Violent Video Games Are Not Acceptable or Desirable

By Meneleo Olavides

 

 

Local Setting:

Video games, particularly video games with violent and sexual themes, are very popular in the Philippines .  The popularity of video games has added to the proliferation of media content piracy in the local market.  Many pirated copies of these video games are being openly sold around the corner and in some major commercial establishments (Caoili, 2007).  There had been no confirmed report so far linking violent video game playing to cases of violence in the country, except that many parents and teachers had been complaining about their children and student’s frequent visits to the arcades offering online violent video games.

“It has led to teachers, parents and other concerned organizations and people continuously clamoring for a tighter clamp over online gaming… They mainly protest how this trend is becoming a cause of distraction among students from their studies.” (Panis, 2007) 

“The reports complain of students frequenting cafés not to research but to commit truancies in order to pursue the gaming compulsion gripping them” (Panis, 2007).

These complaints, however, are more or less inclined towards economic and academic concerns of parents and teachers for their students.  There were also instances when violence in video games was tackled by some cause-oriented organization that consequently requested authorities to ban minors from playing video games in public game shops ( Philippines mayor, 2007).  There is even a bill now filed in the House of Representatives that seek to penalize any person who sell or rent a violent video game to a minor (Arteche-Valenton, 2008). 

 In general, the acceptability or desirability of video games in the local context primarily hinges on the economic and academic implications of video games

Due to financial constraints, not all Filipinos can afford to play video games.  Many cannot afford to buy expensive video game consoles and PCs or even to pay rental fees at online video game shops.  The price of video game software in the market is also expensive even if it is an unauthorized copy.  Furthermore, these video games software requires expensive hardware platforms in order to run efficiently.  Installing the program also requires technical knowledge and skills from their user.  The extravagant cost involve in acquiring a personal video game has led most video game enthusiasts to just play at the arcades rather than to dole out large amount of money for an expensive personal video game package.  Although the arcade provides cheaper alternative for video game players, the amount of money that they spend on their diversion still cuts through their meager budget and limited allowances.

Academic implications of video game has something to do with the misappropriated time spent by many students in playing video games instead of attending their class or doing other more worthwhile activities during their spare time.  Many parents complain that they don’t anymore see their children at home and that they themselves cannot find time to be with them due to their own busy schedules.  With the growing popularity of video games in the Filipino community, most of the young people had become addicted to the game at the expense of their academic responsibilities.  Many online game shops had taken advantage of the youth’s susceptibility by locating their stores near school campuses contrary to legislative restrictions.

Along with the growing popularity of video games in the Philippines were also the growing awareness of many parents and concerned individuals on the possible undesirable effect of violent video games among the youths comprising the majority of video game enthusiasts (Epand, 2008).  There had been many protests clamoring for a total ban of violent video games from the market and from video game shops.  Most of these protests have been triggered by recent events that took placed in the U.S. , linking school shooting rampages to violent video game playing.  Although the psychological aspect of violent video game playing is yet to be explored further in the local scene, many cause oriented groups and legislators had already signified their stand against the acceptability or desirability of violent video games.  Most of these stances are in line with the government’s comprehensive protection program for children and the youth (Torrevillas, 2007).  It is in this premise that violent video games are NOT acceptable or desirable in the local setting.

 

 

American or Western Setting:

In the West, studies done about violence in video games are enormous and debates whether violent video game playing promotes aggressive behavior or not are currently ongoing and seem to be unending.

“After 40+ years of research, one might think that debate about media violence effects would be over. An historical examination of the research reveals that debate concerning whether such exposure is a significant risk factor for aggressive and violent behavior should have been over years ago… But the development of a new genre—electronic video games—reinvigorated the debate.” (Bushman & Anderson, 2001, p.1)

The new debate frequently generates more heat than light.

The answer to the problem requires more than just simple opinion and observation, but rather more rigorous meta-analysis of empirical data to conclude the issue one way or the other.  It would be presumptuous to conclude right away that there is a link between violent video game playing and increased aggression without accomplishing first the necessary steps and requirements to support such conclusion.  Many cause oriented groups and individuals had already attempted to conclude the matter through logical arguments and rigorous laboratory experiments, but their works had only add-up to the ever-increasing volume of information that provides NO final conclusion. 

“Other studies produce results that are rather ambiguous, and thus subject to interpretation.  It’s part of human nature that researchers often would interpret ambiguous results as more supportive of their hypotheses than these results actually are.” (Callaham, 2007)

The only logical approach that can be deduced as of the moment to assert that violent video games are not acceptable is based on the fact that video games are “RATED”.

 

Rating Video Games:

Rating video games was adopted by the video game industry itself as a way of warning consumers that certain video games are not suitable for children or minors.  It is in keeping with the same precautions applied to TV, movies, and other consumable media content products, like books, magazines, and websites with viewer/reader sensitive contents. 

“Currently, the rating system used to describe the content of video games is a system designed by a self-regulatory body.  The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory body established in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).  ESRB independently applies and enforces ratings, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles adopted by the industry.” (About ESRB, 2003)

Rating video games is a sort of compromise reached between the public and the video game industry in order to give leeway to video games with violent and sexual themes.  By coming up with a standard rating system, video game companies can still sell any of their video game products at the discretion of the buying public.  Since not all adults wish to play violent games, just as not all of them enjoy violent movies, they should (still) be free to do so if they wish (Don’t shoot, 2007).

Unfortunately, however, it is quite impossible to control and limit access to rated games, especially if the person initially acquiring the product is an adult that later shared the game with minors.  Furthermore, video games with very high ‘strict rating’ are more prone to public curiosity.  This curiosity later translates into ‘general patronage’ due to neglect and erring consent of parents and authorities.  In effect, ratings have done more to arouse curiosity and secure patronage among video game enthusiasts of all ages.  The primary purpose of rating video games, which is to protect children and juvenile from exposure to violent video games, has now become secondary as rating protocol among video game companies are aimed only at complying with the self-regulatory requirements of the Rating Body (Aldrich, 2005) that also protects the gaming industry itself.  Other factors that add to the disparity of rating video games are the ignorance of parents and guardians to video game ratings and their unawareness to the possible adverse influence of violent video games on their children.

Two Occurrences Why Violent Video Games are NOT Acceptable or Desirable:

With the occurrences of horrible school shooting rampages committed by youths who were later identified as violent video game fanatics in the U.S. ; it becomes more imperative to conclude that violent video games are not acceptable or desirable for the sake of a safe and peaceful environment (School shootings, 2008).  The Columbine High School shooting rampage in Littleton, Colorado on April 20, 1999 where two young men, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, for no apparent reason collaborately staged a ferocious shooting spree killing many students and shooting themselves afterwards, were believed to have been triggered by their constant exposure to violent video games (Insert coin, 2008).  And on April 16, 2007 in Cleveland , Ohio , Cho Seung-Hui killed two Virginia Tech students in a dorm, then killed 30 more and wounded 15 other hours later before committing suicide. This rampage is said to be the most deadly in U.S. history (Recent school shootings, 2007).  Cho’s parents once expressed the following words when he first entered Virginia Tech:

“Perhaps he would no longer retreat to video games and playing basketball alone the way he did at home.  Perhaps college might crack the mystery of who he was, extract him from his suffocating cocoon and make him talk.” (Kleinfield, 2007, p.2)

Recommendations:

Not until a final conclusion resolving the issue of whether violent video game playing promotes aggressive behavior or not have been reached and officially acknowledged, violent video games will remain to be labeled as NOT acceptable or desirable for the time being.  This labeling is already being accomplished through the rating standard adopted by the video game industry.   Assumptions and bias would have to be set aside in order to objectively address the issue and come up with a definite final conclusion.  Parents and authorities also plays crucial role in the successful implementation of the rating system by being aware and updated to current trends.  Like any other forms of consumable media content products, the unacceptability of violent video games now depends upon the guidance of informed individuals. 

 

“Thus it is a matter of personal choice, as with any other media, that becomes the key: one should be very careful with what kind of thoughts one fills the mind with, whether they are coming from the video game, tv, movies, the internet, or any other kind of program.” – Shadyfellow, 2007

 

                                                 References

 

Aldrich, M. (2005, June 7). Industry, critics, disagree on threat posed by video games. Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=2&mid=8633.

Anderson, C. A. (2003, October). Violent video games: myths, facts, and unanswered questions. Psychological Science Agenda, 16, 5, 1-19.  Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://sites.google.com/a/upou.edu.ph/mms-100-final-projects/topic-1.  

Arteche-Valenton, J. (2008, July 14). Banning sale, rental of violent video games to minors pressed. Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://www.congress.gov.ph/press/details.php?pressid=2442. 

Bushman, B. J., & Anderson, C. A. (2001). Media violence and the American public: scientific facts versus media misinformation. American Psychologist, 56, 477-489.

Callaham, J. (2007, February 19). Video game violence studies interview. Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://www.firingsquad.com/news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=14385.

Caoili, E. (2007, June 24). Toys “ARRRR” Us: piracy in the Philippines . Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://www.dsfanboy.com/2007/06/24/toys-arrrr-us-piracy-in-the-philippines/.

Don’t shoot the messenger. (2007, January 28). Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Dont-shoot-the-messenger/190996/0.

Epand, V. (2008, September 15). Research studies on the violence within video games. Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://www.free-find-articles.com/articledetail.php?artid=60535&catid=269&title=Research+Studies+On+The+Violence+Within+Video+Games.

Insert coin: part 5-violence in video games. (2008). Retrieved September 22, 2008, from Metacafe database: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/452175/insert_coin_part_5_violence_in_video_games/.   

Kleinfield, N. R. (2007, April 22). Before deadly rage, a life consumed by a troubling silence. Retrieved September 22, 2008, from New York Times database: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/us/22vatech.html?pagewanted=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1222191268-KmRwNUfzqBDJCiAbitevuA. 

Panis, R.J. (2007, November 14). Game on: the state of Philippine gaming. Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://www.philippinenews.com/article.php?id=1334.

Philippines mayor wants minors banned from violent video games. (2007, October 4). Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://news.filefront.com/phillipeans-mayor-wants-minors-banned-from-violent-video-games/.

Recent school shootings. (2007). Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=75856.

School shootings. (2008). Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/school_shootings/index.html. 

Shadyfellow. (2007, November 11). Violent video games. Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://www.freewaregames.net/myblog/post/2007/11/Violent-Video-Games.aspx.

Torrevillas, D. M. (2007, September 27). Video games. Retrieved September 22, 2008, from Philstart database: http://www.philstar.com/index.php?p=60&type=2&sec=24&act=view&aid=20070926198.

 

 

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