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Katherine Soto
Engl 1010 - 40
Prof. Sean M. George
12 December 2015
Harmful Fun
Parents have always wanted to give the very best to their children. Mothers and fathers
will go out of their way to get their child everything they desire, all to see a happy and loving
baby. When the child gets older, they may start to ask for certain toys and items depending on
their personality. There are many toys on the market that are suitable for children, and most toys
have a recommended age of use. However, more recently, there has been an abundance of violent
and adult themed video games. Children as young as seven years old have been asking parents to
buy the newest mature rated video game, and unfortunately, many parents blindly purchase these
items. It is important for every parent to inspect the content of a videogame that is being
purchased for a younger child because violent video games can be linked to aggression,
depression, and poor school performance for young adolescents.
It may seem unlikely that a mere video game can cause psychological problems to
children because video games are purely fictional. In the article Daily Violent Video Game
Playing and Depression in Preadolescent Youth, Susan R. Tortolero explains the findings from a
study about the correlation between violent video games and depression symptoms. She states,
In the present study, we examined the association between daily violent video game playing
over the past year and depression in a large, ethnically diverse preadolescent sample. We found
that playing high-violence video games for more than 2 hours per day is significantly associated
with having a higher number of depressive symptoms. This association was consistent across all

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racial/ethnic subgroups and among boys, and more important, it was observed after controlling
for aggression and several violence-related variables. (Tortolero). The study was done with a
large and diverse number of students. They were asked if they played videos games, if it was
violent, and for how long they played. The study found that the children being exposed to violent
video games showed more depressive symptoms than those children that were not, no matter
their ethnicity.
These findings are crucial for parents to understand in order to be able to make an
educated and thoughtful decision before buying their child a violent video games. Many caring
parents would be devastated to find out that their child is showing depression symptoms. Most
parents believe that their preadolescents should be happy and enjoying school. If a parent has the
choice to lessen the chances of their child having depression, they should not buy them a violent
video game. A more common problem with children playing violent video games is aggression.
Adult themed video games can also create behavioral issues with children. In her article
Violent Video Games Affecting Our Children, Judith A. Vessey states the connection between
violent videogames and children behavior. Unfortunately, children are capable of and may
model aggression. A number of studies support the relationship between video game playing and
subsequent aggression (Anderson & Dill, 2000; Anderson & Ford, 1986; Cooper & Mackie,
1986; Graybill, Strawnizk, Hunter, & O'Leary, 1987; Irwin & Gross, 1995; Kirsh, 1998; Schutte,
Malouff, Post-Gorden, & Rodesta, 1988). Playing violent video games resulted in an increase in
short-term aggressive behaviors, with children tending to imitate those behaviors portrayed in the
theme of the game, such as martial arts master or jungle hero Exposure to real-life violent
video games not only increases aggression in the short-term but delinquency in the long-term;
although these behaviors are influenced by intra-personal and situational variables. They

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postulate that the effect of violent video games "is cognitive in nature." Learning and repeatedly
practicing aggressive situations may alter children's basic personality structures, leading to more
hostile thoughts and untoward changes in social interactions. (Vessey). Children are still
learning, and they tend to learn through observation. When they observe aggressive behavior
from a fun game, they may replicate those actions. Many studies have already proven this
connection. It is possible that a child that is continuously exposed to violence can change their
basic personality patterns and most importantly, children tend to suffer academically.
In the article Young Children's Video/Computer Game Use: Relations with School
Performance and Behavior by Erin C. Hastings, she examines the findings for the relationship
between videogames and school performance. She states, This study examined the amount and
content of childrens video game playing in relation with behavioral and academic outcomes.
Relationships among playing context, child gender, and parental monitoring were explored. Data
were obtained through parent report of childs game play, behavior, and school performance.
Results revealed that time spent playing games was related positively to aggression and
negatively to school competence. Violent content was correlated positively and educational
content negatively with attention problems. Educational games were related to good academic
achievement. Results suggest violent games, and a large amount of game play, are related to
troublesome behavioral and academic outcomes, but educational games may be related to
positive outcomes. Neither gender nor parental monitoring emerged as significant moderators of
these effects. (Hastings et al.). The study found that children who played violent video games or
played video games for a long duration of time generally have attention problems and poor
academic performance. Although some video game play was viewed as favorable, it is to be
noted that it was educational and for a short period of time. If a parent would like their child to

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perform well in school, it is best they do not buy violent video games and they should limit the
amount of time a child plays.
Many would argue that playing video games may help children intellectually. A couple of
positive outcomes from playing video games are being able to follow instructions, problem
solving, prosocial cognitions, and developing reading and math skills (Saleem). These are a few
desired traits for young children, but it is important for every parent to remember that these traits
will mostly come from nonviolent video games played in moderation. Not all video games
should be viewed as equal.
Parents usually have good intentions when buying their child a game they have been
begging for. Parents hold the final purchasing decision. They should not be swayed or persuaded
to purchase a harmful item for their child. Ultimately, it is up to the parent or caregiver to decide
if their child is capable of playing a violent video game without having dangerous consequences
to their behavior.

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Works Cited
Hastings, Erin C., et al. "Young Children's Video/Computer Game Use: Relations With School
Performance And Behavior." Issues In Mental Health Nursing 30.10 (2009): 638-649.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.
Saleem, Muniba, Craig A. Anderson, and Douglas A. Gentile. "Effects Of Prosocial, Neutral,
And
Violent Video Games On Children's Helpful And Hurtful Behaviors." Aggressive
Behavior
38.4 (2012): 281-287. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.
"The Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games." Raise Smart Kid. 9 Aug. 2015. Web. 13
Dec.
2015.
Tortolero, Susan R., et al. "Daily Violent Video Game Playing And Depression In Preadolescent
Youth." Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking 17.9 (2014): 609-615.
Academic
Search Premier. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
Vessey, Judith A., and Joanne E. Lee. "Violent Video Games Affecting Our Children." Pediatric
Nursing 26.6 (2000): 607. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.