With all the discussion about violence this week I wanted to share a video that a 9th grade student made for a health unit. Students were asked to think about what they enjoy in their lives and how the things they love can serve as anti-drugs. They were asked to present their anti-drug in any format they liked. Some chose posters, oral presentations, skits, and brochures. This presentation stood out from the rest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtm8QqGlVck
As I have been going back and forth about how I feel about violent video games and the effect they have on youth, I kept thinking of this video. In discussions with 9th graders I have gathered that the majority of 9th grade males play video games. Of the games they play, most of them enjoy violent or sports related games. Boys tend to be more competitive so these types of games suit their needs. One question that I asked them was why they don’t get bored with playing the games over and over again. Their response was that it is fun to beat someone they haven’t played before and they especially enjoy games they can play online against people they don’t even know. They seem to have this need for a constant challenge.
After school and on weekends they choose to hang out in someone’s basement playing video games. They are safe, their parents know where they are, and they are not running the streets. I think I prefer that they are playing video games! Teenagers are very rambunctious. They have a lot of energy and aggression that needs to be released. Playing video games is a safe outlet.
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