According to John Leo’s essay “When life Imitates Video” violent video games with graphic content have a negative affect on a child’s behavior. He indicates how these types of games desensitize children and make it easier for them to kill. He gives a few examples of teenage violence caused by video games, according to him.
Leo makes a comparison between teen violence and video games. He points to the Littleton massacre, a true bloodbath caused by two teenage students whom randomly shot and killed fellow classmates and a teacher, closing the stage by taking their lives shooting themselves in the head. Although Leo acknowledges that “there isn’t any direct connection between most murderous games and most murders,” he believes that violent games resemble the “style” and “feel” of video killing games simulated by the two teenage boys during the massacre. Leo refers to first-person shooter games such as Doom which is a reported video game the shooters at the Littleton massacre played.
Leo believes that the levels of violence in video games induce a child to carry out those violent traits. Such content in violent video games can increase a child’s aggression and increase a hostile behavior. Moreover Leo maintains that these video games only train children how to use weapons, as well as congeal their emotions to act out a murder by imitating the killing of enemies played in a video game. Furthermore Leo supports his argument by introducing David Grossman a retired army officer who makes a disturbing comparison between repugnant military strategies and video games. Grossman explains that “Shooting games in which the target is a manshaped outline, the Army found, made recruits more willing to “make a killing a reflex action”(Leo 54). Grossman explicitly indicates that violent video games are in reality contributing to a child’s aggression and more unsettling, training them to kill.
As with other media, not all video games are violent. Although Leo’s essay has, to some extent an overall emotional appeal, he does not provide concrete supported facts. He tries to persuade the reader to accept his ideas through emotional appeal. He claims that, “We are now a society in which the chief form of play for millions of youngsters is making large numbers of people die” (Leo 54). It maybe that the increasing popularity of video games is a major source of entertainment for children, however, it is not the cause for peoples’ lives. It is not logical to think that because of a games graphics similar to “real life” is the actual cause for someone’s death.
Still Leo argues against the common ideal, which children know the difference between reality and fantasy; however he believes that there are a few unstable children who get a hold of these violent video games. A flaw in his essay is exposed; he introduces a new perspective that does not coincide with his argument. In addition to video games, it is the neglected, beaten, picked on and made fun of children who begin to imagine these violent games as a reality. Simultaneously Leo implies that other factors must come into place which can contribute to a child’s social behavior. Hence, a social environment, parenting, family values are, in my opinion, the true grounds of a child’s arousal for violent behavior, not media exposure.
Indeed, Leo does, however, make a valuable plea to parents. He reminds parents by laying out the foundation of their responsibilities. While most American children do play video games, it is the chief responsibility for parents to protect their children. Parents should restrict violent video games with mature adult content from their children. It is the parent’s obligation to infiltrate their children with rationale in order for them to reveal the connotations of the overall media.
In conclusion Leo’s argument has great examples of comparison and a great appeal to the reader’s emotions, but just lacks the necessary facts to support his idea. Without a doubt, the Littleton massacre has viciously scared American society; however it was not violent video games that led to their crimes, but rather a combination of neglect, isolation, and environment. Awareness relating teenagers’ surroundings, ideology, and family or youth deviance, among all, may explain these crimes. Throughout the essay Leo utilizes various strategies to increase the emotional impact on a reader. His concern for society’s children overlaps his more vital concern that is the extent of violence exposed in video games. Although he does not provide a sound correlation between violent video games and its negative impact in a child’s life, he does however bring about a moral aspect towards the situation. A panic towards violent video games, his belief that video games are essentially harmful to children’s behavior, therefore, we are all in jeopardy of becoming victims. Clearly, parents do have a sole responsibility to their children’s safety. It is their duty to make the proper decisions about what is appropriate for their children to view. It is essential for that the children and the nations future.
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The author of this essay, John Leo, argues that violent video games have a negative impact on a child's behavior. He claims that these games desensitize children and make it easier for them to commit acts of violence. To support his argument, Leo references examples of teenage violence, such as the Littleton massacre, and draws a comparison to the violent video games played by the perpetrators.
However, it is important to note that Leo himself acknowledges that there isn't a direct connection between most violent video games and real-life violence. He also introduces the perspective of David Grossman, a retired army officer, who suggests that these games train children to be more aggressive and desensitize them to violence.
While Leo's essay relies heavily on emotional appeal, it lacks concrete facts and evidence to support his argument. It is logical to conclude that the popularity of video games does not directly cause people's deaths. Leo also introduces the idea that unstable children who experience neglect or bullying may be more susceptible to perceiving violent video games as reality. This suggests that other factors, such as social environment and parenting, play a crucial role in a child's behavior.
Leo does, however, emphasize the responsibility of parents to protect their children and restrict their access to violent video games. He urges parents to provide guidance and teach their children to critically analyze media.
In conclusion, while Leo's argument has emotional impact, it lacks substantial evidence. The Littleton massacre and other incidents may be the result of a combination of factors such as neglect, isolation, and environment. Parents have a significant role in ensuring their children's safety and making informed decisions about media exposure.
According to John Leo's essay "When Life Imitates Video," he argues that violent video games with graphic content have a negative effect on a child's behavior. He claims that these games desensitize children and make it easier for them to engage in violent behavior, citing examples of teenage violence allegedly caused by video games. One example he mentions is the Littleton massacre, where two teenage students randomly shot and killed their fellow classmates and teacher before taking their own lives. Leo acknowledges that there is no direct connection between most violent games and actual murders, but he believes that the style and feel of these games resemble the actions of the shooters in the Littleton massacre.
Leo argues that the level of violence in video games can increase a child's aggression and promote hostile behavior. He also introduces David Grossman, a retired army officer, who compares repugnant military strategies to video games and states that shooting games make recruits more willing to kill. Leo suggests that violent video games not only increase aggression but also train children on how to use weapons and desensitize them to acts of violence.
However, Leo's essay lacks concrete evidence to support his claims, relying more on emotional appeals. He tries to persuade the reader by saying that we have become a society where making people die is the chief form of play for millions of children. This argument, while tapping into emotions, does not provide logical proof that video game graphics similar to real-life are the cause of someone's death.
Leo also introduces the idea that some unstable children may perceive violent video games as reality, but he also mentions other factors such as social environment, parenting, and family values that can contribute to a child's behavior. He acknowledges that video games alone are not solely responsible for a child's violent tendencies.
Despite the lack of concrete evidence, Leo does make a valuable plea to parents, emphasizing their responsibility to protect their children. He suggests that parents should restrict their children from playing violent video games with mature adult content and should educate them on the implications of media exposure.
In conclusion, Leo's argument relies on emotional appeals and lacks concrete evidence to support his claims about the negative impact of violent video games on a child's behavior. While he raises valid concerns about responsible parenting and parental involvement, he does not provide a solid correlation between video games and negative effects in a child's life. He highlights the importance of considering other factors such as social environment and parenting in understanding a child's behavior and suggests that parents have the sole responsibility to make appropriate decisions about their children's media consumption.