Verified Document

Video Games Or Too Much Term Paper

The problem is heroes on TV often resort to violence and are appreciated for that, which generates an unhealthy connection between aggressive behavior and social gratification (Dowshen, 2005). Add to the violence, TV images showing illegal or problem-causing behaviors, such as abuse of sex and substances or smoking. Children receive a questionable education when they are witnessing, at a young age, explicit sex, drinking and doing drugs in detailed images. To support the idea that image has an immense power of suggestion and persuasion, studies have shown that "teens who watch lots of sexual content on TV are more likely to initiate intercourse or participate in other sexual activities earlier than peers who don't watch sexually explicit shows" (Dowshen, 2005). And yet, violence isn't the only threat to children's normal development. Video games and TV can be damaging in other ways too. At an age when individuals should exploit their physical potential, modern youngsters are spending too much of their spear time indoors, watching their favorite shows and movies on TV or playing video games from dawn till dusk. This evidently has a negative impact on their health, not only because watching TV or playing video games implies sitting for hours in a row, but also because these passive, inert activities induce a tendency to snack (Dowshen, 2005). Health specialists indicated a clear link between excessive TV-watching and obesity (Dowshen, 2005). The lack of physical effort, the absence of outdoor activities lead to one of the most sever and generalized health problem that children now face: obesity. With it, come exhaustion, heart diseases, high blood pressure and other social and psychological effects with an extended negative impact on a child's normal development. Studies show that by reducing the time spent by children in front of "the screen," the tendency towards obesity decreases- gaining less weight and thus staying more healthy (Dowshen, 2005).

Exposure to marketing messages, such as TV commercials, is another reason to state the negative influence of excessive TV-watching. Even if, at an early age, children don't understand that ads are for selling products (Dowshen, 2005), the potential impact is to be taken into consideration. Commercials often promote products (fast-food products, toys, cereals etc.) with...

Some researchers say that is not the TV or the video games that influence a child and future adolescent to act risky (sex, drugs, alcohol) or violent. They state that social interactions (family, school, peer-group) and personality structures are the key factors in explaining one's decision-making process and behavioral pattern. TV only triggers a violent or extreme reaction that was waiting to happen, that was already in one's personality, but in a latent form, arguing that it's all in the content and not all TV shows or movies are damaging- TV is potentially harmful.
One thing is for certain: the multimedia exposure has an influence on a child development, weather that's in a positive (learning language, understanding symbols) or negative (inducing aggressive, unbecoming or illegal behaviors, obesity risk, etc.) direction. Although, after closely assessing all aspects involved, it seems like the negative impact of excessive exposure is a more profound and permanent one, with consequences hard to predict and control. The abuse of TV or the abuse of video games is no different from any other kind of abuse (drugs, alcohol, sex), that means dangerous and destructive, especially to a child learning step-by-step how to become an accepted and appreciated member of a large group (society).

Works Cited

Barbour, W. (1994). Mass-media.Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Clarke, a. (2007). Television and Children's Development; How Bad is it Really. Retrieved February 19, 2007, from EnzineArticles Web site: http://ezinearticles.com/?Television-and-Childrens-Development;-How-Bad-is-it-Really?&id=193410

Dowshen, S. (2005). How TV Affects Your Child. Retrieved February 19, 2007, from KidsHealth Web site: http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html

Neergaard, L. (2006). The news for multimedia babies is good, and bad. Retrieved February 19, 2007, from USAToday Web site: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-05-15-babies-multimedia_x.htm

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Barbour, W. (1994). Mass-media.Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Clarke, a. (2007). Television and Children's Development; How Bad is it Really. Retrieved February 19, 2007, from EnzineArticles Web site: http://ezinearticles.com/?Television-and-Childrens-Development;-How-Bad-is-it-Really?&id=193410

Dowshen, S. (2005). How TV Affects Your Child. Retrieved February 19, 2007, from KidsHealth Web site: http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html

Neergaard, L. (2006). The news for multimedia babies is good, and bad. Retrieved February 19, 2007, from USAToday Web site: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-05-15-babies-multimedia_x.htm
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Video Games Should Be Used to Assist
Words: 606 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

Video games should be used to assist with education. While video games are often not considered valid as educational resources, there is no question that they have a unique ability to engage children and teenagers. This means that they can be used to improve education, and there are a number of ways in which this can be done. Video games have merit as educational tools. They are interactive, which engages young

Video Games Wall Days. I, Admit, Killing,
Words: 974 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Video games wall days. I, admit, killing, abuse women, utter destruction amazing. But ? After, people buy . But games played children. As introduction, Call Duty 2: Black Ops Parcheesi, games involve things varying degrees unpleasantness opponent's game pieces; Parcheesi pieces seldom deliver realistic- innards game board, thing. The effect of violence in video games There is presently much controversy regarding video games and the effect that they have on people, given

Video Games and Violence in
Words: 3864 Length: 10 Document Type: Research Paper

The second way is that individuals, specifically children can become desensitized to violence. This is because, daily exposure to violence may make one lose their emotional impact on them. Apparently, when one becomes emotionally numb, it becomes easier for them to engage in violence (Harding). The General Aggression Model This is a model that attempts to explain both the development of aggression an individual differences in susceptibility to the influence of

Video Games Are the Background
Words: 4119 Length: 13 Document Type: Creative Writing

Robert thought that this was actually very cool. He liked the idea of picking all of his favorite characters from all of his favorite games and making up his own new game. That would be so cool. And then he could make all of the characters do exactly what he wanted them to do. Like the Viking Warrior standing in his room. He could take out his laser sabre and

Video Games, Violence, Aggression and
Words: 2319 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

Methodology The methodology that will be employed in this study will be a desk survey of existing studies. The data complied by the studies will be analyzed, as will be the processes and methodology used in those studies. The data compilation and yield will be discussed in comparison between studies, and an attempt will be made to take the information and use it in an overall presentation that shows that the

Video Games and Violence Violent
Words: 784 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Winning a game activates a cerebral reward center, in a way that 'teaches' players to be violent in a Pavlovian way, so the players associate acting violently with gaining a reward. This thesis has been supported by recent MRI scanning research examining the brains of children who have just played violent video games: "A new study employing state-of-the-art brain-scanning technology…say that brain scans of kids who played a violent

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now