by Roxanne Dubarry

Created on: June 15, 2008   Last Updated: May 20, 2011

When I was a young Everett Community College student in the early 1970's, my psychology teacher gave her class a homework assignment-watching children's cartoons on television. Her students were to keep a written record of the frequency of the violent acts committed by cartoon characters.

When I told a couple of my friends about my home work assignment, they immediately volunteered to help. I went over to my friend's house, and when I was using the rest room, they would record my information for me. The results were mind blowing! Every few seconds the animated cartoon actors were physically, and verbally abusing each other in comical situations.

Readers Digest Magazine did a study on the effects of violence on television had upon children when they reached adulthood. Children continually watching violent programming were more likely to commit violent acts fifteen to twenty years later. They were more likely to become involved in domestic violence and other violent actions. They were frequently arrested for violent crimes committed against themselves and society as a whole.

As violent as Warner Brother's cartoons are, video games are even worse. Watching television is a more passive activity. Children and their parents can cheer their Hereros and boo the villians. What is the difference between television, and video games is the level of participation involved.

In violent video games the players learn how to target, assault and kill the evil forces. The forces of good and evil are equally violent. The higher the video score, and competency the higher the ratio of violent acts. Constant viewing of violence actions over the Internet, video games or television leads to violent behavior. Behavioral psychologists have been conducting studies for years about the negative effect violence has upon its viewers.
If the acts are constantly repetative, the violent acts transfere themselves from the conscience to the unconscience mind, resulting in terrible nightmeres.

Long before the invention of video games, the LORD completely destroyed the entire human race except for Noah and his family. Then the LORD saw that the wicknedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth...for I am sorry that I have made them." (Genesis chapter 6:5-7)

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