These days, kids and teenagers are more violent than ever, causing destruction, injury and sometimes even death. People don't know why it is like this today. But many people blame video game violence for kids going out and doing crime. They say games like Grand Theft Auto, Manhunt, Resident Evil 4 and many other games are making kids become more violent.
I have my own opinion on this: video games are not the reason why kids are getting more violent these days.
If video games are one of the major reasons of crime among kids these days, there are many things thatconflict with that. Was there violence in the "good old days". Were there major wars in the middle ages? Yes there were! Was it video games that helped inspire them? No there wasn't. Could kids in the middle ages have been inspired to cause trouble because of wars? Yes, but not much. Why were kids better back then, than now?
I know one major reason: a lack of discipline.
I just want to get this out of the way: I'm not one of those kids who are peacekeepers, against teasing as friendship, tell the teacher when there's a fight, hate classes where the kids act immature and funny etc. I'm the complete opposite. This is just my opinion.
Back then, kids were given much more restrictions, and more punishments. Do you think parents back then would stand to know that they're teen was out at 1:30 in the morning, not knowing what they're doing, and for all they know could be drinking and/or trashing a convinent store? They would've met much more discipline. They could've gotten a huge grounding, been spanked, or even gotten the good 'ole strap.
Kids wouldn't like to face those kind of punishments back then. But now, kids are given more freedom. Their parents aren't as strict as they were back then, thus, giving them more oppertunity and more motive to do stuff. Parents don't care as much when they're teen comes home at 2:00 AM, without reason.
War can also be a factor. Lets look back in Coloradoon April 20th (4/20 known by some)1999. In Iraq, Americans bombed several parts of Iraq, killing many. In Colorado, later that day, two students in Columbine High School killed thirteen kids and injured dozens of more people. Do you think it is a coinsodence that this school massacre happened on the same day as the same bombings? I don't think so.
These two kids were horribly bullied in their school. I've heard that in the cafeteria, many people would take ketchup packets and toss and squirt these kids with them, while teachers did nothing. Could that be another reason why they did the violence? Most certainly.
Throughout all these topics, I hardly mention about video games. That's not to say that video games aren't responsibe for any violence: there might be a couple of people that were inspired by GTA or such to do some crime. But it is not the huge factor that people think it is. When I play video games, I don't feel more or less inspired to go out and commit some crime.
Another reason is boredom. It may sound weird, but it is a factor. In my small town, there is not a lot to do, but I have quite a few friends here who smoke, do drugs and such. Since there is nothing to do, people turn to drugs and crime to make up time, and to have fun. Does it sound fun to gather with a huge mob of people and trash several streets because your bored and there's hardly anything to do? I believe so. And I also heard this: kids are meaner and more troublesome in towns that in cities and urban areas. Could boredom be one of the reasons?
In conclusion, video games aren'tone of the big factors of kid/teen violence these days. There are many otherreasons, withlogics with them, that are much, much more important factors. Things such as lack of disipline, boredomand other things that I haven't listed aren't looked as much as video games do, even though they would make more sense to many.
I have sounded my opinon, now what about yours?
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