Madam, – Hilary Coughlan’s question as to why extremely violent computer games are tolerated (March 19th) is easily answered. The revenue generated by these products is huge and the industry behind them is a powerful force with a cynical disregard for the social consequences of its output. When questions are raised about the effect of the gratuitous brutality and vicious anti-social activity shown in many computer games, there is never a shortage of experts to produce “scientific evidence” to support the industry’s assertion that they are harmless.
Fionn Ó Marcaigh (March 21st) makes a strenuous case that computer games have no adverse effect on children, but goes on to say that they are really aimed at adults; then he calls for parental responsibility. One wonders why parental control might be necessary if computer games are not detrimental to children. Similarly, Hugh McGuinness (March 21st) considers the matter to be a “parenting” issue.
Clearly, in an ideal world all parents would exercise responsible control and sound judgment as to what is appropriate viewing for children. However, there is abundant evidence that many parents accept little or no responsibility for the activities of their offspring. Teachers, gardaí and the courts grapple daily with the effects of the indifference of such parents.
Independent studies over many years have established that screen violence can have a detrimental effect on young minds. Some 40 years ago, the Smithsonian Institute concluded that a child between the age of five and 15 watching television for a couple of hours a day would see more than 1,000 violent deaths. Taking into account that many of the younger children in the survey were not sufficiently mature to differentiate between fact and fantasy, the conclusion that screen violence can be damaging is compelling.
It is absurd to do no more than appeal for responsible parenting when there is incontrovertible evidence that parenting for many is little more than a biological accident. Concerted action nationally and internationally to counteract this gravely corrosive social scourge is essential and badly overdue. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Fionn Ó Marcaigh presents highly selective research in support of the case for allowing violent computer games. He seeks to dismiss as urban legends the large body of research which even the most casual search of the internet brings up.
For example, Craig A. Anderson, chair of the Department of Psychology at Iowa State University, notes that it is true that some studies have yielded non-significant video game effects, “just as some smoking studies failed to find a significant link to lung cancer.
But when one combines all relevant empirical studies using meta-analytic techniques, five separate effects emerge with considerable consistency. Violent video games are significantly associated with: increased aggressive behaviour, thoughts, and affect; increased physiological arousal; and decreased prosocial (helping) behaviour.” – Yours, etc,