The article discusses the impact of violence in media, particularly video games, on children and young people. It notes that children see an average of 200,000 violent acts by age 18 through various media sources. Research suggests that playing violent video games can make people feel and behave more aggressively. Violent video games may have a greater influence than television as they are interactive and players take on the role of killers. While some games promote prosocial behavior, children tend to prefer aggressive and competitive games. Critics argue that these games desensitize players to violence in the same way as military training. The article concludes that parents need to be more aware of the violent games their children are playing and that it is time for society to address the effects
The article discusses the impact of violence in media, particularly video games, on children and young people. It notes that children see an average of 200,000 violent acts by age 18 through various media sources. Research suggests that playing violent video games can make people feel and behave more aggressively. Violent video games may have a greater influence than television as they are interactive and players take on the role of killers. While some games promote prosocial behavior, children tend to prefer aggressive and competitive games. Critics argue that these games desensitize players to violence in the same way as military training. The article concludes that parents need to be more aware of the violent games their children are playing and that it is time for society to address the effects
The article discusses the impact of violence in media, particularly video games, on children and young people. It notes that children see an average of 200,000 violent acts by age 18 through various media sources. Research suggests that playing violent video games can make people feel and behave more aggressively. Violent video games may have a greater influence than television as they are interactive and players take on the role of killers. While some games promote prosocial behavior, children tend to prefer aggressive and competitive games. Critics argue that these games desensitize players to violence in the same way as military training. The article concludes that parents need to be more aware of the violent games their children are playing and that it is time for society to address the effects
The article discusses the impact of violence in media, particularly video games, on children and young people. It notes that children see an average of 200,000 violent acts by age 18 through various media sources. Research suggests that playing violent video games can make people feel and behave more aggressively. Violent video games may have a greater influence than television as they are interactive and players take on the role of killers. While some games promote prosocial behavior, children tend to prefer aggressive and competitive games. Critics argue that these games desensitize players to violence in the same way as military training. The article concludes that parents need to be more aware of the violent games their children are playing and that it is time for society to address the effects
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LESSON 4 A bad influence?
1 Reading A Which of these statements about violence in the media do you agree with? 1. It can make people aggressive. 3. It's harmful to children.
2. It's just harmless entertainment. 4. It should be banned.
B Read the article. Which of the statements in the last exercise would the writer agree with? Find the reasons for your answer in the article. NOT JUST A GAME 5 Psychologists claim that there is evidence to suggest that playing violent video games really does make people feel, think, and behave more aggressively. (3____) The research also suggests that video games have 1 Whether we like it or not, violence is part of all mass a greater influence than television because they are media. It's on TV and the internet, in movies, music, and the interactive and players identify with and take on the role of video games people play. What is most disturbing perhaps is the killers in the games. that it’s not just in adult entertainment. On a typical Saturday morning, children's television shows up to 25 acts of violence per hour, which means that by the age of 18, the average 6 There are games that reward players for positive, pro- person has witnessed around 200,000 violent acts. (1___) social behaviors such as cooperating or sharing. However, children tend to prefer games that require them to be 2 What kind of impact does this have on young people? aggressive, violent, or competitive in order to win. One point Over the last 25 years, psychologists found that elementary- that critics of violent video games make is that these games school children who watched many hours of violence on are regularly used as part of military training, where the aim television had more aggressive behavior as teenagers. In is to desensitize the players to killing. The same seems to be recent years, however, researchers have turned their happening to young people, they say. attention to the problem of violence in video games, which are now a more popular form of entertainment than movies. 7 (4___) In one study, 80 percent of our junior high school students said they were familiar with a particular violent 3 One disturbing trend in video-game design is the number computer game, But fewer than 5 percent of parents had of games that include extreme violence and killing. Critics of ever heard of it, Which proves how little parents are video games are concerned about the impact that these engaging with this complex issue. types of video games can have, especially on young people. Violent games are often blamed for aggressive behavior on 9 Isn't it time for us all to take more interest in the effect that school playgrounds and, in extreme cases, for the rise in media violence has on us, and do something about it? school shootings.
4 However, are violent video games the cause of violent
behavior? (2____) Reading tip Writers often ask a question and then it to build their argument. (See paragraphs 2 and 4.)
C Read for detail Where do these ideas fit in the article? Write the correct letters in the spaces. There is one extra sentence. a. Furthermore, children who enjoy aggressive video and computer games show less pro-social behavior, such as helping people. b. Parents need to be more aware of the violent games that their children are playing. c. Parents of teenagers are also concerned about violent music lyrics. d. By the age of 11, a U.S. child will typically have seen 8,000 murders on TV. e. The short answer seems to be “yes.” 2 Focus on vocabulary Formal expressions A Find more formal ways in the article of expressing the underlined ideas. Use the number of words indicated. Turned their attention to 1. Researchers have started looking at video games. (4 words: para. 2)
2. Some games have really bad violence and killing. (1 word: para. 3)
3. People who don't like video games say they are harmful. (2 words: para. 3)
4. Players think they are like the characters in the games. (2 words: para. 5)
5. Children knew about games that their parents hadn't heard of. (3 words: para. 7)
6. Violence in video games is a very difficult subject (2 words: para. 7)
B Pair work. What new facts did you learn from the article? How did the Information affects your views on violence in the media?
“ I think it's interesting that the average person sees 200,000 violent acts by the age of 18. That has to have an effect on you...”
3 Listening and speaking They're just games!
A Listen to part of a lecture about violence and the media. Choose the best phrase to complete the summary of the speaker's argument.
1. The speaker agrees / does not agree that violent entertainment makes people aggressive. 2. Over the last 25 years, there has been a rise / drop in violent youth crime. 3. Around 90 percent of boys and 14 / 40 percent of girls play video games. 4. He says the people can / can't tell the difference between fact and fiction. 5. He claims that there is some / no evidence that games turn people into killers.
B Discuss the questions. Give reasons for your answers.
1. Were you surprised by anything the speaker said? 2. Do you think there is too much violence in the media? 3. Do you know people who enjoy violent entertainment? 4. Should we have the right to choose what we watch and play? 5. Is it possible to stop children from seeing extreme violence? If so, how?
