empathy and kindness in the people who play them. Empathy is the ability to
understand someone else's feelings and is also believed to prevent violence. In a
study with 150 fourth and fifth graders by Jeanne Funk, PhD, Distinguished
University Professor of Psychology at the University of Toledo, the only source
of media that lowered empathy was violent video games. However, some games
can show the consequences of being violent. Like in GTA V, you can get arrested
and lose progress. And in Battle Royale games like PUBG and Fortnite , by
shooting at someone and aggressively engaging with them, you have a chance of
dying, making you lose. Playing violent video games can reinforce the idea that
violence is valid way to settle arguments. Many studies suggest that in video
games where violent acts are rewarded, players exhibit more aggressive behaviour
that players of games in which violence is punished. Out of 86 teen rated video
games, 73 (90%) rewarded injuring other players and 56 (69%) rewarded
killing. The idea though, that the many young men who play these games go out
and commit violent acts is untrue. Just think about it. In the U.S.A. 67% of
young adults age 18 to 29 have played video games in their life, so it makes
sense if a shooter plays video games. The majority of people do. Also, if video
games cause aggression, why isn’t half of the young adult U.S population
committing violent crimes?
Video games are a very controversial topic. I think this is because they are
new to the market and people don’t always know how to react to new things.
It’s like when rap came out and the government wanted to put warning labels
on the DVDs or like when violent TV came out and the same argument about
violence was made.