More Blood Splatter = More Aggressive Teens, Claims Study

A UK based group of ‘Family Campaigners’ are citing an American study as evidence that Games make teens violence; more specifically that the level of gore in a game can determine how aggressive a gamer can become.

The study focused around ‘smash hit’ game Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and its four levels of gore ranging from none to maximum. The study claims that after only 15 minutes of play, teens subjected to the maximum level of blood became more aggressive than those on lower levels.

Norman Wells, the head of the pressure group Family and Youth Concern had the following to say.

“In view of the mounting evidence about the power of violent images to engender violent attitudes and behaviour, it is grossly irresponsible for manufacturers to devise and market violent video games.”

 

“While a classification system might serve as a useful indicator to parents of the dangers of some video games, it would not provide the whole answer.

 

“There is always a subjective element involved in any classifying, and decisions reached will reflect the standards and judgments of the classifiers.

 

“There can therefore never be any substitute for parents making sure they exercise a high level of supervision over what their children are exposed to, both at home and elsewhere.”

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance received an 18 age rating in the UK and an M rating in the US meaning the game isn’t suitable for anyone under 17 years of age. If groups like “Family and Youth Concern” want to be taken more seriously they should perhaps stray from the ‘Ban This Filth” mantra and instead focus their efforts on stopping under aged children and teens getting their hands on inappropriate games. Leave the rest of us adults responsible enough to enjoy the violence alone.

Credit: Sunday Mercury Newspaper

This post was originally written by the author for TSSZ News.