Communication+Strategy+and+Proposal


 * Proposal:** Violent Video Games have Negative Impacts on its Users

//What am I trying to achieve with this?// (Objective) //What is my message?// //What is my audience?// //What is the target demographic?// //What media is the best way to reach them?// //What change am I trying to bring out?// //What are the influences I want to bring?//
 * Communication Strategy:**
 * Bring awareness to the fact that violence breeds violence
 * Not only increase awareness, but aid in the changing people's perception of violent video games through presenting information via case studies and research, as well as showing the effects of these games and providing alternatives
 * Violent Video Games will have negative effects on its users - Ex: Columbine Shooting
 * Perceiving too much violence creates desensitization - kids are becoming too desensitized, nothing shocks them anymore
 * Video Games not only give out a bad message, but kids are consumed by them - Ex: Brandon Crisp
 * Not everyone may be affected by the violent video games, but some people do, and that's why there needs to be more effective ratings
 * Parents of the children who play the video games
 * Teachers of the children who play video games
 * The general public who play violent video games
 * Kids/Teens/Adults that play these games
 * Adults who allow their children or siblings to play the games
 * Newspapers, television, radio
 * They will react and be persuaded with solid facts, research, and personal case studies/stories
 * Engage them on a personal level
 * Awareness and change in perception of violent video games
 * Change people's naivety/ignorance regarding violent video games
 * Demonstrate the influence of violent video games with specific examples (Ex: Columbine shooters, Brandon Crisp)

__Additonal Research:__ >> Facts: High levels of violent video game exposure have been linked to delinquency, fighting at school and during free play periods, and violent criminal behavior (e.g., self-reported assault, robbery). >> Facts: Though there are good theoretical reasons to expect some populations to be more susceptible to violent video game effects than others, the research literature has not yet substantiated this. There is not consistent evidence for the claim that younger children are more negatively affected than adolescents or young adults or that males are more affected than females. There is some evidence that highly aggressive individuals are more affected than nonaggressive individuals, but this finding does not consistently occur. Even nonaggressive individuals are consistently affected by brief exposures. >> Facts: Cartoonish and fantasy violence is often perceived (incorrectly) by parents and public policy makers as safe even for children. However, experimental studies with college students have consistently found increased aggression after exposure to clearly unrealistic and fantasy violent video games. Indeed, at least one recent study found significant increases in aggression by college students after playing E-rated (suitable for everyone) violent video games. >> Facts: Meta-analyses reveal that violent video game effect sizes are larger than the effect of second hand tobacco smoke on lung cancer, the effect of lead exposure to I.Q. scores in children, and calcium intake on bone mass. Furthermore, the fact that so many youths are exposed to such high levels of video game violence further increases the societal costs of this risk factor (Rosenthal, 1986).
 * "Violent Video Games: Myths, Facts, and Unanswered Questions" []
 * The active role required by video games is a double-edged sword: educational video games be excellent teaching tools for motivational and learning process reasons, but it also makes violent video games even more hazardous than violent television or cinema.
 * Recent video games reward players for killing innocent bystanders, police, and prostitutes, using a wide range of weapons including guns, knives, flame throwers, swords, baseball bats, cars, hands, and feet. Some include brief scenes of strippers.
 * Myth: There are no studies linking violent video game play to serious aggression.
 * Myth: Violent video games affect only a small fraction of players.
 * Myth: Unrealistic video game violence is completely safe for adolescents and older youths.
 * Myth: The effects of violent video games are trivially small.
 * "Missing Gamer- Brandon Crisp" []
 * Brandon Crisp, the 15 year-old boy  who has become known in the press as the "missing gamer," has been discovered dead after a huge police search. The boy ran away from home after he was banned by his parents from playing //Call of Duty//
 * "The Dangers of Children Playing Violent Video Games" [|http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/3104 /govacuum_vacuum_repair_video_hoover.html]
 * The Columbine shooting was to be the first of a series of shootings that could be directly linked to video game violence. Characters in games like Duke Nukem, Quake, Grand Theft Auto and Doom encourage the player to commit violent crimes and murder “victims” in brutal manors.
 * Although there has been laws passed, forcing video game makers to give them ratings, such as on movies, there is still little that can be done to stop a child from obtaining them. With access to internet downloads, free demos and more these games become easily obtainable.
 * Mortal Kombat players can watch their victims be decapitated, cut into pieces, burned alive or hung. In games like Grand Theft Auto the objective is to rob and beat innocent people, pick up hookers and kill rival gang members.
 * Dr. Carole Lieberman, a psychiatrist who studies the effects of violence, said "When children are actually rewarded for killing people, the behavior is more likely to be repeated,"
 * We are now creating two kinds of violence – “Acceptable Violence” and “Non-Acceptable Violence”. Acceptable violence is that which takes places in movies, video games, music, etc. Non-Acceptable violence is that which takes place in real life; murder, rape, theft, etc. Although an adult may be able to clearly distinguish the difference between the two kinds of violence, how can a 6 year old child? I find it hard to believe that a young person can watch a video game character brutally murder another character and know that the behavior being shown is wrong.
 * "Nonviolent Video Game" []
 * Though the market is predominantly filled with violent video games, there are a number of nonviolent video games that have been received exceptionally well. Below are examples of nonviolent video games from a number of genres that have been incredibly well received by the gaming community.
 * FPS: Portal
 * RPG: Harvest Moon
 * Action: Marble Madness


 * A point that is not covered significantly is that such "violent" games also act as a release of anger or built up frustration for many adults. A video game that involves violent acts must be regulated more rigorously so that younger consumers do not have access to such commodities. Retailers to such games should have to follow strong policies and be held liable for mis-use. i.e. they should be responsible to make sure such games are not directly sold to minors.
 * For those who use "violent" video games just as a release syndrome find it to have positive effects on them. For example, violent games involving rash driving, or a person who enjoys hunting but prefers not to kill animals in reality can have a similar experience with the advanced virtual world of today.
 * Most of the violent games are purely for the purpose of entertainment. Entertainment for those individuals who understand that it is merely a game completely and are responsible for their actions in reality.
 * "Video Games Linked to Poor Relationships-Mark Harris" []
 * Relationships suffer from time spent online gaming.
 * Everything clustered around video game use is found to be negative.
 * This includes drug abuse and other risky behavior.
 * The connection between gaming and anti-social behavior was found to be "modest".