Violent video games leave teens 'morally immature'

[Josy]

Playing violent video games for long periods of time can hold back the "moral maturity" of teenagers, according to a study in Canada.

In-depth research into the behaviour of about 100 13- and 14-year-olds found over-exposure to violent games weakened empathy for others.

More than half were found to play video games every single day, with violent games the most common.

Researchers warned of adolescents losing a sense of "right and wrong".

Brock University academics studied the behaviour of pupils at seven schools in Ontario, trying to understand the relationship between the type of video games played, the length of time spent playing and how it might affect their attitudes.

Lack of empathy

The study found that playing video games was highly prevalent among this age group, usually between one and three hours a day - and playing violent games was very common.

"Violent" games were defined as those where players acted out the killing, maiming, decapitating or mutilating of other human characters.

Such was the widespread nature of violent video games that researcher Mirjana Bajovic said it might be unrealistic for parents to try to prevent their teenage children from seeing them.

Many teenagers could play these games without any evidence of a change in attitude. And non-violent games seemed to have no adverse effects on "moral reasoning", regardless of time spent.

But the problems arose with teenagers who spent more than three hours every day in front of a screen, continuously playing these violent games without any other real-life interaction.

'Right and wrong'

Empathy, trust and concern for others, which should develop as teenagers grow up, were found to be delayed.

It was the combination of the content of games and the amount of time that seemed to affect teenagers' attitudes.

The study said: "Spending too much time within the virtual world of violence may prevent [gamers] from getting involved in different positive social experiences in real life, and in developing a positive sense of what is right and wrong."

For these screen-obsessed teenagers, the researchers say that parents should try to put them in social situations where they have to see other people's perspectives or needs, such as charity work.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-26049333

Discuss?

I think it all comes down to parenting and the individual kids tbh.

Kids that are left alone to play violent video games 24/7 or for however long they want are obviously not getting much interaction from their parents/family members anyway so aren't exactly getting brought up around other people or developing any social skills.

[Jake.]

Comes down to the parenting, I wasn't allowed to play GTA, so I didn't. The games have a certificate for a reason, as do films and music. Parents are fully aware of what the games will entail, if they are allowing their 13 year olds to play 18 rated games then that's down to them.

[Shaun]

It leaves them entertained and that's about it.

[arista]

"to a study in Canada."


Josy
Feck the Bloated BBC for not getting a UK story.



GTA4 and 5
are utter bliss
I can walk behind a Cop and Blow his head off
with a Shotgun
Then Escape all on a 32" 1080P LG LED TV

After stress at work
we need that freedom


Its rated 18
and thats good

[Kizzy]

I agree it can lead to a degree of desensitisation, how much and how young. It could depend on other factors too if it's impacting significantly though, or affect kids with preexisting semantic/pragmatic difficulties more.
I didn't let my lad play 18 games till this year (He's 17)

[Scarlett.]

Played video games since I was very young, and I've turned out fine.

[arista]

I agree it can lead to a degree of desensitisation, how much and how young. It could depend on other factors too if it's impacting significantly though, or affect kids with preexisting semantic/pragmatic difficulties more.
I didn't let my lad play 18 games till this year (He's 17)


OK

[GiRTh]

Played video games since I was very young, and I've turned out fine.This. I don't think kids actually think these games are real enough for them to have such a effect on them. If they do then the child has other issues that are nothing to do with the game.

[Josy]

I agree it can lead to a degree of desensitisation, how much and how young. It could depend on other factors too if it's impacting significantly though, or affect kids with preexisting semantic/pragmatic difficulties more.
I didn't let my lad play 18 games till this year (He's 17)

I agree with this.

I often wonder if not allowing it really stops them from playing them in some way though, do you think your son actually never played the games that you stopped him from playing? or do you think he just played them at a mates house along with all his other friends?

Played video games since I was very young, and I've turned out fine.

Yeah that's why I posted in my reply that I think it all comes down to the individual kid, I know some that have grown up playing a lot of violent video games and none of them are morally or socially inept

[Brother Leon]

If a teen can't watch a film or play a video game without their morality changing and feeling the need to replicate it then their problem runs a lot deeper than any video game.

[Kizzy]

I agree with this.

I often wonder if not allowing it really stops them from playing them in some way though, do you think your son actually never played the games that you stopped him from playing? or do you think he just played them at a mates house along with all his other friends?


He doesn't spend that much time at mates houses though, not enough to be psychologically reprogrammed anyway :laugh:
The I'm alright, or some I know are is invalid as that's a miniscule sample.. Studies are conducted using large numbers from differing age ranges to reach conclusions like this.

[Z]

I think that goes without saying though, if you're left to your own devices doing anything mind numbing at that age, when your mind is supposed to be developing, you're going to have stunted emotional growth.

[arista]

I think that goes without saying though, if you're left to your own devices doing anything mind numbing at that age, when your mind is supposed to be developing, you're going to have stunted emotional growth.


No its time to relax
and get away from life for a bit

[Josy]

He doesn't spend that much time at mates houses though, not enough to be psychologically reprogrammed anyway :laugh:
The I'm alright, or some I know are is invalid as that's a miniscule sample.. Studies are conducted using large numbers from differing age ranges to reach conclusions like this.

Only 100 kids were used in the above survey and the ages were only between 13-14 that really isn't a large sample of the ones that play video games.

[Kizzy]

It's not the only study conducted overall, if the findings showed significance in that group then I would say it's more than coincidence.

[GiRTh]

It's not the only study conducted overall, if the findings showed significance in that group then I would say it's more than coincidence.There are many studies that contradict these findings.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130826123134.htm

[Livia]

There are age restrictions on the very violent games that the parents have a duty to pay attention to, and it's also their responsibility to ensure their own kids do something more constructive sometimes than sitting on a games console. Personally, I think if a kid's "morally immature" the reason will be far more deep-seated than playing video games.

[Tom4784]

Stuff likes this only gets reported to try to stir moral panics. Both the Media and a lot of politicians are trying to turn Video Games into the new 'Video Nasties'. A good moral panic works wonders for votes and sales.

Games can't change a person no matter how much they are played, if someone has a lack of empathy it'll either be that they were born like that or that they've had a real life experience that made them that way. Games, like Books, TV shows and Films are just a form of entertainment, if a murderer went on a rampage and it turned out that they were a fan of Eastenders you wouldn't blame Eastenders for the murders so it's stupid to blame games whenever something terrible happens.

If you can't tell the difference between right and wrong by the time you're a teenager then that's the fault of bad parenting, not playing GTA. There's underlying issues that causes these problems and all that blaming games will do is let whatever is causing these issues to continue. Lazy parenting is far more dangerous to a child's development then any video game will ever be.

[arista]

Stuff likes this only gets reported to try to stir moral panics. Both the Media and a lot of politicians are trying to turn Video Games into the new 'Video Nasties'. A good moral panic works wonders for votes and sales.

Games can't change a person no matter how much they are played, if someone has a lack of empathy it'll either be that they were born like that or that they've had a real life experience that made them that way. Games, like Books, TV shows and Films are just a form of entertainment, if a murderer went on a rampage and it turned out that they were a fan of Eastenders you wouldn't blame Eastenders for the murders so it's stupid to blame games whenever something terrible happens.

If you can't tell the difference between right and wrong by the time you're a teenager then that's the fault of bad parenting, not playing GTA. There's underlying issues that causes these problems and all that blaming games will do is let whatever is causing these issues to continue. Lazy parenting is far more dangerous to a child's development then any video game will ever be.


Bang On Right
Dezzy

[Mystic Mock]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-26049333

Discuss?

I think it all comes down to parenting and the individual kids tbh.

Kids that are left alone to play violent video games 24/7 or for however long they want are obviously not getting much interaction from their parents/family members anyway so aren't exactly getting brought up around other people or developing any social skills.

Tbh going by my own experiences with violent Video Games when I was 13/14 years of age I could play stuff like GTA 6 hours straight yet I have never had a lack of emotional feelings towards my friends & family, and I'm sure other people can say the same.

I still standby that how the child turns out is all up to the parents and teachers as they spend the most time with children.

[Kizzy]

There are many studies that contradict these findings.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130826123134.htm


This is all pretty new stuff due to the realism incorporated into video games due to technological advancement. There have been studies for years on behaviourism, however this is one area that is emerging as having a detrimental effect on the developing brain. Here is what Bandura thought in the 70s, we have to apply that to how we live today too it would be ignorant to suggest this doesn't have a bearing on the behaviour of children exposed to this material regularly.

1. People can learn through observation.
Observational Learning





In his famous Bobo doll experiment, Bandura demonstrated that children learn and imitate behaviors they have observed in other people. The children in Bandura’s studies observed an adult acting violently toward a Bobo doll. When the children were later allowed to play in a room with the Bobo doll, they began to imitate the aggressive actions they had previously observed.

Bandura identified three basic models of observational learning:

A live model, which involves an actual individual demonstrating or acting out a behavior.
A verbal instructional model, which involves descriptions and explanations of a behavior.
A symbolic model, which involves real or fictional characters displaying behaviors in books, films, television programs, or online media.

http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/sociallearning.htm

The Impact of Observed Violence

Psychologists Craig Anderson and Karen Dill investigated the link between video game violence and aggressive behavior and found that in lab studies students who played a violent video game behaved more aggressively than those who had not played a violet game. In 2005, the American Psychological Association issued a report concluding that exposure to violent interactive video games increased aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Researchers have found that it isn't just observed violence that can influence behavior; depictions of sexual behavior may also lead to imitation as well. A study conducted in 2004 by psychologist Rebecca Collins and her colleagues found that teens who watched large quantities of television containing sexual content were two times as likely to begin having sex within the next year as teens who did not view such programming.

"Of course, most people who consume high levels of violent media, adults or youth, do not end up in prison for violent crimes," Anderson explained in testimony offered before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. "The more relevant question is whether many (or most) people become more angry, aggressive, and violent as a result of being exposed to high levels of media violence…. The answer is a clear 'yes.'"

[Mystic Mock]

There are age restrictions on the very violent games that the parents have a duty to pay attention to, and it's also their responsibility to ensure their own kids do something more constructive sometimes than sitting on a games console. Personally, I think if a kid's "morally immature" the reason will be far more deep-seated than playing video games.

I would like to think that most parents wouldn't allow that either as they're quite expensive.

In all seriousness I do agree with you to some extent Livia, although I think a lot of people play Video Games for longer lengths now because of the fact that once it goes dark outside there is always a psychopath nearby.

[Ammi]

..strangely I was talking to my son today about video games because I told him that there would be a video game round in the pub quiz and he said that all of those years of watching him play should help me..and how I should thank him for playing them endlessly..:laugh:...


...both of my boys played video games and with certain games, they played them obsessively at times and it was a social thing with their friends as well...and they are probably the least aggressive people you could meet and the most caring and empathetic...when I wasn't sure about a game and their age, I did sit with them quite a bit though when they were playing...

[Ammi]

There are age restrictions on the very violent games that the parents have a duty to pay attention to, and it's also their responsibility to ensure their own kids do something more constructive sometimes than sitting on a games console. Personally, I think if a kid's "morally immature" the reason will be far more deep-seated than playing video games.


..yeah I agree, it's good to have a balance and not always play video games...I also think it's not a wise thing to taboo anything either because as a parent, you really do 'lose control' then and they may just play them elsewhere/at their friends...at least at home you know what they're playing so if you're a bit uncertain about something, you can talk to them about it...

...slightly OT, you have no idea how much I cringed the first time I heard Eminem blasting from their rooms....:laugh:..