Should Violent Video Games be Banned

Playing video games and watching the television are the two most common forms of entertainment for children and teenagers. It is not uncommon to find children spending a lot of time in front of either of these gadgets. It has been observed that most of the video games are based on wars, combats, etc. which depict violence of some kind or the other. There has been a lot of debate on whether violent video games should be banned or not. Let us take a look at it in detail.

Consequences of Violent Video Games

The debate or the demand for banning violent video games have risen from the fact that there are several negative effects of violent video game, which are too severe to ignore. These games provoke aggression, and make people aggressive and short tempered. Secondly, the violence, blood, etc. shown in these games can have a negative effect on children and can even lead to insomnia. Video games are addictive and can keep children engaged for a long time; which when denied can lead to restlessness and irritation. One of the most dangerous consequences of video games on children and teenagers is that most of them try to imitate the act in real life which can be dangerous as well as fatal. This was commonly observed in case of children who played games related to wrestling, etc. everyday. Most children are not mature enough to understand that real life situations are different from what they depict in games and one needs to think before acting in real life; which is not encouraged in video games.

Now, talking about positive effects of video games, people argue that video games can encourage team work which can really be helpful in the real life. Similarly, if one wishes to win at any game, he will have to play with concentration which is again applicable in the real life scenario. Lastly, those who are pro video games also argue that children and even adults let off their aggression and anger out through these games which is one of the safest method of letting out anger as it does not harm anyone. Therefore, these are also the claimed positive effects of these games.

Banning Violent Video Games

If the games were to be banned, the economy of the US will get hampered significantly as more than half the population invests in video games every year. Secondly, not everyone who plays the games turn out as a threat to the society. Therefore, banning the games completely is not possible as of now. However, if you, as a parent are bothered about the effects of video games on children, you should look to it that your child spends only limited amount of time playing these games. Secondly, parents should also see to it that the child plays only those games that are actually meant for children in their age group. For e.g., a game meant for an 11 year old does not contain as much violence as it may contain in a game for an 18 year old. Similarly, video games meant for adults should be played only by adults. Lastly, parents should also make their children understand that academics are more important than games and hence, children should not ignore it.

If proper measure are taken to curb the negative effects of it, video games can turn out to be excellent forms of entertainment. Ciao!