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Virtual violence is rampant in computer games and will only continue to get worse if left unchecked. You may think I sound like your mom when I say this, and I should because I am a mom. Furthermore, the onslaught of blood lust in computer games is a symptom of a declining society. Anyone who doesn't see this as a major problem is either living in denial, does not care about children or is refusing to learn from the lessons of history.

When I was a kid, the only place people could play video games was in a public arcade. Most of the games had really lame graphics at first. Any game that had killing, fighting, or blood would display it in a very innocuous manner. Time went on and technology improved the visual aspect of gaming drastically. Today the graphics are startlingly realistic. My grandma thinks she is watching a movie when the kids play video games. The Atari I received for Christmas when I was eight is a universe apart from the X Box 360 my son got from Santa Claus. Children see images in games that start out mild. The game case will assure a concerned parent that the content is "rated E for everybody". The majority of gamers fall into the category of ages 8-21. At least these are the people spending the most time in front of a computer game. Why do we need to design, purchase, and engage in video games that have such realistic and grotesque depictions of violence? Are these "entertainments" doing anybody in this age group good? While many may argue that seeing a bloody deed on a game is harmless because it is happening in an imaginary realm, I disagree. Watching violent depictions, especially when they are fictitious and void of personal attachment, will desensitize a person. Children may cringe the first time they come upon a gory scene in a game, and maybe even the second time, but the repeat exposure of replaying levels on a game will soon make what was once alarming passe. Violent computer games are not good for children, teenagers, or adults. Take a stroll through the computer aisle the next time you are shopping. Note the ratio of outright and unashamed violence in the selection of games. This state exists because the violence is in demand. The video game industry exists primarily to make money. They produce what will sell.

Observing violent scenes has an addicting effect for many people. Once the scene is no longer disturbing, they feel the need to move on to an even more frightening display to trigger an adrenal

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