We briefly discussed this topic in class however, its a topic that really interests me..

Just like a movie, a tv show, or a cd; there is always a warning on the lable explaining which kind of audience should view or listen to the contents. Video games have this lable and most first person shooter games clearly have a rating labled M for MATURE meaning only viewers who are mentally MATURE can play. Many people feel the realistic nature of the first person shooter games such as Grand Theft Auto, Scarface, and The Godfather promote violence among our youth and are responsible for violent acts. I disagree. I feel its the responsibilty of the gamer and/or the parent to decide whether they are mentally MATURE enough to distinguish what is fantasy and what is reality.

Everyday more and more video games become readily available to buy in stores. According to Pbs, as the number of video games produced increases, "the rate of juvenile violent crime in the United States is at a 30-year low." (pbs obtained this information from federal crime statistics)It is also said that recent school shootings have been caused by teens who are game players. However, research conducted on the mental stability of the shooters proves that the teens were unstable do to bulleying and tourment by their peers causing them to, like i said, not be able to disguish fantasy from reality. In fact, "The overwhelming majority of kids who play do NOT commit antisocial acts." Also, to back up my previous statements on "mental stabilty", According to a 2001 U.S. Surgeon General's report, the strongest risk factors for school shootings centered on mental stability and the quality of home life, not media exposure. Furthermore, wouldnt the isue of the media being more hostile to kids by trying to take the games away led to more rebellion of already cut off kids? Personally, I have all four Grand Theft Auto Games and the Godfather game for my playstation and I have never felt the urge to grad a 12 gage and start a shoot out on a busy street, and i'm sure most wouldn't think that way either.. WHY? because you are all mentally MATURE and stable.

The issue of Video Game Violence leading to violent behavior amoung youth is just a scapegoat for the violent events that have taken place in the passed years. We needed to put a face to the crime to cover up the issue of the reality of bulleying and redicule in schools is not as bad as we think. The reality however is bulleying is the real issue not the fantasy world of video games.

My casual argument is this: There have been many attempts to take violent movies, music, but above all, video games off the shelves and unavailable to anyone due to the violent among youth. However, i feel it is the responsibility of the parent and of the child to decide whether a child is mentally stable to handle such violence. It is proven that violence in schools has decreased, so, we shouldn't blame video games for the outbreaks of it in schools. We should evaluate the intirety of the situation and decide what is the main cause. In most causes, it is bulleying and taunting throughout the child's upbringing. If anything, authorities should focus on what goes on more inside the schools rather than outside (such as, playing video games etc.) the child had to of endured or witnessed violent behavior in the actual world i.e. domestic violence, or getting jumped after school, to fantasize about violence.

To sum up, the root of violence among teens goes deeper than the media, its embedded in the violence or bulleying they endure throughout adolescence.

PEER EDIT by Jesse Nevel:

This is a great topic, something I've thought a lot about, growing up in a time where my understanding of the world was permanently affected by tragedies like the shootings at Columbine and Virginia Tech. I've struggled to understand where this sort of homicidal rage and violence comes from, and ultimately I decided that it's impossible to truly understand it. Regardless, it's a great subject to investigate for your essay. I'd like to recommend two films: Gus van Sant's Elephant and Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Elephant is about a fictional school shooting, filmed in long, cold, unbroken shots, and tackles all the different theories on why Columbine happened -- video game violence, bullying, neo-Nazism, etc.-- but never really concludes that one single thing can be blamed. Bowling for Columbine would be perfect to watch while you're writing this essay because there's an entire section of the film where Moore debunks the idea that video games caused Columbine and observes the popularity of violent video games in less violent cultures. And oh yeah, one last thing: during a Senate hearing in 1985, when Frank Zappa was accused of writing music that incited people towards deviant behavior, he said: "I wrote a song about dental floss, but did anyone's teeth get cleaner?"

PEER EDIT-Morgan Schmoll

Indeed this topic is very interesting, one we can discuss all day. I am on both sides of the spectrum when it comes to discussing violence and video games. My thoughts are that video games don't necessarly make children more violent, I do feel that violence in children depends on their family and upbringing, but I do think that violent children will lean towards the more violent games and that could be a reason why we feel violent games cause violence in children. Just because children wacth power rangers when they are little doesn't mean they are going to go 'judo chop' all their friends, or blow things up when they get older. Then again, how can children who sit and use guns on video games and grenades and see bloodshed all day, not become desensitized to violence. I don't think they make the kids violent, but it lets them become more familiar with violence in a way that makes it fun. These games are making it fun for children to steal cars, shoot people, blow them up, set them on fire, run them over with cars, etc. I just don't really agree with it. All in all I did enjoy this essay, it was an interesting topic and fun to respond on. I like how statistics and quotes were added into it, the small amount of effort more added into it made it better to read, I enjoyed it.

Becky, this report and others like it could integrate nicely into your essay. The survey suggests that teens' gaming experiences are diverse and include significant social interactions, which are at times connected to practices of civic engagement.

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