Lock Up Grand Theft Auto

 By Kyle Johnston


Intro | Grand Theft Auto and Law | "Grand Theft Auto" Linked to Violence | More Real Life Harm | Controversial Mod | The Addiction and Its Outcome
Its a Wrap | Work Cited

Introduction


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Technology has undeniably changed the way people live around the world.  Technology that has been introduced to the home has had profound effects on individuals and their lives.  Ever since the Odyssey, the first of the video game technologies, arrived in stores, people have taken video gaming up as a hobby (Hansen).  Twenty-seven years later, the video gaming console Playstation was introduced, and in 1997 the recently released game ""Grand Theft Auto"" was the new hit craze (Stack).  This game had more blood, gore, and sexuality built into it than ever before (Knorr).

Years later, the Xbox 360 arrived as the second installment of the Microsoft gaming systems.  Along with it came a new chapter of "Grand Theft Auto", "Grand Theft Auto IV".  This game, in conjunction with the unbelievable graphics capabilities of Xbox 360, made the inappropriate material in "Grand Theft Auto" all the more real.  The game is rated “M” for mature which means only people seventeen years of age and older should be playing this game; however, through a variety of ways, kids younger than this age are getting their hands on it (ESRB).  Kids under the age of seventeen must be stopped from playing the "Grand Theft Auto" series because of the inappropriate content, and the effects it has on both the physical and mental health of kids
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"Grand Theft Auto" and Law


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Ninety percent of kids play video games, and when asked what kind of video games they prefer, games with violence were at the top of the list (Harding).  By playing "Grand Theft Auto", kids are immersing themselves in a world of violence, brutality, and pornography (Knorr).  Kids are granted the ability to hurt anyone, anywhere, and in any way they want.  This game allows children to take part in activities that law deems as the worst offenses such as murder, drug trafficking, and terrorism (The Daily Star).

In this game, children can shoot someone’s head off, go to strip clubs, and do other unlawful acts as simply as moving a couple of fingers.  The new technological advances in video game graphics make games very realistic, and this renders the strip clubs highly inappropriate for kids under the age of seventeen.  If one must be at least eighteen years of age to get into a club in real life, then why should kids be allowed to continue having access to virtual clubs through "Grand Theft Auto"?  Why should a video game warrant something the law does not? Some kids would answer that it is just a video game; what harm could come from it?  But harm was the main result of a situation in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Associated Press).

Its Linked to Violence

On a Tuesday in June 2003, a teen by the name of Devin Thompson was charged and accused of killing three officers in a police station after being arrested for stealing a car.  Devin Thompson and his attorney claimed, '"Grand Theft Auto" led to him shooting the officers and stealing the cars' (Associated Press).  This demonstrates that "Grand Theft Auto" is a game, yes, but also how real-life harm can result from playing the game under age, and this must be stopped.  Furthermore, studies have been done on kids who play violent video games such as "Grand Theft Auto", and the conclusions should not be ignored.

In one study, doctors used brain-scanning technology to see the science behind what happens to the brain when kids play violent video games.  The study showed that violent video games triggered increases of activity in the Amygdala, which controls emotional arousal, and “decreases of activity in brain areas involved in self-control, inhibition, and attention” (Kalning and Mathews).  From this, it can be concluded scientifically that "Grand Theft Auto" can lead to kids being more aggressive, and aggression can get out of hand quickly as seen with Devon Thompson.  For this reason, kids must be restricted from playing "Grand Theft Auto".

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Underage "Grand Theft Auto" Players Strike Again!

One day two teenagers William Buckner, 16, and Joshua Buckner, 14, decided it would be fun to drive down a highway and open fire.  This resulted in the murder of one innocent life, and the injury of another.  When they were arrested they told law enforcers that 'they were bored, and decided to mimick their favourite videogame, "Grand Theft Auto"' (Gamesindustry.biz). This, yet again, shows how "Grand Theft Auto" in the hands of underage kids can lead to serious harm.  Maybe the thought "my kids would never do that" crosses many parent's minds, but these traumatic events involving kids and violence as a result of "Grand Theft Auto" are apparent and do happen.  So, everyone allowing underage kids to play this game why take this risk.  Help eliminate all violence connected to "Grand Theft Auto" by putting a halt in under-age "Grand Theft Auto" playing.

The Controversial "Hot Coffee" Mod

The "Hot Coffee" mod is a game modification that allows anyone who can read or use youtube the ability to reveal locked pornographic content in "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas".  The game mod grants the player the ability to view uncensored sexual scenes between the main character CJ and his girlfriend.  It is unclear how the game modification started; however, it is clear this game modification allows those under the age of seventeen to look at material that is highly inappropriate for those in the age group.  Many people who make the game available to people who should not be playing the game, such as parents, are not aware of many aspects of the game.  The "Hot Coffee" mod is one of these aspects, and this shows just how inappropriate a game can be without the knowledge of it being so.  Because of aspects in "Grand Theft Auto" such as the "Hot Coffee" mod, it is imperative that those who do not meet the age qualification to play a rated "M" game do not play this game (Adams).

Video Game Addiction and Its Effects


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"Grand Theft Auto" is an entertaining game and receives an average rating of about nine and a half out of ten (Goldstein).  Kids realize this, find a way to get and play the game, and can become quickly addicted.  For all people who believe video game addiction is not a real disorder, Dictionary.com defines addiction as "The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or involved in something." A friend of mine once had his playstation taken away because his parents never saw him study or do homework, and when he gave his report card to his parents, it was horrible.  They pulled the playstation and television from his room, and the next day he went looking for it, found it, and started playing it again.  His parents found out and took away the playstation again; this happened three times.  The fourth time his parents gave away his playstation.  As can be seen from  this example, this person felt such a great need to play video games that he gave up caring about anything else.  If this person did not have an addiction neither do those who smoke excessive amounts of marijuana.

Video game addiction is concidered, by most in the medical field, a physiological disorder that results from playing a video game too much; with "Grand Theft Auto" being the amusing game that it is, kids easily become hooked, and video game addiction can set in (Rauh).  This causes major problems; for example, valuable time that should be spent studying is wasted on video games.  One researcher stated that kids spend upwards of thirteen hours per week playing video games (Harding).  "Grand Theft Auto" is a top-selling video game and is played for hours at a time; this leads kids to be stagnant, and research shows that video games are a growing cause of obesity (Warner).  Because "Grand Theft Auto" is a number one game, preventing kids from playing it would cut back on the attention kids give to video games, and the child obesity linked to video games would decline.  If kids were forced not to play "Grand Theft Auto" apparent healthy changes in their lives would occur.

Its a Wrap

"Grand Theft Auto" can be detrimental to the lives of under-age children who play the game.  "Grand Theft Auto" is a game that is part of the Playstation and Xbox community.  The game is rated “M” which means the game is not appropriate for kids under the age of seventeen; however, kids still find ways to play the game, and these ways need to be eliminated (ESRB); for example, a law that prohibits the guardians of an underaged child to play rated "M" games.  Kids feel they need to play this game because "Grand Theft Auto" has always been among the best when it comes to video game technology.  Ever since the Odyssey, video games have awed gamers with the variety of game play.  Technology has revolutionized the world around us and not necessarily in a positive way.

Work Cited

Adams, David. "Sen. Clinton Attacks GTA, Rockstar Defends." Ign.com. IGN Entertainment, Inc, 14 July 2005. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. <http://ps2.ign.com/articles/633/633543p1.html>.

"Addiction." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, LLC, 2009. Web. 09 Nov. 2009. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/addiction>.

Associated Press. "Lawsuit: 'Grand Theft Auto' Led Teen to Kill." FOXnews.com. FOX, 16 Feb. 2005. Web. 19 Oct. 2009. <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,147722,00.html>.

ESRB. "ESRB Concludes Investigation into Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas; Revokes M (Mature) Rating." Entertainment Software Rating Board. ESRB, 20 July 2005. Web. 19 Oct. 2009. <http://www.esrb.org/about/news/7202005.jsp>.

"Extortion." Crime and Punishment. The Daily Star, 16 May 2004. Web. 17 Oct. 2009. <http://www.thedailystar.net/law/2004/05/02/crime.htm>.

Gamesindustry.biz. "Grand Theft Auto in the Dock Over US Road Killing." The Register. Gamesindustry.biz, 11 Sept. 2003. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/09/11/grand_theft_auto/>.

Goldstein, Hilary. "Grand Theft Auto IV Review." Xbox.360ign.com. Ign Entertainment Inc., 25 Apr. 2008. Web. 17 Oct. 2009. <http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/869/869381p1.html#>.

Hansen, Dale. "Magnavox Odyssey Console Information." ConsoleDatabase.com. BaseMedia, 2000. Web. 19 Oct. 2009. <http://www.consoledatabase.com/consoleinfo/magnavoxodyssey/index.html>.

Harding, Anne. "Violent Video Games Linked to Child Aggression." Health Magazine. Web. 19 Oct. 2009. <http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/family/11/03/healthmag.violent.video.kids/index.html>.

Johnson, James, and Patrick Stack. "Press Start to Begin A History of Video Game Consoles." Time. Time Inc. Web. 19 Oct. 2009. <http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101050523/console_timeline/>.

Kalning, Kristin. "Does Game Violence Make Teens Aggressive" Msnbc. Msnbc.com, 8 Dec. 2006. Web. 19 Oct. 2009. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16099971/>.

Knorr, Caroline. "The 10 Most Violent Video Games (And 10 Alternatives)." Common Sense Media. Common Sense Media Inc, 28 Oct. 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2009.
<http://www.commonsensemedia.org/10-most-violent-video-games-and-10-alternatives>.

Mathews, Vincent P. "Violent Video Games May Emotionally Arouse Players." Indiana University School of Medicine. Indian University, 28 Nov. 2008. Web. 4 Nov. 2009.
<http://www.medicine.indiana.edu/news_releases/viewRelease.php4?art=593>.

Rauh, Sherry. "Video Game Addiction No Fun." WebMD. WebMD. Web. 17 Oct. 2009. <http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/video-game-addiction-no-fun>.

Warner, Jennifer. "Video Games, TV Double Childhood Obesity Risk." WebMD. 4 July 2004. Web. 17 Oct. 2009. <http://children.webmd.com/news/20040702/video-games-tv-double-childhood-obesity-risk>.