“Do Video Games Kill?” by Karen Sternheimer, Essay Example

Researching the topic on video games and the relationship it has towards the behavior of teen gamers since 1999 has placed Sternheimer at a rather hot spot especially in relation to being asked about certain matters relating to how her study has affected both the teens and their reaction on video games. Relatively, among those who were interested as to how the study turns out to be is that of the video game developers who are knowingly able to earn millions of money from such young patrons. The interest of Sternheimer in providing specific backbone to the idea of videogames becoming the source of aggressive behavior from young gamers has attracted both supporters and [haters] of the idea.

What makes the work so controversial? Sternheimer basically started to study the topic on the connection videogames and the growing rate of violence among teens due to the fact that most administrators of the Columbine High School in Colorado directed their attention to such theory when two of their students started shooting 13 people and themselves thus committing one of the bloodiest crimes of the century. The administrators believed that [as noted through investigation], the involvement of the two students in playing a  particularly popular video game that time specifically affected their thinking, numbing their consideration and emotions regarding violence and death all at the same time. The truth behind such allegation on the part of the school administrators largely affects how the youths are supposed to be guided accordingly in relation to what they play and what they engage in when they face the computer. Sternheimer specifically wanted to know if psychologists support such an idea thus showing the human brains adapt to games in such a responsive manner, that players become strongly related to whatever they are playing.

In relation to such an interest, Sternheimer did not withhold her skills in research and made sure that she would be able to get all necessary responses that would establish her understanding of the situation much better. Trying to be as unbiased as possible, Sternheimer made sure that she would be able to point out the pros and cons of video-gaming behavior among teens based on relatively established statistical data that are able to support the point she is aiming to present her readers and target audiences with. To make sure that her report was unbiased, she also took the opinion of lawmakers and took note of how they are able to provide a distinct comment on how they think the popularity of a particular video game (Doom) affected the crime rate in Colorado since the time of the reported shootings in the High School noted earlier.

Relatively, although Sternheimer leaned towards pointing out that video games does have a grave impact on the players especially among teens, her collected data says otherwise, and she decided to depend on such data when it comes to concluding the final presentations of her report. Among the primary results of her study was that of the fact that the crime rate involving juveniles has fallen amidst the popularity of the video game Doom in 1999. When asked why, most police officers mentioned how the said game may have caused the young ones to stay at home or in remote areas to play the game and not be outside in the streets. In a way, it practically provided them something they could do; something they could focus upon.

Along with such result is the claim of psychologist Jonathan Freedman that media violence [along with the implicative actions in video games] only becomes reactive among gamers depending on their own upbringing. Sternheimer recognizes the idea that Freedman uses in relation to how the brain has the capacity to separate real life from that of the unnatural systems they are exposed to in media. The separation of fact from fiction actually gives them a better sense of understanding how they should behave especially when it involves real-life relationships.

Overall, it could be realized how Sternheimer handled her study with much confidence on the data that she has collected. She could have actually implied or at least may have manipulated some facts about the thesis that she was working on to present video games to have a large part on the development of aggressiveness among teens. However, the fact that she got data apart from what she might have actually expected, made her honor the real value of valid research reports, the element of dependence on strong and specifically dependable data. Rather than simply presented her readers with what she believes in, she made sure that the facts would speak for themselves and would define the actual situation that binds the teen gamers with the video games they usually engage with. Notably understanding such fact specifically makes her study a distinct presentation of facts that surround teens, their development and the establishment of the kind of behavior that they pose especially when they are dealing with real life situations that most often than not put pressure on them and their capacity to decide properly. In a way, this study provides a strong understanding on how sometimes videogames are used as escape goat by those who have the real power to make things better, to change the situations and make sure that young teens would have access to better guidance when it comes to dealing with their emotions, their behaviors and their desires especially during their years of being in the stage of young adulthood.