Video Games, Do they have that big of an impact?

My fellow students:

2008-01-15T13:24:00.000-08:00

I checked out almost everyone's blog. I think they are all great and they are all issues that pertain to the field of media more and more Some of the Blogs i would like to recommend are as follows:

1. Alexander Pateishvili Computer Games and Society http://gamesmatter.blogspot.com/

This Blogspot by Mr. Pateishvili gives a brief history into computer games. It talks about a multitude of issues regarding the industry and some new technologies to look for in the future. I was most interested in this blog because it relates or is similar to mine. It is very easy to follow and includes articles and his point of view which is generally positive when it come to video games, He part takes in playing them and has for sometime.

2. Eva Ravingerova Media Violence and Children http://ravoska.wordpress.com/

This is first off a very visually appealing blog. It includes a lot of slide shows of pictures and video. It is laid out very well. It has some stories related to media violence that have taken place in the last decade. It very much pertains to my topic as well. I think it is a growing problem that if not addressed by parents could get worse.

3. Bianca Pleticha Image Manipulation http://biancaaneska.blogspot.com/

This is another very well laid out example. it has great current events and deals with manipulation of images that are primarily caused by the media. In many cases this pressure is almost habit forming. Today's star's are in a competition in a sense to look better, younger and healthier. In some rare instances death can occur due to complications. This is very unfortunate and often unnecessary it is outlined in the story of Donda west. It is a very good blog as it makes one question what beauty really is.

4. Uliana Formina Advertising and Children http://ads-and-kids.blogspot.com/

Uliana really touched on a little bit of all of the issues before this one in her blog. One new issues that was brought up was sexism and how it effects us and how it is seen more in women. Bianca also touched it but, i think it is something that is not touched on enough. The blog provides a visual example and is easy to follow.

5. Martina Pacaiova Women and Advertising http://womenandadvertising-unyp.blogspot.com/

Martina's blog is straight to the point and deals with the pressures that women are increasingly dealing with. She touches on how the holiday season and just after can be particularly challenging. She talks about Christmas specifically and then goes into how the media uses campaigns, slogans, and models to keep women interested in the "right size". It is very straight forward and a great blog.

I was very impressed with the blogs done by each of my classmates. They were well laid out, provided detailed information and taught me something new. The whole experience has be fun and educational.

What the past can teach us and what the future holds.

2008-01-11T05:46:00.000-08:00

c Video Game violence is something no different they anything else that is done by a wide range of people who cover a broad spectrum.Men, women , and children of all ages and races take part in this virtual fun. In recent years the industry has expanded a great deal. The graphics are much more raw and the titles themselves have evolved to include much more realistic and what seems to be real life situations. The key factor is how this material is interpreted. If there is sufficient guidance and and children are taught right for wrong then why can we not teach virtual from real? Everyday we must interpret what the right from wrong and more and more this is done in our virtual lives as well. There is substantial evidence in both directions for and against video Game violence. The opposition will contend that violent games Desensitize children, Promote aggressive/violent behavior, and promotes the wrong values. The individuals such as myself who support violent video games believe the key issues have to do with parenting and freedom of speech. Parents are first and foremost responsible for their children. They must teach their children how to deal with certain issues. They must stop from using Video games as babysitters, and they need to engage their children to become more engaged in physical activities. The industry has take measures to protect itself and children from harming themselves or any others A rating system has been devised and options such as less gore or less violence have been made available on some questionable titles. It is up to parents and players alike to respect the responsibilities that come along with playing and enjoying violent video games in a positive and productive manner. Video Games are not going anywhere anytime soon. I believe some type of middle ground needs to be found. With the ever changing fast paced technology sector it is only of time before controls that limit the violence that can be viewed are put into place.

Banned in Briton

2008-01-11T04:44:00.000-08:00

Manhunt or its' sequel Manhunt 2 are not a games I've ever played. It is not in my genre of desired tastes. I have heard about it and most notably for it's ban in england. I wanted to investigate this more and find out what really is behind the move. It seems a young boy who was sadly murdered after the release of the 1st Manhunt has garnered a lot of attention before the release of the 2nd one. His parents are outspoken critics of the video game industry and calls them "Morally irresponsible". It is another tragic example but, moves have been made to ensure it never happens again. this game was given a mature rating (18 and up) but, one if not both of the young boys had played this game. Who is responsible for that? Who is responsible for the oversight of these young men. Yes, their parents. I think the Ban is unfair. It faults the gaming industry and violates their freedom of speech and expression. to find out more read the following link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/6767623.stm

Violent Video games and the law.

2008-01-11T04:21:00.000-08:00

In 2005 a law banning the sale of violent video games to minors took hold. This law passed in my home state(Illinois) and makes it illegal to sell violent games to anyone under 18 years old. The fine for doing so can be up to 1 year in jail and 5 ,000 dollar fine. This was passed almost 3 years ago but, video game violence still very much remains on the forefront when dealing with teen issues such as aggression or anti-social behavior. People are still looking for ways to get rid of something that is not creating a problem. I am thinking the violence is not as big of an issue as the exposure. If you have an easily influenced child spending countless hours and days, even months in front of a computer screen or television set there are going to be issues. These same issues it could be argued would develop from watching violent television for prolonged periods of time. America is a violence obsessed culture and it does not seem to have everyone going out and doing crazy things.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2005-03-17-illinois-game-ban_x.htm

SOME WEB-SITE TO CHECK OUT!!

2008-01-11T03:47:00.000-08:00

1. http://www.mavav.org/
This website is Mothers Against Video Game Addiction and Violence. It is an offshoot of M.A.D.D in a sense and lobbies support by mothers. It is my belief they need to get away from the computers screens and take interest in their children's lives. The website tends to see video games in a negative light and offers support resources and updated news on their struggle to change the industry.

2. http://www.apa.org/science/psa/sb-anderson.html
A very interesting maybe contreversal article written by Dr. Craig Anderson of Stanford University. It states 11 myths and backs them up. It is talks about the amount of individuals that can possibly be effected, aggression, and exactly opposite of what i believe and have been saying throughout.

3. http://www.livescience.com/technology/051204_video_violence.html
This is a very skeptical article done. It refers to history and shows that blame has always been put onto media. It seems like an easy way for society to blame its' current issues on something rather then take a good hard look at itself.

*These are some comprehensive sites that give an overall perspective of the pro's, con's and psychological myths that come with the territory of video game violence.*

Recap

2008-01-11T03:37:00.000-08:00

By looking at some of these stories it is apparent that tragedy does and can occur when video games have too much of an influence. But, in both of these stories just as all stories you will find that there is a lack of parenting on some level, Drugs or alcohol are sometimes involved and access to the means to cause such destruction(Guns). There are hundreds of millions of video games sold each year and the number of tragedies that they are purported to have created is low. I think certain steps in the right direction have taken place but, at the end of the day it is parents who raise there children. Parents, who encourage sports and Parents who teach right from wrong. When some form of parenting fails there will always be something to fill in the gap. So video games are much less dangerous then they are made out to be.

Mortal Combat Defense

2008-01-11T03:15:00.000-08:00

C.E 2

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/12/20/mortal.kombat.ap/index.html

This is a recent story from Dec, 20th 2007 and took place just a few weeks before that. The victimizers were a 16 and 17 year old that were babysitting. They had been drinking by the admission of the young man. and at some point decided to act out and "body slam" and "Karate chop" .the 7 year old they had been put in charge of. These were kids babysitting kids and again the re is an element of parental involvement missing from this story. They were drinking and responsible for a young girl. The 7 year old girl died from a broken neck but, had substantial injuries. I think again this is a rare instance where no parental intervention took place and more factor came into play other then the video game. The teens are awaiting trail and may face up to 48 years in prison.

THE STORY OF DEVIN MOORE

2008-01-11T02:55:00.000-08:00

C.E -1

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/04/60minutes/main678261.shtml

This is a story done by 60 minute in March of 2005. It highlights the story of an 18 year old named Devin Moore. He had been playing the game "Grand Theft Auto" Continuously and finally one day acted out. He killed 2 police officers and a dispatcher. I think this directly relates to video game violence. It shows how in rare instances tragedies can occur. At the beginning of the article you will see there have been 35 million copies of this game sold. There are a few other instances of violence due to this game but, it is quite rare. Not too different then any other sample that would have a group of subjects at 35 million. I firmly agree that the people who engage in these activities have had little guidance and are left in front of television screens for way too many hours. In this article i found it interesting that Devin Moore's' parents or home life were not mentioned at all. This young man was essentially raised in the streets of a video game. There will always be technology that if used negatively can be tragic.

Video Game Violence

2008-01-01T06:34:00.000-08:00

As a 27 year old male i am considered to be a prime target for the video game industry. I grew up playing Atari, Nintendo, Sega Genesis. As i have gotten older i have continued with my hobby and now the platforms are faster, have better graphics, and are much more complex. The video game industry is currently worth 30 Billion dollars and growing. How much of this money is made through violent games? I personally prefer sports games, some driving games, and games that let me control my destiny in a sense. Titles like Grand theft Auto or Hitman. In playing these games i never get the urge to go out and steal a car or become an assassin.But, with younger children and children without proper guidance it has become more and more of an issue. I know the industry has taken steps to curtail some of these new found problems. One example of this is the addition of game ratings. Do you think they work? and do video games really influence or effect violence?