kids shouldn’t play violent video games. studies has shown it produces increased aggressive behavior, thoughts, and affect; increased physiological arousal; and decreased prosocial (helping) behavior. so video game companies have to slap an “m” on the bottom of such games. “m” for mature. because it’s not good for kids.
but what about kids who are in environments where life causes them to see things that are way too “m”?
a couple of weeks ago one of the boys i work with watched his sister’s boyfriend get jumped. by four dudes who were waiting for this kid to leave his girlfriend’s house. not just a little bullying, pushing and yelling. full-on face stomping, boot to the grill. the kid’s jaw was crushed and he had to have major surgery to fix it.
the next day a different boy walked into our building with an unconventional greeting.
“i saw someone get shot today”
“where?”
“on the corner down the block from my house…he was twitchin’ and stuff”
“did you call the cops?’
“no…someone else did”
dude was pretty unaffected. i think. knowing him and his life, i wouldn’t be shocked if this wasn’t the first time he’d seen this type of violence.plus, i’m not sure they had a working phone in the house, so he gets a bit of a pass.
i consider myself fortunate to not have actually witnessed an act of extreme violence yet. two have happened within two blocks of my office over the past few weeks. and i did witness a police raid our my office window a couple of weeks ago. probably had something to do with the dudes who had been hanging out on that block for about a month, and were clearly up to no good.
it’s sad that stuff happens. not even under the cover of darkness, but out in the open and out in the daylight. it’s even more sad that children are the witnesses. and it’s sad that people outside the neighborhood aren’t all that passionate about seeing it end.
it’s an m-rated existence, and the products can’t be beneficial.
renew and restore
