Video Games Cause Violence And Behavior Problems Psychology Essay

Video Games Cause Violence And Behavior Problems Psychology Essay One of the major concerns is that they increase the nature of violence among the youth. The Harvard medical school or the Journal of adolescent health, as well as the British medical journal have concluded that there is a huge link between video game and violence. Studies have pointed towards a typical pattern between video game and negative behavioral/attitude problems associated with them. A research by the University of Indiana in the US, involving a brain scanning of some those who were involved in playing violent video games positively indicates a correlation between the violent behavior and the game they played. The research confirmed a substantial increase in the negative emotions of those who played some violent game as compared to those who either did not play any games or those who played a non-violent game. According to author Vince Mathews, parents should look more closely at the types of games their children are playing. Third paragraph Second argument Video games cause addiction and induce children to remain glued to the console for substantially longer period of time which often results in their giving up other activities. Perhaps excess of anything is bad and video games are no exception. In his article Video Games Addiction, Media literacy specialist, Dr. Charles Ungerleider states that if a youngster becomes addicted to video games it can be a problem. According to him practicing or making effort to achieve excellence in playing might not be an issue by itself, but it certainly becomes worrying if video games create hindrance in youngsters other tasks. He recommends parents or guardians intervention to create a balance in all their wards activities. According to Mary Schlimme in a 2002 article titled: Do We Need a Video Gamers Anonymous? Video game addicts are often described by clinicians in the field as displaying many symptoms characteristic of other addictions. According to her article, Addiction includes such behavior as failure to stop playing games, difficulties in work or school, telling lies to loved ones, decreased attention to personal hygiene, decreased attention to family and friends, and disturbances in the sleep cycle. Schlimme quotes Dr Orzack that many game addicts have struggled with finding their place in society and as a result play video games in order to become part of a crowd. She emphatically states excessive video game playing may not only cause behavioral and social changes in a person, but it may also result in neurological changes. Fourth paragraph third argument Even if video games and videos do not directly create killers and murderers out of the young people they may tend to contribute towards insensitivity and indifference towards violence. This is worrying because it may change the profile of the society in the longer run. In an article published in the Time Magazine on 10th May 1999 author and editors Joshua Quittner, Maryanne Buechner and Jay Ehrlich say The question isnt whether games make children kill, because it isnt that simple. The concerns are subtler yet no less worrisome. Do graphically violent games desensitize children to violence? Do such games teach kids to take pleasure in the suffering and death of others? Nicholas Carnagey, an Iowa State psychology instructor and Iowa State University Professor of Psychology Craig Anderson and Brad Bushman published an article The Effects of Video Game Violence on Physiological Desensitization to Real-Life Violence in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. In this paper, the aut hors explain the state of insensitivity towards violence a reduction in emotion-related physiological reactivity to real violence. Their latest study involves testing of college students. According to the study The results demonstrate that playing violent video games, even for just 20 minutes, can cause people to become less physiologically aroused by real violence. According to the article It appears that individuals who play violent video games habituate or get used to all the violence and eventually become physiologically numb to it. Fifth paragraph Transition Paragraph Supporter of the video games do not seem to take the issues seriously. Despite this overwhelming evidence that video game causes violence and problems in many children and among the youth, there are supporters who believe that there are advantages to video games in todays society. Key finding states in a research titled Internet Fantasy Violence: A Test of Aggression in an Online Games carried out in 2005 by Williams, D. Skoric, M there was no effect on levels of aggressiveness or in belief and behaviors of the gamers who were engaged in a violent massive multiplayer online role-playing game. Cheryl K. Olson, professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical Schools Center for Mental Health and Media, in her 2004 article in the Journal Academic Psychiatry Media Violence Research and Youth Violence Data: Why Do TheyConflict? e carries out a comparison about between violence contained in various modern-day video games and in day to day real-life. She states there is no evidence that targ eted violence has increased in Americas schools. While such attacks have occurred in the past, they were and are extremely rare events. She goes on to write that, Theres no indication that violence rose in lockstep with the spread of violent games. In 2002 Dr. Van Eeenwyk of the Washington State Department of Health presented information indicating that after controlling for psychosocial factors, association between aggression and playing video games was not statistically significant. Massachusetts Institute of Techonology professor Hennery Jenkins says, 90 percent of boys and 40 percent of girls play video games. The overwhelming majority of kids who play do NOT commit antisocial acts. And, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the strongest risk factor for school shootings centered on mental stability and quality of home life, not media exposure. Critics claim that video games are addictive has also been refuted by some supporters of the video games. In a response to a proposal in 2007 to brand video g ame addiction as a mental health issue similar to the addiction to alcohol, doctors and supporters of video games opposed the proposal. The supporters say that there is no evidence to indicate a proper basis for any such theory. These same supporters of video games argue that video game, computer and television are not only an excellent medium of imparting knowledge to and education to children, but also they assist the pupils with their studies at home as well as in the educational institutions. According to psychologists video games are a good means of mental exercise for the children who play these games. In many video games, in order to win, the player needs to have a good strategic thinking.   This is something that is generally not available at the school in the form of an academic subject.   Some of the mental exercise and knowledge obtained through using video games include the art of coordination between a childs eye and his/her hand.  Some supporters of video games s ay that video games teach children to plan and build their strategic thinking. Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad is Good For You: How Todays Popular Culture is Actually Making Us Smarter, calls this telescoping. Gamers must deal with immediate problems while keeping their long-term goals on their horizon. Sixth paragraph Refutation of opponents counter- argument While there are researchers and supporters who claim that the video games do not have an effect on the increase in aggression and violence in the behavior of the gamers, yet those researches and studies are not based on modern scientific lines. Those studies are not as comprehensive and as scientific as those carried out by Craig Anderson, David Grossman or others. The supporters studies are generalized and are based more on hypothetical basis rather than actual scientific methodology. As proved by the various researches quoted above, their findings are flawed. Seventh paragraph Refutation of opponents counter- argument Supporters of the video games say that video games are healthy and educational. They claim video games provide children with quality mental exercise.   In several games, in order to win, the player must possess good strategic thinking and be swift with his skills. However, the fact is that addiction to video games causes not only health and other problems, including social ones, but also results in poor school results and grades, lack of concentration to academics and class activities. The critics have always disputed this claim about video games contributing to health and education. Dr. Louis Kraus of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and a psychiatrist at Rush University Medical Center, has stated The more time kids spend on video games, the less time they will have socializing, the less time they will have with their families, the less time they will have exercising. They can make up academic deficits, but they cant make up the social ones, he said. As a re sult of this, one in ten youths, may be suffering from family, social, school or psychological damage. In several studies it has been clearly proved that the youth under examination had problems concentrating on academics and their school routine, as a result of which not only they lost grades at the school but also were subject to some severe health issues including depression. Final paragraph Conclusion. Based on the above research it is clearly evident that violent video games contribute to the aggressive and violent behavior and addiction to video games. However, considering some of the advantages of the video games, their use must not be prohibited. Parents and guardians should do the following to reduce the effect of violence. Monitor video game play the same way one needs to monitor television and other media. Parents are responsible to be kind, loving but at the same time attentive and firm to properly discipline their wards. An aggressive child is more a product of dysfunctional parenting than anything else, including violent games and TV.   To avoid possibilities of addiction, parents should attempt to provide a variety of entertainment to their children. It would be a good idea to make sure that children read quality books, involve themselves in sports and interact with other children and their friends.

Natural Law versus Utilitarian Law

Abortion and Homosexuality, for many years, still remain one of the most crucial social and ethical issues of modern times. It has divided societies. Advocates and opponents continue to collide over debates, rallies, and violent confrontations trying to exert their rights to these practices. Both sides have valid arguments that led to legal battles and state legislation.Abortion is legal in 54 countries while it is illegal in 97 countries. Approximately 46 million abortions are performed worldwide every year, averaging 126,000 a day. In the United States, 1,370,000 occur annually. Since its legalization in 1973, there are more than 40 million cases reported. Many women use abortion as birth control while others because of rape or incest. Women decide to abort in order to postpone childbearing, cannot afford a baby, too young, will disrupt education or career, risk to fetal health, and risk to maternal health.Each year almost 26 million women obtain legal abortions while 20 million ot hers obtain it illegally in countries that prohibit the practice. Moral considerations in abortion include: Is the fetus a person? What stage of development does it become human? Does the pregnant woman have the right to decide whether she wants the baby or not? Not allowing a woman to end her unwanted pregnancy violates her human rights? Are laws controlling abortion violates privacy? Would abortion be allowed to women who are victims of rape or incest?On the other hand, homosexuals are well-known throughout history and now becoming a phenomenon these days. Their fashionable lifestyle is now acceptable. Recent studies show that the prevalence of homosexuality in adult males of Western societies ranges from 2% to 8%, indicating that a significant number of the population have homosexual tendencies. Homosexuals are now found in all walks of life, in all kinds of families, in many religions and races. Homosexuality is illegal in 80 countries, 42 of these outlaw male-to-male sex.The le gal status of homosexuals varies. In some countries, homosexual acts are prosecuted under morality law or public indecency and even put to death. In 2001, Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriages followed by Belgium in 2003, Spain and Canada in 2005, and the US State of Massachusetts in 2004. Among the strongest issue against homosexuals is that they are obsessed with sex, having little self-control or morality.Their promiscuous living enables them to have multiple partners as many as 100, making them vulnerable to and carriers of sexually transmitted diseases. Homosexuals continue their struggle for recognition. They fight for equal rights to employment opportunity, better access to health and insurance, freedom to marry, legislation for child custody, and the repealing of laws that ban transvestitism and cross-dressing among others.Considering these scenarios, different views and laws come into play, for or against: The Natural Law versus the Utilitarian Law. Both sides are trying to justify the actions. Natural law uses the principle of Double Effect wherein a person may lawfully perform an action from which two effects will follow, one bad, the other good. This principle states that evil must never be willed or voluntary or used as an end or means to an end.To determine whether the action is right the act itself must be morally good or neutral, the motivation may not positively intend the bad effect but may permit it only to attain the good effect, the good effect must be desired to compensate for allowing the bad effect, and there must be serious reason to allow the evil effect. The Utilitarian, in contrast, uses the principle of Utility that such action is right or moral when it promotes happiness or pleasure, and decreased the unhappiness or pain of individuals affected by the action. This principle is commonly known as achieving the greatest good for the greatest number. The law believes that all individuals are equal when de termining the consequences of any given action and decides which action to take, of all the possible actions, to do the right thing.Abortion and the Utilitarian Law. The central arguments of this law in favor of abortion is that the woman has the right to control her own body, that abortion is a just exercise of this right, and that the law should recognize the right of choice. Denial of this right encourages illegal abortion and causes psychological anguish for women, especially those who are victims of rape or incest. The fetus, according to this theory, only becomes a person when it is viable in 23 weeks.At this time, the fetus has no legal rights. The rights only belong to the woman who can decide if she wants the baby or not. Reproductive freedom is a basic right. Abortion is justified if done within the period when the fetus is not fully developed. In this case, abortion is only terminating the pregnancy, not killing a child. Under its guiding principle of maximizing total hap piness, denying a woman to end her unwanted pregnancy will cause her unhappiness and increase her pain. In addition, the baby will inflict physical and psychological harm as well as affect the woman’s mental health.If she is forced to care for the child, it will be a burden because she is not ready for the responsibility. She will be distressful in the future. Along the process, the child may suffer. Unhappiness will rule the lives of both mother and child, and the people around them. This law also compares abortion to self-defense. That if the baby poses a threat to the life or health of the woman, abortion will be the best possible action to take out the threat.Abortion and the Natural Law. The central arguments of this law against abortion is the notion that human life begins at conception, that abortion is a deliberate act of killing the life in progress, and that the law must prohibit unjust violations of the right to live. Nature has provided women wombs to create life, eliminating life would be unnatural. The act of abortion is evil because its motivation is willful and pre-meditated in terminating an innocent being.Under this theory, undergoing an abortion procedure is not allowed. However, other medical procedures could be morally good if only to save the life of a mother even if it resulted in the unintended death of the unborn child. The death of the child is not intentional but allowed to happen as a by-product of the action. Good acts must not be accomplished by evil deeds nor evil must not become an element in achieving the good. Abortion should not be used for family planning or prevent birth defects. If during treatment of a deadly disease such as cancer, through chemotheraphy or hysterectomy, the unborn child dies.The death of the child is not a mean to cure the illness. If there is a choice in getting the good effect without the bad effect, then this must be taken. If the action will result in lesser good and greater evil, the evil wil l be considered accidental or incidental. If a woman aborts her child to avoid embarrassment or maintain a shapely figure, this is not a reason of unintentional death but a planned one. All possible acts must be pursued to preserve life, but during the course of action one life is lost, the act is permissible and acceptable.Homosexuality and the Utilitarian Law. Referring to its principle that such action is morally right if it produces the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, then homosexuality would be acceptable because homosexuals generate a lot of pleasure to a lot of people. As stated earlier, their practices allow them to experience various relationships with different partners.To this extent, homosexuality should be acceptable. This theory has three features on the issue: consequence, welfare, and sum-ranking. The act is moral if its consequences contribute to the happiness (welfare) of many people (sum-ranking). On this account there is no action that is ne ither right nor wrong. Homosexual acts are moral as long as they maximize happiness. All that matter is that their actions are right if it pleases everyone. The law also believes that homosexuality is a normal human condition not only brought about biologically or the environment but can affect early childhood. It covers every culture and age.Homosexuality and the Natural Law. In this theory, homosexuality is not acceptable because it simply does not conform in accordance with nature. A man and a woman are designed to complement each other in sex and marriage, to produce offspring and raise a family. Their bodies are intended for that purpose. Homosexuality defeats that purpose but only abuses the human body. Two men or two women cannot reproduce. Thus, it is considered unnatural and immoral because it destroys the essence of family life.Through adoption, gay couples may have the possibility to raise their own families. However, as a consequence, the children will grow up in an inap propriate living condition, bombarded by intrigues and unusual behavior of their so cold parents. Definitely, their way of thinking and behavior will likewise be influenced.   In this set up, the act imposes bad effects for the children. Conflicts may arise soon when the children reached the age of reason that perhaps will give way for separation and unhappiness.Legalizing homosexuality will affect the conduct and judgment of children as well as spread immorality. Its acts contradict all conditions of the double effect principle. There is no good effect, only evil effect. Homosexual act by itself is not good and its motivation is for self satisfaction not for the benefit of others. The gay ideology only reduces the human dignity.Their promiscuous acts not only create scandals that shook institutions like the church or government but give rise to a number of diseases that plague many nations. The practice of homosexuality presents lethal consequences to other people. As a result, t he act results in a number of sexually transmitted diseases.   The Center for Disease Control cited that homosexuals make up 80% of all AIDS cases in America. People with same sex attraction are said to have personality problems and deserve to be treated.ReferencesGrisez, G.G. (1970). Toward A Consistent Natural Law: Ethics of Killing. (Reprinted). The American Journal of Jurisprudence. Vol. 15. [Electronic version]. Retrieve May 9, 2006, from http://faculty.msmary.edu/Conway/PHIL%20400x/Grisez%20Toward%20A%20Consistent.pdf#search='the%20utilitarian%20law%20on%20abortion'Alstad, D. Abortion and The Morality Wars: Taking The Moral Offensive. National Abortion Rights Action League, 1997. Retrieve May 9, 2006, from http://www.rit.org/editorials/abortion/moralwar.htmlHinman, L.M. (2000). Contemporary Moral Issues: Diversity and Consensus. (2nd Ed.). Prentice Hall College Div; 1 edition (December 22, 1995). University of San Diego. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2000Smart, J. J . C., Williams, B. (1973). Utilitarianism : For and Against. Cambridge University Press. United Kingdom.Finnis, J. (1980). (Natural Law and Natural Rights. Clarendon Law Series. Oxford University Press, USA (March 20, 1980).Ruse, M. (1993). Homosexuality: Right or Wrong? Free Inquiry. Volume: 13. Issue: 2. Spring 1993. Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism, Inc.

Language acquisition prinicples

Klinger, Artiles and Barletta (2006) examine the issue of language acquisition in English Language learners and attempt to decipher the underlying causes of difficulties faced by these learners. The primary debate the researchers examine is whether language acquisition difficulties are caused by limited language proficiency or could be linked to learning disabilities. The researchers postulate that linguistic, immigration, cultural, socioeconomic, and ethnic factors work in tandem to influence language proficiency in ELLs and thus these issues should be considered when examining these students before a decision is made that they require special education services. The researchers are worried though that two extremes are commonly practiced by teachers. The first is that ELLs are sometimes overrepresented in special education classes because teachers refer them for these services without adequately understanding the individual obstacles to learning and attribute limited proficiency to learning disabilities. The second extreme is that teachers sometimes fail to address the special education needs of these students, attributing acquisition difficulties to limited proficiency. The researchers examined published research on ELLs with either limited language proficiency (specifically in reading) or those with learning disabilities in order to determine the indicators that would help stakeholders differentiate between the two groups of ELLs. The researchers found that both learning disabilities and limited proficiency impact performance in English Language. However the research is still inconclusive and does not offer much information on how stakeholders including educators, can address this issue successfully in the classroom. There is still the question of the indicators that classroom teachers should use to determine whether or not a child is recommended for special education classes. This information is of particular interest to classroom teachers who deal with ELLs in their everyday classroom. Teachers are able to understand some of the factors that are not directly related to the classroom that may impact ELLs and their acquisition of the language. One important observation in the current article is that the home environment often presents an obstacle to successful acquisition. This is because parents, who are themselves non-English speakers, limit their use of the target language at home. As a result learners do not get effective reinforcement at home and thus have considerable difficulties acquire the requisite language skills. Teachers therefore should try to expose students as much as possible to the language while they are in school and to try to form effective partnerships with the home so that parents are brought on board to help in their child’s language acquisition. I found this article to be quite useful in helping to understand the various factors that can impact language acquisition and comes as a warning for me not to take certain characteristics of the learners in the classroom for granted. This article has helped clarify for me how issues such as ethnicity and even the specific native language may either hinder or foster language acquisition. There are a multiplicity of factors that can impact learning and it is very difficult to determine how each of these elements are influencing the various ELLs in any given classroom. Not all learners will acquire language in the same way. The Spanish influence may be much more different from the Chinese influence, for example, and thus it is difficult to decipher how the cultural contexts of these first languages can serve to impact second language acquisition. Overall the article was quite useful in helping me to better understand the range of factors that have to be taken into consideration in the classroom.

Analysis Of The Book Huckleberry Finn - 2017 Words

As its title suggests, the main character and protagonist of the story is Huckleberry Finn. He is the narrator of the story who desires to be free from the restraining life that he was given from the widow. He is an observational boy who knows how to survive outdoors and will try to get out of any situation. During the course of the story his conscience often bothers him about the consequences of his actions such as freeing Jim and how an event will affect the people involved such as during a scam. This ties into the theme of conscious versus instilled beliefs or survival instinct. External conflicts he faces include forces of nature such as storms or fog, avoiding capture and return to the widow, antagonism from his father, trying to get away from and avoid trouble with the Duke and king, and eventually trying to free Jim. The internal conflicts he has are deciding on whether or not to return Jim to the widow or let him continue on his way, determining whether to help the Wilkes dau ghter who were being scammed or save himself, and trying to figure out the best courses of action when confronted with an obstacle. In the end, it turns out Jim was freed by the widow’s will, so Huck decided to go west to be free from civilization. The secondary protagonist of the story in an African American runaway slave named Jim. He provides companionship and assistance to Huck as the two are both fugitives. He is also one of the sources of internal conflict Huck Finn faces, that being thatShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book Huckleberry Finn 1970 Words   |  8 Pagesmisery, and controversy as the word â€Å"nigger.† This word has been a deep concern in American history and culture, and the use of it two hundred nineteen times in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has caused a mass of debate. Despite critism on its complex and offensive subject matter, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn hold enduring academic value among students and should be taught in American high schools because it serves as a medium of literary teaching, an alternative source for studying AmericanRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn 1332 Words   |  6 PagesMicaela Soriano AP Lit Period 2 Mr. Etheridge Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Cheat Sheet Title: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Author: Mark Twain Publication: December 10, 1884 Setting and Time period: The setting throughout the story mainly takes place along areas by the Mississippi River, and as stated in the book, â€Å"Forty to Fifty Years ago†. Characters: Huckleberry Finn - The protagonist and narrator of the novel. Huck is the thirteen-year-old son of the local drunk of St. Petersburg, MissouriRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Huckleberry Finn 943 Words   |  4 PagesRepresentation of Jim in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn In the opening of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim, an escaped slave previously owned by Miss Watson, is a simple, kind, and generous man who is also almost superstitious to a fault. However, Jim develops as a character throughout the novel in a humble passage from slave to free man and Tom Sawyer’s savior. This character transformation manifests itself throughout Jim and Huck’s time together in a search for freedom and a path back to Jim’sRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Huckleberry Finn 1319 Words   |  6 PagesThe Adventures Huckleberry Finn is an American literature classic that tells a marvellous tale. With thrilling twists, character development, and usage of language, it is easy to understand why it is considered an American classic. The interpretation of that story is up to the reader. The similarities, or perhaps the difference of the characters in the book help make it all much more believable. The ranging personalities create imagery of real life. Yet, some of the personalities and their goal areRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Huckleberry Finn 1974 Words   |  8 Pagesterm literary canon, the reader is left wondering whether or not Huckleberry Finn deserves its place in our literary canon? Many people like Jane Smiley, are against it being part of our literary canon for multiple reasons. For example, she is against it because of the appearance of racism and the events throughout the book. However, despite all the criticism this book faces, one point the critics do not consider is the influence this book has on modern American culture and also about how the novel isRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Huckleberry Finn Essay1842 Words   |  8 Pagesunderstanding others unlike ourselves, for its satirical attack against complacency regarding the evils in our world, for its use of original literary techniques, and for its profound insight into human nature and human foibles, Huckleberry Finn is one of the most teachable books. It i s especially suited for the study of American literature in the eleventh or twelfth grades. This is the time when young adults are making decisions about their lives--moral, social, emotional, academic decisions. They areRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn 1310 Words   |  6 PagesThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been a topic of debate for a long time. The most heated topic of debate is if the novel is racist and if it should then be included in school curriculum whether. Many believe this book should be taken out of school curriculum for being racist. Huckleberry FInn should be taught in schools because of its satire, views on slavery and morals, and depiction of antebellum America. Huck Finn still remains a classic Twain s use of satire is one of the many thingsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn 1648 Words   |  7 PagesLola Parsapour Mr. Ruddy AP Lang 3 September 2015 The Value in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, developed into one of the most controversial books in America. The basis of this controversy can be summarized briefly for it was the use of racial slur and issues of slavery that caused tension in our society. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was banned for the first time one month after its publication. â€Å"â€Å"Not suitable for trash† was theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn 923 Words   |  4 Pagesrambling of thought, a major piece of literary confusion plaguing my mind something most fierce that I cannot even lay my head down to rest peacefully lest this situation be resolved. As of this moment, the majority of my latest novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is nearing its completion, settling at the end of its forty-second chapter, only one more concluding verbose passage revolving around in the air within my mind. While most would be elated and at peace for achieving somethi ng so grand- a nearRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Murtagh And Huckleberry Finn 1262 Words   |  6 PagesMurtagh and Huck Finn In great works of literature many of the same traits and characteristics appear in the main characters. Adventure books where you find Heroes and villains in a constant struggle to thwart the others efforts are where you could notice the reoccurring traits the most. Heroes are often very similar, demonstrating similar strengths and weaknesses. I compare Huckleberry Finn, to Murtagh of the Inheritance series. Although Murtagh is not the main protagonist, he is most certainly