| Video games for children, teens and young | | | | Theft Auto series, one of the most |
| adults bring in $10 billion a year in | | | | popular and also most violent and |
| the United States. Certainly some of the | | | | controversial of the games, a player is |
| games offer harmless entertainment and maybe | | | | rewarded if he has sex with a prostitute |
| even some educational value. But the | | | | and then murders her (the most recent of |
| games that seem to be the most eagerly | | | | the series, Grand Theft Auto: San |
| anticipated, the games that major retailer | | | | Andreas, was the best-selling title in |
| Zany Brainy says "the industry is | | | | 2004). Whether or not these games |
| focusing on," and the games that fly off | | | | contribute to violent "real-life" |
| the shelves as soon as they're released are | | | | behavior among their primary users |
| those rated "M" for mature and "AO" for | | | | (pre-teen and teen boys) has spurred |
| adults only. | | | | major controversy. And, as with most |
| To garner an "M" rating, the | | | | hot-button issues, there are strong |
| content is intended for people aged 17 | | | | proponents and opponents on either |
| and older, and may contain sexual themes | | | | side. Yes, Video Games Cause |
| and intense violence or language. An | | | | Violence Much attention was brought to |
| "AO"-rated game is suitable only for | | | | video game violence after it was |
| adults 18 and over, and may include | | | | realized that the two teenagers behind the |
| graphic depictions of sex and/or | | | | Columbine High School shootings played |
| violence. The popularity of the games | | | | (and even created their own levels of) |
| is astounding. According to a 2004 | | | | DOOM, one of the first "first-person shooter" |
| report by the National Youth Violence | | | | video games (attesting to its |
| Prevention Resource Center, a 2001 | | | | popularity, a movie version of DOOM was |
| review found that 49 percent of the 70 | | | | just released on October 21). The most |
| top-selling video games contained | | | | recent study on the topic, to be published in |
| serious violence. Out of all games, 41 | | | | the January 2006 edition of Media |
| percent required violence for the | | | | Psychology, found that playing violent |
| protagonists to achieve their goals. And | | | | video games does indeed cause violent thought |
| in 17 percent of the games, violence was | | | | patterns in the brain. A team of |
| the primary focus of the game | | | | international researchers observed 13 males, |
| itself. The violence is often brutal and | | | | aged 18 to 26, for the study. It was |
| degrading to women. In the game "Duke | | | | found that, after playing a mature-rated |
| Nukem," for instance, a player can enter | | | | game, 11 out of the 13 participants showed |
| a room with naked women saying "Kill | | | | significant effects from the games. |
| me," while tied to posts. In the Grand | | | | |