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Video Game Violence

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Video Game Youth Violence

Lorren Livingston

RES/110

November 20, 2012

Dr. Helen Holt

Video Game Youth Violence

Many believe video games can majorly contribute to child violence [,] which have caused a great deal of controversy. With violent video game sales climbing, violent games have become a part of a child’s everyday life. Most video games depict some type of violence. One of the biggest selling games in XBOX history, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a violent first person multiplayer game (Do Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth Violence, 2012). Given the amount of people that are playing this game, seventy-three 73-out of 100 players have stated they are between the ages seven to thirteen (See appendix A). There are also four different types of factors in video games that can contribute to violence. With children playing this game as frequently as adults, could a lack of video game restriction be causing more violence? Have retailers and parents turned a blind eye to this growing problem?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is, as stated before, a very violent military shooting game. There is no incapacitating of enemies or sneaking around a five man squad. It is kill or be killed. This is an obvious form of art, no matter how graphic it may be. Violence like this has been created for a long time now, even before computers. Sun Tzu’s The Art of War was a violent book. Humans have been created in a Darwinian manner, and each person has a want for violence, even if others do not know it. In games like Modern Warfare 2, the Grand Theft Auto series, and other “Mature” rated games, people see this type of violence as a conflict solving solution.

“A 2009 study found that it takes up to four minutes for the level of aggressive thoughts and feelings in children to return to normal after playing violent video games. When blood

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