video Games have negative effects on our youth's ability to become a positive member of society. Body Paragraph: Topic Sentence #1 - The first negative effect is a false sense of societal reality. Body Paragraph: Topic Sentence #2 - The second negative effect is aggressive behavior leading to violence. Body Paragraph: Topic Sentence #3 — The th.n d negative effect is the increased tendency to violate criminal laws. Abstract This paper will offer a definitive essay of delinquency enforcing video games and the negative effect they have on our youths ability to become positive members of society. The paper will explore the differences in historical play time for children compared to today. This paper will offer three different negative effects that delinquency enforcing video games have on our youth. Furthermore, it will offer examples to support the author's thesis. Introduction When I think back to my youth, playtime consisted of creative, physical, outdoor activities. I remember the excitement of kickball in the field, hot summer days at the swimming pool, bike riding with neighborhood friends, and hours passed by a serious game of hide and seek. During summer vacations, I can recall spending the whole day outside and not wanting to go in when it was time for dinner. The simplicity of asking, "Can I go outside now" opened children to an abundant world of fun. Times have changed dramatically. The creativity that children used to make social, physical, outdoor fun for themselves has been replaced by the mundane conformity of being secluded inside the house in a sedative state, almost hypnotized by video games. Quite often, they are delinquency-reinforcing video games that have negative effects on our youth's ability to become positive members of society. The first negative effect I would like to explore is a false sense of societal reality. The animation of video games have become so advanced that it looks almost real, as if the child is watching a reality television show and is in control of the main character, often sensationalized to be the hero. In many of the popular games amongst youth, fighting, shooting, driving recklessly, and in some cases using terribly inappropriate language is the theme of the game. Players are encouraged to and rewarded for controlling their character to commit acts that in society would have criminal repercussions. The hero can kill and move on to the next level of the game where that same character they murdered will reappear. This gives our youth a false sense of societal reality. This demonstrates the impression that society would accept this kind of behavior, or worse case that they would be rewarded for committing such criminal acts. Implying the notion that killing someone is temporary, instead of teaching the realism that to kill someone is final, is an extremely false sense of reality that affects the future of our youth. The second negative effect I would like to discuss is aggressive behavior leading to violence. As I stated in the above example, many popular video games are based on anger, fighting, shooting, and finally killing; aggressive behavior escalating to violent acts. Children who spend an abundance of time playing these video games are consistently being fed anger, aggression, and violence. During the video game, the child is repeatedly rewarded for displaying this behavior towards others. In reality, when a child is repeatedly rewarded for an act, it is implied a positive act and the child is more likely to continually do it — expecting to be rewarded. A child may not have the mental capability to correctly decipher between when the rewarded behavior should be repeated. Being rewarded for and encouraged to display aggressive behavior becomes part of a child's mindset. Their mind allows them to perceive that violence is an acceptable way to deal with their problems. Allowing a young person to enter into the real world with a false sense of societal reality, and the misunderstanding that violence is an acceptable solution, brings me to the third negative effect I would like to explain: the increased tendency to violate criminal laws. If a young person does not have an understanding of society's reality, it will be difficult to anticipate the ramifications of their actions. Especially if in the only reality they know, they have been rewarded for such actions. It may prove difficult, almost foreign for a young person to show respect for laws that are unfamiliar to them. They may not fear breaking the law because the reality they are accustomed to has no repercussions for violence, only rewards. Youth who do not respect or fear of the law, are destined to violate criminal laws. Playtime is important to children. Speaking for my children, they look forward to weekends or vacations when free time is available for play; usually play of their choice. Speaking of my two boys in particular, kickball, swimming, and bike riding are not always their first choice. The X-box is usually their first choice. As a parent I struggle with the amount of time I allow them to play and most importantly, the content of the games they play. Games that enforce delinquency are usually the most popular amongst their peers, and of course they want those same games. Although I want to give my boys a level of freedom with their playtime, I have to manage the games they play. Anything with fighting, violence, shooting, or killing is not allowed. Our youth encounter enough negativity in everyday life, allowing it to permeate through their play as well is unacceptable. The negative effects that delinquency-enforcing video games have on our youth, deviates from them becoming successful members of society.