Is there a link between gaming and violence?

 Studies by Iowa State University’s ¹Distinguished Professor Craig Anderson, one of the world’s most scholars on media violence, show that playing violent video games causes people to think and act more ²aggressively, although it will not turn “normal 12-years-old into school shooters”.

      

       On the ground, psychiatrists and social workers are reporting more gaming-related problems among youths.  At Touch Cyber Wellness and Sports, counselors have seen more than 140 cyber-related cases in the past three years.

 

       Dr Brian Yeo, a consultant ³psychiatrist at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, said that he sees at least one patient daily who has gaming or Internet related issues.

 

       In the Study of Violence, which included the first ⁴longitudinal study, it was concluded that people who played violent games are more aggressive over time. The more common⁵manifestations of aggression are verbal, like raising voices or ⁶spurting ⁷vulgarities. Gamers begin to accept and even expect violence in their own lives.  Studies have also shown that some gamers develop “hostile attribution ⁸bias”, that is, attributing hostile intentions to even ¹benign actions.  Games share another link to smoking too.

 

       While there is increasing acceptance of links between games and aggression, gamers and game companies, ⁹advocate that video games are very powerful learning tools – as demonstrated by how people playing games that encourage them to be nice to others in the game, will also exhibit such “pro-social” behaviour in real life.   A multiplayer online role-playing games, World of Warcraft which boasts more than 11 million players around the world, claims that such games encouraged to work with others, possibly promoting positive values like team work, loyalty and self-sacrifice.

 

      AsiaSoft, publisher of games like Maple Story, has created pop-up messages to remind gamers to take breaks.  By the fourth hour, the gamers are asked to quit the game.  This is done in order to have moderation.

 

       Dr Nicolas Khoo, 31, co-founder of the Cyber –sports and Online Gaming Association said studies have shown that parental involvements is ¹⁰vital in managing the violent effects of gaming.

 

[Excerpts from the Sunday Times, 8 March 2008 – by Susan Lau]

      

 

Vocabulary

1Distinguished –(adj) renowned, famous, excellent

2aggressively – (adv)  implies a disposition to dominate often in disregard of others' rights or in determined and energetic pursuit of one's ends

3psychiatrist – (n) one who studies a branch of medicine that deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders

4longitudinal study – (n) a study on effects over a period of time.

5manifestations – (n) the act, process

6spurt- (v)  to gush forth

7vulgarities –(n) offensive in language

⁸bias - an inclination of temperament or outlook ; especially : a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment

⁹advocate - one that defends or maintains a cause or proposal

¹⁰vital - of the utmost importance