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| Increase in violent behaviour linked to gaming | Send to a friend |
| Written by Joanna Drag | |||||
| Tuesday, 17 February 2009 11:02 | |||||
New technologies are to blame for the increase in violence amongst teenagers, according to a recent study.The large-scale report, carried out by the Children’s Society, was released after a two-year inquiry into a ‘modern childhood’. The Good Childhood Inquiry cited the increasingly easy access to television programmes, the internet and gaming facilities as the main reasons behind the falling standard of teenage behaviour and health.
An extract reads: “The most dangerous aspect of media content is the lurch to more and more violence, which we know can breed violent behaviours and increased mental illness.”
The link between video games and increased levels of violence has long been debated between professionals. However, one Kingston undergraduate remains dubious. He said: “I think it’s stupid. If you play a computer game, that doesn’t mean you’re going to do whatever you do in the game.”
The study was published on the same day the advertising standards authority (ASA) released details of their compliance report on video game advertising. It stated that although “depiction of violence was a strong theme” in gaming advertising campaigns, “it was often stylised, fantasy-like and clearly separated from reality.”
GAME manager, Craig Stevens, said: “I think it’s silly that games are placed in a position of blame. Each game in our company has a rating on it, either from the British Board of Film Classification [BBFC] or Pan-European Gaming Information [PEGI] and they are there for a reason, to advise what is suitable and what is not for each gamer.”
Sean Tuck, an environmental science student at Kingston, has a more liberal view on gaming. He said: “Everyone has a right to play what they want. Violence will happen with or without games. A level of common sense is needed when playing. I think it’s more on the parents than the game itself; they should check the game age rating.” Picture credit: Rex Features
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