Violence and Video Games

Ever since the dawn of video games, violence has coincided with them. First it was the ghosts in Pac-Man attempting to kill our yellow hero, and then came Mario stomping on the shroom-like goombas. Now, these acts of violence seem extremely petty to us because, in all truth, they are. However, modern-day games are becoming exceedingly more violent, and this is definitely having an effect on our youthful population.

Now, whenever one thinks of violent video games, the name Grand Theft Auto almost always jumps to mind, but there were games much earlier than it that caused outrage in the American public. Perhaps the first game to spark this fury was the arcade classic Mortal Kombat. The ability to finish your opponent in an extremely brutal manner along with massive amounts of blood effects resulted in the game almost getting banned. This was the first example of violent video games causing an outcry, but the aforementioned Grand Theft Auto raised even more serious concerns. Almost immediately after the games release, outcries were heard around the nation. Kids became less obedient, started acting more aggressively towards their peers and superiors, and displayed less interest in school.

Whenever Grand Theft Auto first came out, it sold like hotcakes off the shelves. Every kid across America wanted it for its sandbox, no restraint gameplay. For those of you who do not know what GTA (Grand Theft Auto) entails, basically you play as a gangster in a large city whose main goals are to kill civilians, steal cars, run from cops, and all kinds of other extremely violent and illegal activities.

This doesn't just stop at video games, however. Studies have shown that four year old children who just viewed aggressive images are three times more likely to act aggressively than children who just viewed peaceful images.

This is still a hotly debated topic among many critics. Whether these violent and aggressive games and television are actually affecting our youth is not for certain. However, one must wonder how they couldn't? With technology growing more powerful every single day, the violence in games is growing as well (just check out the new Mortal Kombat, the first wasn't nearly as gory as this one. Its already been banned in Australia). Children are playing these mature rated games that exhibit extreme violence, gore, and unethical actions. Who knows, in ten years games might become realistic enough that the mind of a child is unable to distinguish them from reality, if not in the present day?

Despite whether or not these games are affecting the American public, they will continue to be produced, children will continue to play them, and if the gaming community calls for it, they will become more violent and realistic. From ghosts killing little yellow circles, to digital gangsters beating up prostitutes with baseball bats, gaming has always included violence, and that trend is not likely to stop. So now that you've heard my spill, go throw in Grand Theft Auto 4, and steal a Ferrari or two.

Technology in the World as we know it

Whether it is on television, on the computer, on a Smart Phone, or any other application, the fact of the matter is that technology has taken over the world of media. If someone wants to access news it is just a matter of what Internet website or technological device they will use to obtain it. People are losing jobs in the newspaper and magazine world because of this issue. As these perspective industries are doing whatever it takes to make strides in their business to keep it alive, I just don’t think it will work because of the effectiveness of these technological advances in the world of news. I think it is safe to say that paper products, when it comes to news, are on the way out. It’s all about accessibility in news, and right now that easy access comes in the form of the Internet and devices.

Technology is everywhere we look. It affects our everyday life in many various ways. When I think of what area technology has grown the most, I feel like it is in the world of Media. The way we get the news has changed drastically over the past couple years. The days of having a paper boy are long gone due to the “Apps” one can download on an iPad, on the internet, and on television. Due to this drastic change in the way we can receive news, the newspaper industry and magazine industry has seen a major decrease in profit. When you think about it, why would we buy a magazine or read the newspaper when we can access the news through various forms of technology? I feel like the only reason why newspapers and magazines are still in existence is due to their “pastime” like persona that each has had for a number of years. I read something recently that stated the main problem with newspaper and magazines these days is that they don’t charge enough for subscriptions. They basically give away their product, mainly out of desperation to get the news out to perspective readers.

Technology has opened up a new world in media. Twitter and Facebook are taking over the world when it comes too social networking. When someone has a Twitter or Facebook account they can “follow” such news entities as CNN, Fox, ESPN, and many other news networks. Also, if someone has one of the new popular Smart Phones they can receive instant email updates, or tweets from these perspective networks telling them breaking news or other useful information.

When signing on to NYtimes.com (New York Times), one can access information from existing links such as sports, business, entertainment, politics, and many others. This is also the case with any other newspaper. This whole idea of social networking on these news websites makes them more appealing to viewers because the readers are allowed the opportunity to post comments on certain articles and can actually be involved in the news, which is something newspapers and magazines cannot offer.

Newspapers everywhere are realizing that their time is coming to an end. Statistics have been showing that the number of readers has been falling each year. The people of this generation don’t seem to appreciate the past time of sitting down and reading the newspaper. It’s all about quick and easy, and all about clicking the mouse and getting the information right then. I feel like the Internet is constantly being updated while you have to wait until the next morning to retrieve the days news when it comes to newspapers. The only reason why newspapers are still being put onto newsstands is because of the habit we have formed from reading them. As far as we know it, the generation of the newspaper is going to be gone very soon. It just doesn’t stand a chance against all the technology that is being put into our world.