It is not possible to make a general statement about the positive or negative effects of computer games on children and adolescents. Experts in educational sciences, psychologists, and experts in related fields have provided their opinions on the types of games, classification of violence levels in them, and appropriate ages for each game, and have given recommendations to parents on how to choose games and monitor their children. Parents’ understanding of educational issues and awareness of different types of computer games in today’s world is of special importance in raising children; for example, it is said that parents should consider their children’s needs, interests, and preferences as much as possible and listen to their opinions with respect. It is desirable for family members to come to a general agreement and make a unified decision about determining suitable and beneficial games. Parents should pay attention to whether a game is useful or harmful; they should also be aware that the impact of a game on their child may be completely different from its impact on another child. For example, a game

Violence in computer games is one of the topics that has sparked numerous discussions and concerns. Parents, teachers, and politicians are opposed to violence and the display of bloodshed in computer games; parents are also very worried about their children witnessing violent scenes and exhibiting aggressive behavior towards others. However, let us not forget that throughout human history, especially after the industrial revolution and the emergence of new technologies, every change and innovation has had both supporters and opponents. It is possible that after the construction and use of the electronic telegraph in the 19th century, many parents were concerned about their children’s communication and the dangers of this new technology.

On April 20, 1999, two armed high school students went to Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado with semi-automatic rifles, a shotgun, knives, and homemade bombs. At 12:30 pm that same day, students Eric Harris (18 years old) and Dylan Klebold (17 years old) killed thirteen people and injured over twenty others in a forty-seven minute siege. Almost two years later, a group of families of the Columbine victims filed a lawsuit against twenty-five companies, including Sega, Sony, and others, and demanded five billion dollars in damages. They argued that movies and digital games directly influenced Harris and Klebold to kill their classmates.

In the same years of the Columbine incident, one of the researchers named Freeman (2002) denies the relationship between violence in video games and violence in the real world. In his research, video games are not harmful and may even be beneficial. However, other research conducted by Anderson and Dill (2000) about the impact of violence on video games confirms the existence of a relationship between them; but this contradiction among researchers has led to debates among them. Henry Jenkins (2003) argues that video games have an educational aspect and many games that are considered educational actually stimulate thinking in the mind of the audience. (4)

The computer gaming industry is growing and there are still two perspectives on them; computer games as harmless entertainment, or the source of various concerning behaviors. The first perspective is held by supporters of educational games who believe that computer games (violent or non-violent) make children smarter, enable them to find new solutions to problems, overcome challenges, form hypotheses, experiment, and benefit from them in a useful way. The second perspective states that virtual and real violence are connected and in this regard, children and adolescents suffer psychological damage.

According to the findings of cognitive psychologists, individuals store the images they see in their minds and use them automatically as experiences by finding patterns when necessary. This is at the top of the goals of investors and they design and implement their purposes in their minds on their audience. Computer games are the only medium in which a person experiences the feeling of being a criminal by doing certain tasks; of course, it should be noted that by playing games with less violence and more humanity, the person also accepts more responsibility for ethical actions. (5)

Without a doubt, witnessing a violent scene has a significant impact on the human mind. Imagine the effect that violent scenes, which remain in the minds of children, adolescents, or young adults, can have on them. Moreover, fear and violence can cause damage to their brains. Watching violence can normalize it for children, and they may see violence as a common way to eliminate unwanted situations. For older ages, this issue may manifest itself as a form of self-expression. The intensity of beatings, showing blood and injuries, using weapons in games to harm and kill characters, and other similar elements are all factors that play a crucial role in determining the level of violence in games. (6)

Regardless of violence and various violent and anti-social behaviors such as swearing, drinking alcohol, smoking, etc. that are seen in different games, the relationships and personalities that exist in their games and stories are important; relationships that can be said to have been formed with bias and for specific purposes in a considerable part of the games and even regardless of the goal of the game, they convey their unethical teachings to the audience.

As a personal example, the character of “mother” is not present in many computer games, is dead, and in fact has no role in the main narrative. Often, the character of mother is portrayed as a deviant, monstrous, or evil figure in the game, and at best, only appears as a letter, inspiration, or guiding motherly spirit. Sisterly relationships in computer games also cannot depict the gentle and heartwarming spirit of a sister towards her brother and sister. (7)

Father-daughter, sisterly, sister-brother relationships and all relationships that involve the presence of both genders, are often accompanied by other issues such as clothing, nudity, gestures, words and sexual behaviors. Focusing on the portrayal of women in the midst of vulgar clubs and displaying various forms of sexual harassment and zooming in on sexual body parts, and in short, presenting various sexual stimuli are key factors in many games. It is not logical to imagine that all these sexual components and stimuli have randomly come together in a story or game without a specific purpose. This is not just a concern for Muslims or Iranian parents. Modesty, clothing, and caution against nudity and violence are important and respectable things in most countries and nations, and have strong educational frameworks.

To better understand the targeted gender perspective in computer games, just try to remember the men present in the battle scenes of digital games. They often wear combat clothing and various types of military gear, but the female warriors in these games usually have minimal regular attire. The use of profanity, indecency, sexual jokes, and constant consumption of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes are all things that are repeatedly shown in the minds of the audience during the game and are reinforced by using different senses, leaving nothing but disgust. This type of content production is not a strange phenomenon for us, who have seen a series like “Zakhm Kari” in our country. I mentioned this to free our minds from pessimism, hostility, and the illusion of conspiracy, and to focus on what is happening inside and outside of us.

It seems that from the early days of the gaming industry, using women as a tool has been one of the easiest ways for game developers to make money and attract audiences. There are computer games that contain explicit sexual stimuli, widely available on the internet, in which we can see a clear stimulation of violence against women and the emergence of various sexual behaviors.

These exciting and addictive games keep children and teenagers glued to the screen for hours. They take them from the real world to the world of imagination, and in this trap, if they teach them something, they also take something from them, or they leave them in their endless fantasies. These games sometimes leave destructive effects on the mental and physical well-being of children and teenagers, which, given the delicacy of their thoughts and minds, can never be compensated for. (8)

We have seen many children and teenagers who become immersed in these games with excitement and enthusiasm, to the point that they completely distance themselves from their surroundings and those around them. A general examination of computer games shows that production companies use three main factors of violence, fear, and desire to attract children and teenagers and, as a result, increase sales. Therefore, it seems that such media will not have any message for their audience other than violence and sex. (9)

Computer games have gained a special popularity among different age groups; to the point that children and teenagers get so immersed in the game that overcoming obstacles and reaching higher levels excites them, while failure makes them anxious. (10)

The results obtained in the study of the social effects of computer games show that students who play computer games are much more prone to violence, aggression, and social and cultural alienation, and have less social participation compared to students who do not play these types of games. (11)

According to psychological studies, adolescents who engage in these games become dreamers who never find their suitable partner, because what they have lived with does not exist in the real world. (12) The companies producing these games are only trying to inject sex and violence into the minds of children and do not bring anything other than instilling sexual and violent concepts for our societies. (13)

The desire for sexual and sensual motives in the design and construction of toys, especially dolls, is clearly evident. When a child plays with dolls that have very flexible and exposed bodies, and some parts of their bodies are prominent and can evoke sexual concepts, undoubtedly it arouses their curiosity and sexual instincts and can cause problems in the long run.

What is certain is that violence in computer games has become the main theme of this industry and these games provide an ideal environment for teaching violence, forcing users to play violent roles. These games are designed in a way that users are perceived as bad people and play the role of fictional criminals, earning points for expressing violence towards others.

Research has shown that a computer game with violent, scary or sexually provocative scenes has a more negative impact on children and adolescents than a movie. A movie ultimately ends in two hours and the audience is only a spectator; but in computer games, children are active members and the main factor in violence and may be involved in a violent game for weeks to complete it. (14) Emulating violent game players, choosing aggression as a solution to problems, increasing crime and delinquency, and ultimately nurturing aggressive and vengeful personalities are among the other achievements of these games. (15)

In a study (2009), the content of gaming websites regarding factors such as violence, sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and representation of race and gender that send messages to attract the public has been examined. The results show that the number of male characters in these games is higher than female characters, and female characters are portrayed in a more stereotypical and sexualized manner. Most gaming websites depict violent actions, including realistic shooting with blood, and there is no significant difference in the number of violent acts between websites with a Teen rating and those with a Mature rating. (16)

At the end, I feel it necessary to remind you of a few points as a student of educational psychology. First and foremost, we and our country are not the only targets and victims of these games, but unfortunately, like other governments and nations, we do not have a clear and definite plan to deal with this heavy attack. The second point is that this issue and similar issues should be examined regardless of the opinions of domestic theorists such as Mr. Abbasi and Ra’ifi Pour, and the criteria and standards should be based on reason and scientific findings that are reliable worldwide. The third point is that parents all over the world, who have dedicated themselves to the future of their children, are the ones who should play an active and informed role in this path and not be left behind by the rapid growth of technology and the effects of media, and instead have a comprehensive vision regarding their educational and nurturing responsibilities.

At the end, as a final note, it must be said that in this writing, an attempt was made to briefly examine two main ingredients of violence and sexual issues in computer games; with a focus on the most bitter tragedy attributed to these games and, of course, some research conducted in the same years as the Columbine incident. We are not the only ones exposed to the destructive effects of technology, media, and digital games. This is a reality that exists and perhaps every day it incurs more costs on our country’s resources; but we are the ones caught in the whirlwind of poison, venom, addiction, pain, suffering, and breaking the cup of antidotes. We are the ones who, instead of developing and improving media literacy in society, increasing the life skills of our children, raising the level of security and social trust, developing a dynamic and issue-based education system, and producing various appropriate content for our religion, customs, and culture; are busy counting imaginary enemies.

Notes:

1- Shavardi, Tahmineh, the role of parental supervision on computer games, the website of the National Foundation for Subsidized Games, 18 December 2013.

2- Adziski, Janzjak, Virtual Gaming Topics, Ethical Principles of Violence and Addiction Psychological Analysis Approach (Translation), National Foundation for Subsidized Games Website, 13 Mehr 1389.

3- Router, Jason, and Bryce, Joe, Debate on Digital Games and Violence (in the book: Understanding Digital Games), Seag Publications, 2006.

4-(Same 2)

5- (Same)

6- Subhani, Saber, Conscious Selection of Digital Games from the Perspective of Western Parents, Gameban Magazine, 3rd of August 2018.

7- Judges, Mary, women, gendered products in digital games, Kodoom, Mordad.1400.

8- Raini, R. J., Computer Games and Their Effects on Children and Adolescents, Payvand, 1386.

9- Tavousi, Zahra, Is a computer a good friend for my child? Peyam-e-Zan Cultural and Social Magazine, Issue 254, 1392.

10- Asadollahi, Saeed Reza, Computer Games, Coaches of the Next Generation, Rahavard-e Noor Quarterly, Issue 13, Winter 1384.

11- Same 9.

12- Same 10.

13- Same 9.

14- Same 10.

15- Same as 9.

16-Robinson, Tom, and others, Violence, Sexuality, and Gender Stereotypes: A Content Analysis of Official Websites of Video Games, Journal of Mass Communication Research, 2009.