Isaiah Sublett
Dr. Wright
ENG 112-01
25 April. 2019
Do Video Games Increase Violence
Over the years, psychologists, educators, and child experts have sought to justify their strong stance condemning the exposure of young children to violent media and video games by arguing that the subject can lead to the development of violent and aggressive behavior. The number of children and teenagers in the United States who spend their pastime playing video games has skyrocketed over recent decades with statistics indicating that close to 97% of the youth play video games (“Do Violent Video Games…”). Although extensive research on the subject has been done in recent years with the intent of justifying the argument that there is a correlation between video games and violence, the majority of the evidence collected elucidates that there is no likelihood that youth who partake in video games can perpetrate violence than the children who do not (Przybylski).
The notion that watching violent media content has an adverse effect on the behavioral development of the viewers especially children who are not fully developed or mature, is attributable to the idea that the graphic content such as open shooting contained in the video games, causes them to feel less compassionate towards others (Howell). Although educationists and parents have argued that students who commit crimes or even engage in violent activities are more likely to have drawn their influence from video games which desensitize them from the reality, research has established that this is not true. Psychological studies have shown that the playing of violent video games by a child does not have a long-term adverse effect on their compassion or ability to cause violence (Howell). The findings are attributable to the fact that video games are a method through which the children draw fun, and enjoy make-believe experience while connecting and engaging with their friends (Przybylski).
Although there is an overwhelming desire to portray video games as the leading cause of misbehavior and violence in learning institutions as well as the community, the evidence suggests that as the sales of video games within the society have proliferated so has the number of juvenile delinquencies (Howell). The volume of video games sold over the last three decades has increased with sales reaching a high of $14billion in 2014, with the Federal Bureau of Investigations releasing a report in 2014 indicating that the number of criminal cases such as murder and victimization committed by the youth has reduced over same period (Przybylski). The evidence suggests that there has been a correlation between the growth in the number of video games bought and the reduction in the incidence of juvenile delinquency within the country. For instance, the FBI report elucidates that murder cases over the last three decades committed by juveniles reduced by 76% while violent cases reported decreased by 36% (Howell).
The development of violent behavior or tendencies in an individual is attributable to some factors which must compound each other to predispose the said individual to misbehavior and violent characteristics (Przybylski). Scientists and psychologists have argued that the factors which influence an individual to violent tendencies include incidence of family violence, mental health, abuse, and neglect by caregivers among others (Howell). However, it is notable that children perceive the playing of video games as a means through which they can socialize and interact with their friends, and the content that they come across during that time does not portray reality as violence in their homes does, and thus less likely to make them violent (Przybylski).
Although generations ago, it was expected that children would spend their time in open fields interacting and playing with their friends, times have changed, and the public spaces are no longer available, and even in the case where they exist, they remain inaccessible to many (Boot et al). Children have thus had to change how they spend their leisure time and bond with their colleagues, with video games being an effective means through which they can visit or invite each other and escape momentarily from their home environment (Boot et al.). The video games, therefore, act as a means through which they can relax, release their anger and stress and manage their emotions competently. A research done by the Journal of Adolescent Health has established that the minors who spend their time playing video games can effectively control their feelings since the activity makes them more relaxed, and able to channel on their anger and frustrations (Boot et al).
The complex games such as Star wars although composed of violent content, it allows the children to improve their problem-solving skills and thought process since they are always in competition with their friends and have to critically think if they are to win at the end (Boot et al). The development of the creative and critical thinking skills is not only manifested in the games but also in real life where they employ their cognitive abilities in their studies ultimately enhancing their performance (Boot et al). Psychologists have argued that video games are not a mindless entertainment but an activity which demands the engagement of the players, an aspect which allows them to become engaged in the game, and most importantly learn how to play creatively to outsmart their peers and become the winners (Boot et al). For instance, a study published by the University of Rochester shows that the learning capacity of an individual is significantly improved when they partake in action video games.
The lack of proof that violent video gaming is responsible for the development of violent behavior should not be taken for granted since it has been established that the excessive playing of the games leads to an unhealthy lifestyle. The proponent of the notion that video games are responsible for a spike in violence among children argues that through operant conditioning, the players are bound to develop an affinity or liking for blood, which can make them more likely to commit crimes or misbehave. However, it is notable that the argument has been established by researchers and scientists to be inconclusive.
Works Cited
Boot, Walter R, et al. “Do Action Video Games Improve Perception and Cognition?” Frontiers in Psychology, Frontiers Research Foundation, 13 Sept. 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3171788/. Accessed 16 Apr. 2019
“Do Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth Violence?” ProCon, videogames.procon.org/. Accessed 16 Apr. 2019
Howell, Destiny. “The Effects of Crime Media on Reality.” American Criminal Law Review, http://www.americancriminallawreview.com/files/9914/8587/1544/Howell_The_Effects_of_Crime_Media_on_Reality.pdf. Accessed 16 Apr. 2019
Przybylski, Andrew K. “Who Believes Electronic Games Cause Real World Aggression?” Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., Publishers, www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cyber.2013.0245. Accessed 16 Apr. 2019
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Lamar Payne
Dr. Wright
Freshman Composition II
9 April, 2019
Should Schools Do Standardized Testing?
It is nearing the end of the school year and all the students are excitedly talking about their upcoming summer plans when suddenly it hits them: standardized testing. Quickly that excitement turns to fear and anxiety. Standardized testing has been a part of the school system for many years. These test can make it or break it for a student. Schools should no longer do standardized testing because it negatively impacts the future of students, causes stress and anxiety, and teachers cheat the standardized tests.
Imagine a student who has their next levels of education figured out, but then they receive their tests scores and now either those levels go down the drain or they must take remedial classes and more tests just to get back on track. This is just one of the many scenarios in which standardized testing hurts the students. When going to school students want to learn materials they will need in the future compared to materials needed to pass a standardized test. The schools hammer and reiterate the mere importance of the test so much that teachers no longer teach for future use but teach for the test. “The pressure to improve students' test scores caused some teachers to neglect material that the external test does not include reading real books, writing in authentic context, solving higher-order problems, creative and divergent thinking projects, longer-term integrative unit projects, [and] computer education..." (Golan and Herman). Oftentimes subjects such as science, social studies and art are put on the back burner so that test learning and teaching can take place. Saga Briggs quotes a teacher saying, “We as teachers are told not to teach social studies and science until March. As ‘real learning’ takes a backseat to ‘test learning,’ challenging curriculum is replaced by multiple choice materials, individualized student learning projects disappear, and in-depth exploration of subjects along with extracurricular activities are squeezed out of the curriculum.” (Briggs).
The second reason why schools should no longer do standardized tests is because they cause stress and anxiety. Many students in this generation excel in school until they take a test. That’s when all the training, learning, and practice go right out the window. Now they begin to stress out and overthink. They become anxious about the test. Some may even have a panic attack. During the testing season in 2015 there was a widespread report by teachers and parents that said, “students were getting physically sick and emotionally distraught over the standardized test.” (Frenette). Unfortunately, it’s not just the students who get stressed and anxious about the test teachers do too. It starts at the top with the superintendent, then trickles down to the administrators, which then trickles down to the teachers. Since the administrators are feeling heat from the board about the test, they in turn give the teachers heat, who then maybe over stress the importance of the test which causes the students to stress out and become anxious. Students that are in elementary school are too young to have to worry about being stressed and getting sick
over a test. If kids are getting stressed and sick over tests that young then that is a sign to shut it down completely. Risking students health for a test is not worth it.
The final reason why schools should no longer do standardized testing is because teachers cheat on the tests. It actually goes hand in hand with the previous reason. Because teachers are faced with the reality of losing their job if their students perform poorly, they turn to an immoral tactic to save their job. Honestly if the day comes where teachers and administrators
cheat to make themselves and the school look good then standardized testing should no longer be allowed. According to Cizek “administrators were caught going through students test booklets in the classroom and calling students up to change answers.” This is hypocrisy students are reprimanded for cheating while their teachers and administrators are cheating the tests themselves.
To ensure that these factors do not happen schools should no longer do standardized testing. Schools should instead teach their students the necessary skills they will need in life such as finances, job interviews, resumes, taxes, etc. if there are laws in place that advocate for standardized testing they need to be repealed. Learning these skills will prove to be much more beneficial than taking a test that would not matter ten years from now.
Works Cited
Briggs, Saga. “The Perils of Standardized Testing: 6 Ways It Harms Learning” informED, 25 June 2013, https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/the-perils-of-standardized-testing/. Accessed 9 April 2019
Cizek, Gregory J. “Cheating to the Test” Education Next, Spring 2001, https://www.educationnext.org/cheatingtothetest/. Accessed 8 April 2019
Frenette, Liza. “Test stress and Academic Anxiety” NYSUT, 6 March 2015, https://www.nysut.org/news/nysut-united/issues/2015/march-2015/test-stress-and-academic-anxiety . Accessed 9 April 2019
Golan, Shari, and Joan L. Herman. “Effects of Standardized Testing on Teachers
and Learning—Another Look” CSE Technical Report 334, 1991, https://cresst.org/wp-content/uploads/TECH334.pdf. Accessed 9 April 2019
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Brooke Coffman
Dr. Wright
Eng 112
24 Apr. 2019
Should Teenagers Drink Alcohol?
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Each day that passes, there is always the question of whether or not teenagers should legally be allowed to drink alcohol. “The 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that among high school students, 30% drank some amount of alcohol, 14% binge drank., 6% drove after drinking alcohol, and 17% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol” (“CDC - Fact Sheets-Underage Drinking - Alcohol.”). The answer to that question is no. Teenagers should not be allowed to drink because of drinking and driving, the developmental stage of the brain, and damaging the body itself.
As a teenager, you will start to notice that the way your mentality is wired, everything action that occurs that involves even the slightest bit of danger you will think you are invincible to anything. As a teenager, I will admit that there are times where I think I know more than my parents or when I do something, I do not think anything will happen to me. In today’s world, since teenagers are becoming more adamant as far as what they do, there is little to nothing that anyone can do in order to make them think differently. When it comes to alcohol most teenagers are all for it. They are always wanting to go out to parties with their friends and where there is a party, usually there is alcohol. Teenagers should not be able to drink because typically when they go to parties, they drive themselves there and when that happens, they are setting themselves up for death. “Drunk driving kills about 4,000 teens each year” (“Why Should Teens Not Drink Alcohol?”). Due to teenagers having the mentality that they are invincible along with their thinking being impaired from consumption of alcohol, they are going to drive themselves home and set themselves up for the possibility of practically killing themselves. “The motor-vehicle crash risk of novice teen drivers is unacceptably high” (Shope, T, and Bingham S261-S271). When teenagers are driving under the influence, they are putting their lives on the line as well as increasing their chances of endangering the lives of other people.
From being a baby until your early 20s, your brain is still developing. As a teenager, you are setting yourself up for a higher risk of damaging your brain development by drinking alcohol. “Studies have suggested that compared to adults, adolescents may be particularly vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of early alcohol use onset which begins to emerge at moderate doses of alcohol, as well as alcohol-induced motor impairment, disruption of locomotion, and sedation” (Spear 152-157). Drinking alcohol at a young age not only has short term effects on the brain such as motor impairments and blurred vision, but long-term effects as well. A long-term effect of alcohol on the brain can be Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome or WKS which is a disease that can send them into a coma or even kill them. The side effects of WKS include “…Confusion, paralysis of eye muscles, difficulty with muscle coordination, impaired learning ability, and forgetfulness” (“Alcohol-Related Brain Damage”). Teenagers apply their “invincible” mindset, and they do not think about what they are doing and what it can do to them. When put into perspective the effects of what alcohol can do to the brain, it is eye opening.
Yes, alcohol can cause permanent brain damage, but it can cause permanent internal bodily damage as well. For instance, if a teen were to become addicted to drinking alcohol and drank for the rest of their lives, the alcohol over time would cause damage to their organs. An effect to the body of alcohol over time is alcoholic hepatitis. Alcoholic hepatitis is where alcohol is consumed over a long period of time and eventually causes the liver to become inflamed. When the liver becomes inflamed it can go into failure. “The liver's main job is to filter the blood coming from the digestive tract, before passing it to the rest of the body. The liver also detoxifies chemicals and metabolizes drugs” (Hoffman 1). Once liver failure has gone into effect, large parts of the liver have been damaged and there is no repairing. If you do not get a liver transplant to get rid of you “dead” liver, then you will die yourself. So teenagers, the next time you think about taking a drink of alcohol, take into consideration the long-term effects that one little drink can lead up to.
As research shows, there are more negative sides to teens drinking alcohol. Through my teenage years, I haven’t been one to drink not even when I go to parties. I just don’t see the point of it is especially still being relatively young. Teenagers should not be legally allowed to drink because they are not grown or mature enough yet to be responsible for their actions. Being young, teenagers have their whole life ahead of them to grow up and aspire to be whatever they want. Teens shouldn’t be ripped of their futures just because they were irresponsible and were intoxicated behind the wheel. Or they shouldn’t be ripped from having a happy and healthy life just because their intake of alcohol caused damage to their brain and the rest of their body. Teens shouldn’t be allowed to drink. They should have to wait until they are 21 so then they are more mature and able to somewhat think like an adult and act responsibly.
Works Cited
“Alcohol-Related Brain Damage.” Alcohol Rehab Guide,
www.alcoholrehabguide.org/resources/medical-conditions/alcohol-related-brain-
damage/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2019.
“CDC - Fact Sheets-Underage Drinking - Alcohol.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-
drinking.htm. Accessed 15 Apr. 2019.
Hoffman, Matthew. “Liver (Anatomy): Picture, Function, Conditions, Tests,
Treatments.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/picture-of-the-
liver. Accessed 15 Apr. 2019
Shope, Jean T., and C. Raymond Bingham. "Teen Driving: Motor-Vehicle Crashes and Factors that Contribute." American Journal of Preventive Medicine 35.3 (2008): S261-S271.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379708005266. Accessed 15
Apr. 2019.
Spear, Linda. "The Teenage Brain: Adolescents and Alcohol." Current Directions in
Psychological Science 22.2 (2013): 152-157.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0963721412472192. Accessed 15 Apr.
2019.
“Why Should Teens Not Drink Alcohol?” WebMD, WebMD, teens.webmd.com/qa/why-should-
teens-not-drink-alcohol. Accessed 15 Apr. 2019.