Do Video Games Really Cause Bad Behavior in Children?

 

 In many forums, the question of whether video games cause bad behaviour in children is prominent and is staple. Many say no, many say yes. Many say it depends. Yes, there are many factors that should be considered when answering the question. These factors are needed to be able to come up with answers and in defending such answer.

 

 

Allow me to give you my own answer to the question. This is my own simple way of joining in this relevant debate.

 

 

Tender Age

 

 

First, we have to put into consideration the age of our subjects, children. Age is a great factor especially considering being influenced. Let us not forget that children are in the tender years. Their minds, hearts and personalities are still very soft and are yet to be moulded. They are blank canvasses which receive anything that comes and adopt them. They should be guarded and guided. This is the responsibility of the parents. Too much time, attention and effort to playing video games can take away from more important activities especially studying and developing a strong body and morally upright personality. This is another aspect which needs to be looked into by parents.

 

 

Parental Guidance Overall

 

 

It is the duty of the parents to raise their children. One big part of that is monitoring and screening their activities from playing outside, to the TV shows they watch and to the video games they play. And a very big part of this is the one mentioned last, video games.

 

 

Parental Guidance in Gaming

 

 

Parents should do their duty of guiding their children to become good persons. With this responsibility comes a corresponding power. They can enforce rules on their children. They have the right to monitor what their children are doing. They are warranted to search and investigate them. They are vested with the authority to put in place rules that will ensure that inappropriate materials do not enter the house. Further, they can extend their powers outside this jurisdiction. They can track down what their children are doing outside the house. They should use this to prevent bad influence from video games to get into their children’s system.

 

 

Children’s Freewill and Intellect

 

 

Yes, parents have the right and responsibility of knowing what their children are doing even outside the house. They need to invoke this right because the kids can develop some curiosity of about the very violent video games which are banned in the house. They have intellect and freewill. The first causes them to be curious and the second enables them to act on this curiosity. Again, parents should come in. Even without them suspecting or being sure that their children are playing violent video games and influenced to develop violent tendencies, they should continually educate their children about this matter. They have to be creative and loving in finding ways to tell their children in the most effective way that they can.

 

 

The Gaming Industry and Society

 

 

Aside from the parents, the society and the gaming industry also has a certain degree of responsibility to children. The video game business sector should be conscientious enough in producing games and distributing them to the public. There are already policies regarding this legislated by the government. The video game sector should abide by the implementing rules and regulations of these laws. Also, the society should be vigilant in reporting violations that may be committed by the games business and in helping guard children outside their homes regarding the sale and play of violent video games.

 

 

My Conclusion

 

 

Video games can really cause bad behaviour in children. Although not generally, a few news reports and studies show this. Not all violent video games can cause bad behaviour and not all children who play violent games on arcades and personal and family computers display untoward tendencies. Still, this does not take away the fact that these games really do have the ability to stimulate violent actions in these younger players.

 

 

Children are still in the formative years of life. They are very susceptible to outside influences. Their minds and personality is yet to be formed and negative influence from video games can creep in and may cause them to develop the tendency to act in bad ways. Parents have the great responsibility to prevent this from happening to their children.