No+Excuses!

No Excuses

A main concern when talking about video games in this day and age is violence. Is violence in games the reason that kids act out? Or is it the parent's and their techniques in raising the children to blame for all of this? Everything that children see or hear in the media early on in their lives affects them in some way. Positive parenting role models indicate that in the best interest of our children we should limit their exposure to violent acts. And yet parents are still buying their kids mature rated games, if they think it causes so much violence read the [|ESRB] rating on the case before you buy them. Instead they complain their kid's act out because of the games they play. It sounds to me that the games are not the problem but that the parents are the problem. In my honest opinion I do not believe violence in video games cause kids to be aggressive and act out, i believe it is the parents fault and also society could be the blame as well. Politicians and other moral crusaders frequently create “[|folk devils],” individuals or groups defined as evil and immoral. Folk devils allow us to channel our blame and fear... Video games... have become contemporary folk devils because they seem to pose a threat to children.The biggest problem with media-effects research is that it attempts to [|decontextualize] violence. Poverty, neighborhood instability, unemployment, and even family violence fall by the wayside... Ironically, even mental illness tends to be overlooked in this psychologically oriented research.

Video Games such as the one pictured here are mature rated, by looking at the ESRB code at the bottom left hand corner parents can see what they are buying their kids. Personally I own this game myself and it is just supposed to be a simulation of what the world would be like after a [|post apocalyptic nuclear war.] In the game you battle mutants and other types of super beings while trying to save humanity from extinction. Does stuff like this really exist in our world? NO. Also could this stuff really happen to us yes it could but this is just a simulation in all good fun just too make money and to please many gamers with an interesting story line. That is the reason they give games like this a mature rating, because people in the ages 17+ can grasp the concept that this stuff is not real and they would not try to imitate things that happen in the game. Maybe it could be true that kids imitate what they see at a young age but there is no reason that parent's should be buying their kids these games unless they are sure their kids are mature enough to play this and know the difference from the game and reality. If the parenting was good they would know that in real life the crimes you commit like in the games are highly punishable by law. It is up to parents to teach their kids right from wrong that way they know if they act up they will have to pay the consequences. Honestly, if anyone is to blame for the violence kids commit in this day and age I would say it's the parents! I play games like [|Call Of Duty] and other mature rated games, and never once have i thought of going out and shooting someone, or stealing, or vandalizing property and stuff to that extent. I believe living in a violent household or a rough neighborhood could be the cause of the violence. But video games should definitely not be the [|scapegoat] for bad parenting or society as a matter of fact.

In the chart above it shows that through the releases of the [|Grand Theft Auto] Series crime rate still continued to statistically fall. These games are basically as violent as you can get I would know from personal experience because I own all of them. This is the type of game that researchers and parents have been complaining about ruining their children and causing violent crime rates to go up. Even though based on the evidence presented to you the crime rates continued to fall even after people bought these games. That just goes to show you that even the most violent video game of the all is not to blame for aggressive behavior in society. So in [|retrospect] it is the parents to blame for all of this violence, because if they wouldn't buy the game for their children and expose them to the so called brainwashing violence they wouldn't have to worry about their children becoming violent. So parents next time you want to blame your child's bad behavior on something, step up and take the responsibility because it is on you and no one else. Make sure to check the ESRB rating of the game before you buy it for your child, and also try to expose them to the least amount of violence as possible if you believe it'll cause them to have aggressive behavior.