Do violent video games harm young kids?

Yeah, I believe that violent video games do harm kids, just like anything else that's violent. I have a younger sibling who is only four years old. Whenever we get together at home, I refuse to let her watch cartoons that are violent, and I don't let her play violent games when she gets to use the computer. Violent video games unconsciously teach young children that it is alright for them to hit or hurt other people as long as they achieve their goals and win the game. Violent cartoons also unconsciously teach childrem that even if you drop a ton of bricks over another person or drop a bomb on them, they will still be alive and well in the next show. They start to think that doing those stuff to other people won't really hurt them!

I agree that kids should not be playing such games. That being said only the parents have a right to allow or disallow the ownership or use of such games. We rely on ratings and regulations to tell us what are kids should watch and don't use our own common sense. I have a neighbour who loves gory horror movies and allowes his children to watch them, he swore it did them no harm right after complaining that his kids have anger management problems and think nothing hitting people that are bothering them. Violence begets violence.

Yes.. acc. to me the violent Video Games do have an Impact on the minds of young kids! But restricting kids from such Games has little to do as kids also watch movies which have violence and other disturbing scenes of violences! So, it's kinda difficult to Nanny kids on such Games/Movies.. but Yea.. a certain level of caution can be exercised by parents so that kids stay away from such Games/Movies to as much extent as they can!

Oh yes my nephew is always making remarks from a game called "Tony Hawks" Like once when we went to town there were some scummy looking teenagers and he shouted: HEY! DHOSE KIDS ARE DWUG DEALWERS! I rest my case!

I don't think young children should have violent video games. Such things will not teach a child anything good. It will make them think about danger and bad things in life. I think some children would not be affected so much as others. It is all to do with personality. Some children could become violent themselves, for example hitting a younger brother or sister. Children can learn by a good role model like a responsible parent or teacher giving them suitable video or computer game. These would be the sort of thing that teach, like a number exercise or literacy activity. Children also enjoy exciting activities like playing with sand and water, dressing up as a fireman or something else, building a track for model trains or having a good game of football.

My child is only 4, it is very hard to find a video game to keep his interest that is for kids that age. His friends are a few years older, and he wants to do what they do. Unfortunately in today's society kids are being exposed to much more graphic things that in prior generations. It is the parents job to talk them through that stuff. I explain that just because its on the game and you think its fun, it is just pretend and you can not do those things in real life. He's only 4, but he gets that. I have never seen him even attempt to act out anything he's played on his games. In fact, he's been taught that even to swear like he hears in movies, or tv, or games, (well everywhere) is not okay to do. People do it, but that doesnt make it right, and he is better than that. To just try and keep them away from it at home, doesnt mean they're not gonna see it eventually. Better to know yourself what they're dealing with, and talk about it now

i agree with you.. however with parental guidance i think kids will be able to determine right from wrong doings.

There are lables on the boxes that say what ages they're intended for. It's the parents' choice whether or not to let their children. However violent video games (which I've kinda liked, not seen a point to, gotten tired of and I'm still not an adult yet) do not cause kids to be violent. Parents who don't tell their children that these games are only pretend and actually doing these things is bad, cause their own children to become violent. Violence will be learnt sooner or later, often if introduced slowly (like the children of the Samurai introducing their kids to subjects of battle), the kids actually turn out better able to survive in the real world. It depends on the parents! A rare kid these days will realize things for themselves, but usually they're the ones with parents who took the time to nurture them when they were infants..reading to them in foriegn languages and stuff like that. Psychology tells us that's the most important time in the child's life..alot of things are set in those formative years. Honestly, I've played the games a few times. My older brother used to play alot of them..and niether of us are violent people. He's grown up now, and I'm gettin' there..I can take care of myself too though. All video games are, are entertainment. Interactive, just one step up from a choose-your-own-adventure book..and there are some pretty dark, bloody, violent books out there with alternate endings. A kid who wasn't raised right, and had a bad enviroment..felt the effects of our screwed up society..will take a book or video game and do the things they learned about. The key here is parents need to do their jobs. If they do their jobs then no parent has anything to worry about from video games..'cept the kids and adults' nightmares maybe.

I think it's a good question and it was asked many times before. The issue of children that play in a violnet bideo game is really concerned for many parents and adults. On the one hand, It os only a game and the children just want to have fun. Most of the times the children don't think about what this game means and they only play for fun and taking away thier games could make them angry and upset. Most of the children know it is only a game and what they know that they shouldn't do on the real life what they are doing in their video games. But on the other hand, there are some really violent games that could effect young children who can't put the line between a game and the real life. Some games got make children behave badly. They could think that this is the right way to behave and this fact can hurt them and their parents. I think that game should be under adults supervision but I also think that this supervising doesn't need to damage the fun of the games.

I don't have any kids, but I can't help but think YES, it's a harmful thing. I cannot think of any good that could come out of blastin away other humans, choosing your weapons, etc. What happened to the good old days of riding bikes, kite flying, shooting pellets at rusty cans, eating dinner around a table with your family? I think a lot of this is missing nowadays and kids are stuck in their own world with iPods, computers, video games. It's craziness.

Well that's the reason they put ratings on those video games to try to keep the young kids away from them because they contain mature content that should not be viewed by kids. Just like rated R movies. Young kids don't realize it that it might just be a game and think that's how we really live and they can become violent or think it is ok to act violently. Games like Grand Theft Auto should not be played by young kids and parents should make sure that the ratings on the games are obeyed.

kids should not have a violent video games...we should be careful about that coz kids might do the same thing they will see on that videos.. kids nowadays are so advanced..they can easily understand, learn catch up..so that parents should be watchful to their kids and be sensitive to what they are kids doing....