How big of an impact do new technologies and the media really have on society?

The impact of technology and the effect it has on people is a question that remains unanswered. Many people, including myself, wonder if the things technology has brought us, cell phones, computers, iPods, etc., has helped us as a society or has changed the way we live in a negative way. I believe that we are too attached to technology and rely on it too heavily. If someone took away my laptop and cellphone right now I would feel naked, lost, and detached from the world without my gadgets. I think that is the one of the biggest factors when it comes to children’s use of video games and television. I think that the amount of time kids play violent video games and watch violence unfold on the small screen is a major factor in how they affect a child’s social skills. If we weren’t so attached to our TVs, computers, and gaming systems then any affect that violence on them would have on children would be less severe because it wouldn’t assume so much of their lives. When we stop relying on these things then they will not hold such a strong stake in how we live our lives and therefore will have little to no effect on them.

Impact of Television Violence on Children

In this day and age, the television has become a regular fixture in every household. When it was first invented, it was primarily used as a medium of information and news and involved into daily fixture of a household used to entertain families at night and children on Saturday mornings. The amount of violence on the small screen at all hours of the day has become a major topic of debate for many people. According to the book Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology, “effects on children are a special concern, because youngsters have trouble distinguishing between the real world and the world of the small screen. To the child’s mind, if the coyote character in the Saturday-morning TV cartoon recovers instantly from a bash on the head, then the same should be true for little brother.” It is an interesting point to consider and holds true to video games as well. If a child who has yet to fully develop a clear understanding of social norms and what is and what is wrong, then it is reasonable to assume that seeing an act of violence on the television or in video games may not register as something that does not coexist in the real world. Basically, “with short attention spans, young children are unlikely to associate the legal consequences that emerge in dull courtroom scenes at the end of the show with the eye-catching shootout at the beginning.”

Another major issue mentioned above about violence on television is when it occurs and on what shows. Many people would be interested to know that cartoon shows actually have more violence on them then most adult shows. Specifically, children’s television shows “have about eight acts of violence an hour” which is 3.5 more acts an hour than any adult, prime time show. To round-up the information given in the Media Now book, violence is all over many television shows and is not just a characteristic of adult shows. It is often seen in children shows and is downplayed only furthering confusion for some children on what is right and what is wrong. These statistics and facts have to make you wonder about what children see on television and how they interpret what they see. Media Now also states that “adult viewers who watch violent programs are likely to hold worldviews that match the TV portrayals they see.” It’s an important fact because if adults with fully developed brains see violence on television and relate it to the real world then it is not a stretch to assume the same for children.

Antisocial Behavior and Other Negative Effects From Playing Violent Video Games

There are many studies that have found that violent video games can lead to antisocial behavior in children. According to the book Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology, “antisocial behavior is [when someone acts out] contrary to prevailing norms for social conduct.” This can include anything from actual violence to harsh language or any sort of substance abuse, among other things. A recently published book titled Grand Theft Auto: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games, included a study about the effects of violent video games on children. The study found that “children who routinely played any Mature-rated (age 17+) title such as [Grand Theft Auto] were at higher risk for aggressive behaviors (such as beating up someone, or damaging property for fun) and school problems (such as getting poor grades, or getting in trouble with a teacher or principal). The more M-rated titles on a child’s list of five games he or she ‘played a lot in the past six months,’ the more likely the child was to be involved in these problem behaviors at least once during the past year.” Why is it that playing these violent video games increases a child’s chance of exhibiting antisocial behavior? The answer is simple. Seeing these things happen on a screen and without consequence can blur the line between right and wrong for some children. Some violent video games also depict things, such as racism and sexual abuse, that many children don’t fully understand so when it comes to seeing or doing these things in real life they may not be fully aware of the severity of these actions.

Aside from antisocial behavior that can stem from children playing violent video games, there are also several other negative effects of video games. “Video games do not exercise [a] kid’s imaginative thinking… some video games teach kids the wrong values… [and] games can confuse reality and fantasy” for children. Those are some of the negative effects that video games can have on children. As mentioned in the previous blog post, whether or not a video game is harmful to children depends on the content of the game. Along those same lines, the child itself is a factor is deciding whether or not a certain video game is harmful to them. For example, a child who has already shown violent tendencies or often acts out is more susceptible to increased antisocial behavior as a result of playing violent video games. However if a child often displays prosocial behavior, they are most likely not going to experience the negative effects of playing violent video games.

http://www.grandtheftchildhood.com/GTC/For_Parents_files/GTC_Advice%20for%20Parents_printable.pdf

http://www.raisesmartkid.com/3-to-6-years-old/4-articles/34-the-good-and-bad-effects-of-video-games

Is it beneficial for children to play video games?

Most people seem to perceive video games as being bad for children but there are certain video games that lack violence and encourage prosocial behavior in children. Most of the video games that are considered to be prosocial are more often than not non-violent games and usually some sort of educational game. According to about.com, the definition of prosocial behavior is “behaviors… intended to help other people. Prosocial behavior is characterized by a concern about the rights, feelings and welfare of other people.” According to one study, “kids who spent more time playing prosocial video games reported more prosocial behaviors. And, when presented with the social scenarios, these kids were also less likely to attribute hostile intentions to other people.” The “bottom line” of the study mentioned above is that “many people are worried that video games make kids anti-social. But it seems that the effects of video games depend on the details… content matters.” Basically, not all video games are harmful to children or encourage bad behavior, it comes down to the content of the video game as to whether or not it is a positive or negative influence for children.

http://www.parentingscience.com/effects-of-video-games-prosocial.html

Besides educational video games that encourage prosocial behavior from children, there are also many other benefits that playing video games can lend to a child. According to the website, Raise Smart Kid, “video games give [a] child’s brain a real workout. In many video games, the skills required to win involve abstract and high level thinking.” The webpage also claims that many of the skills that a child can gain, which include “following instructions, problem solving and logic, [and] hand-eye coordination, fine motor and spatial skills,” cannot be learned in a classroom. The webpage also draws attention to the fact that we now live in an age solely relying on technology and that it is important for children to know how to use technology in everyday life. When determining whether or not playing video games is a good thing for children to do, it is important to think about the specific details of every video game. As mentioned above, games that encourage violence or drug abuse, among other things, may be harmful for children because of the antisocial behavior that it enlists. However, there are also video games out there that encourage prosocial behavior that actually benefit children as opposed to harming them. In other words, video games often get a bad rap but it some cases are actually beneficial to children.

http://www.raisesmartkid.com/3-to-6-years-old/4-articles/34-the-good-and-bad-effects-of-video-games