| The pdf version
of this book on video games and other forms of electronic
media violence (ISBN
9781700281944) is now free: click here or enter the following URL into your web browser: https://www.craiganderson.org/wp-content/uploads/caa/abstracts/2020-2024/GameOn.pdf To purchase a print or Kindle version click here, or copy/paste this URL into your browser: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1700281941. |
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This book is appropriate for anyone
interested in knowing the facts about media violence
to help in decision making and guidance, such as:
Also useful for instructors at high
school, college, and graduate school levels, as a
primary or supplementary textbook:
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| In Game On! Sensible Answers
about Video Games and Media Violence, the
authors bridge the gap between "easy-to-read" and
"reasoned discussion of the research." Written as a series
of answers to 57 questions that media violence scholars
are routinely asked, the book breaks down this complex and
nuanced topic into small, easily-digestible portions. Each
question receives both a short easy-to-understand answer,
and a longer detailed and nuanced answer complete with
citations to appropriate scientific studies. The book’s
organization allows readers to focus on the most relevant
topics for them. Are you a parent who wants practical
advice about what to let your child watch? Are you a gamer
who doesn't believe all the hype they hear in the news?
Are you interested in the nuts and bolts of how media
research is conducted? Are you someone trying to win an
internet debate about violent video games? Are you a
student writing a paper for a high school or college
class? If so, this book will provide the answers you’re
looking for! The "Short Answers" give it to you in plain English: no jargon, no wading through lists of references or waffling debate. Just plain, practical, straightforward answers to your questions. Reading just these short answers, it’s possible to become knowledgeable about media violence effects in about a couple of hours. Want to know where our answers came from? Cautiously skeptical and want us to show our work? Read the "Long Answers," where the authors walk you through the research in a conversational, easy-to-follow tone. These answers cover a lot of key issues in research methodology as well as some philosophy of science. The book is filled with internal links to other questions and answers, making it easy to skip around wherever your curiosity take you. In other words, the book was designed for digital readers. |
Additional Reviews |
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Finally, a book that provides
infinitely readable science, unravels the links between
video game, media violence and aggression, and works for
both parents and professionals. Game On! Sensible Answers
about Video Games and Media Violence, is written by a
cohort of researchers including Action Network Advisory
Board member, Dr. Douglas Gentile. Structured around very
basic, common questions most people ask about media
violence, this book provides a short answer (for when you
need a quick response to a client, student, or family
member) and a long answer for more in depth
information. Gentile and colleagues reveal
small increases in acts of aggression that can shape kids’
character and behavior. They also debunk myths in both
directions about the role media plays in societal
violence. While they are quick to point out there is no
one cause for aggressive behavior in children, they
certainly build a case for closely monitoring family media
choices.
Jean Rogers, M.Ed.
Director, Children’s Screen Time Action Network; author, Kids Under Fire --
Jean Rogers, M.Ed.
Campaign for a Commercial
Free Childhood
Children's Screen Time Action
Network
www.commercialfreechildhood.org<http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org>
www.screentimenetwork.org<http://www.screentimenetwork.org>
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From The Bulletin of the International Society for
Research on Aggression, volume 42, #2, December, 2019:
This book makes a unique contribution to the media violence literature by using a format designed to appeal to a wider range of lay readers and professionals than previous books in this field. Specifically, this book answers 57 questions around video game use (most are about media violence but some address video gaming disorders) in a Q&A format with each question being addressed with both a short and a long answer. The short answer is brief and in plain language. The long answers tend to be quite long, using lay language too, but going into far more detail about the scientific underpinnings for the answers given. In such a book, which will likely attract the criticism of researchers opposed to the idea that video game play can have any non-trivial negative impact on the player, it is important to be objective, scientific and moderate, and this book does find a well-informed middle ground. It deals with a number of contentious issues (e.g., studies that find no effects; catharsis; direction of causality; use of laboratory aggression measures; whether media violence effects can be proven conclusively) in a moderate and measured way that is careful not to extend arguments beyond the borders of known research findings. In structure this book has a general introduction and six chapters – understanding what aggression and violence are and how they link to violent video games; issues related to the player and their psychology; misconceptions about media violence research; possible positive and negative impacts of violent video game exposure; parenting digital media; and bigger picture issues. Across such topics it is hard to know just what questions are important to potential readers and how they should be grouped. In my view, the questions addressed in this book cover a fair representation of the questions I hear from parents and professionals who work with children, although no book can cover every question, and there are some questions for which there is insufficient research evidence to provide an evidence-based answer. Bearing such limitations in mind, this book should be a valuable resource to parents, professionals and policy makers wanting to make evidence-based decisions about video game use. The authors note that their aims are to produce an accessible, scientifically accurate resource; that this resource corrects misinformation about media violence and puts the authors research into the world where it can make a difference; and that the content meets a public demand. For me the book meets the first three aims well, with the 4th to be determined once it is published. 19 Most notably, Craig has been at the forefront of media violence research for decades, as has Doug, and their thorough and nuanced understanding of media violence effects, along with the contributions of the other authors, underlie a series of valuable insights that should help readers make sense of the current miasma of misinformation, selective reporting and self-serving material that currently muddy public understanding of this debate. Indeed, Courtney, Craig and the team are at their best addressing this ‘debate’, putting it into context, pointing out concordances with similar ‘debates’ (such as tobacco and climate change), and providing incisive and clear insights, all backed by scientific findings. In my view Game On! Sensible Answers about Video Games and Media Violence will be an accessible, affordable, valuable, evidence-based resource for parents, professionals who work with children, and, dare we hope, policy makers. Dr. Wayne Warburton, Associate Professor Macquarie University, Australia E: wayne.warburton@mq.edu.au W: https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/wayne-a-warburton
Editor of: Growing Up Fast
and Furious* Book Depository |
|
This book’s conversational tone and question/short answer/long answer format make it an accessible resource for anyone who wants to understand the scientific facts about video games and media violence. Readers can choose either the short answer to each of the 57 questions or take a deeper dive into the explanation and the supporting science in the longer answer. With a light and sometimes humorous tone, the authors walk the reader through the major issues in the field, providing solid answers to questions such as “Why should I care about media violence effects?” and “Is video game addiction a real thing?” The title is accurate, this book provides sensible answers about video games and media violence. Game On is a critical resource for parents, educators, students and policymakers. Jeanne Brockmyer, Ph.D. Distinguished University Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, University of Toledo |
| This outstanding book is absolutely the best
I have ever read for supporting parents and professionals
alike with accurate information about the impact of media
violence. The short answer/long answer to all the questions
is a brilliant way to give practical information that can
immediately be put into decisive, confident action. I love
this book and can't thank the authors enough for writing it
and compiling mountains of relevant research in extremely
useable ways. I am sharing it with everyone I know. - Gloria DeGaetano, Founder/Director, Parent Coaching Institute; Author: Parenting Well in a Media Age, Keep Our Kids Human |
| The issues surrounding mass media violence
are complex. This book helps us navigate this complex
terrain in an easy and structured manner. It is a must read
for educators, parents, researchers, and policy-makers. - Edward Donnerstein, Ph.D., Dean Emeritus, University of Arizona |
| Suggested
citation: Plante, C., Anderson, C. A., Allen, J. J., Groves, C. L., & Gentile, D. A. (2020). Game On! Sensible Answers about Video Games and Media Violence. Ames, Iowa: Zengen LLC Publishing. |
| Sample
Question and Answers #8 in pdf format Sample Question and Answers #8 in digital format |
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Table of Contents
Introduction - Six Critical Questions to Begin this Book #1: How do I use this book? #2: Who are you? #3: Why should I trust what you say about media violence? #4: Do you just hate violent media and want to ruin it for everyone else? #5: Why are you writing a book about violent media? #6: Why should I care about media violence effects? Chapter 1 - Aggression 101: The Basics of Media Violence Research #7: Aren’t violence and aggression basically the same thing? #8: How do you measure aggression? #9: How do you study whether media violence causes aggression? #10: Why do psychologists study media violence? #11: Is there a link between violent media and aggression? #12: How does violent media exposure make people more aggressive? #13: Couldn’t it be the other way around, that aggressive people prefer violent media? #14: Don’t other things cause aggression, like personality, abuse, etc.? #15: Can you prove that violent media causes aggression? #16: Can laboratory studies tell us anything about real-world aggression? #17: Aren’t there studies that find no effects of violent media on aggression? Chapter 2 – The “Who," “When," and “What” of Media Violence Effects #18: Does it matter how realistic or fantasy-themed media violence is? #19: Are some people immune to the effects of media violence? #20: Are media violence effects only a problem for aggressive people? #21: Are violent media effects stronger for boys than girls? #22: Are violent media effects stronger for children than for adults? #23: I’m an adult – can violent media really affect me? #24: Do social factors like income or education change the effects of media violence? #25: Are violent media a risk factor only for people exposed to a lot of it? #26: Are violent video games the only violent media we should care about? Chapter 3 – Misconceptions about Media Violence Research #27: Isn’t violence more likely to be caused by something else like abuse than to be caused by media violence? #28: Millions of people view violent media – why aren’t there millions of murders each year? #29: I’ve watched violent media for years and I’m not violent. Doesn’t this disprove media violence effects? #30: Haven’t violent crime rates fallen during the same period that violent media grew in popularity? #31: Don’t violent media reduce aggression by getting it out of your system? #32: Why is becoming desensitized to violence a big deal? #33: Aren’t you immune to media violence if you can tell the difference between fantasy and reality? #34: Isn’t media violence only a problem for those with mental illnesses? #35: Do violent media turn people into mass shooters? Chapter 4 – Is it all Bad? Other Effects of Media #36: What kinds of effects do video games have on players? #37: Can video games cause ADHD? #38: Can media use encourage risky behavior? #39: Are screen media bad for your health? #40: Do video games harm school performance? #41: Aren’t there also good effects of playing video games? #42: Is video game addiction a real thing? #43: What are the symptoms of video game addiction? #44: What are the causes and consequences of video game addiction? #45: Can video game addiction be treated? Chapter 5 – Parenting in the 21st Century #46: Do parents and caregivers have any influence on the effects of violent media? #47: Should I limit how much screen media my child is exposed to? #48: Should I use content rating systems to determine what kinds of media my children use? #49: How should I choose what kinds of media my children consume? #50: Should I be discussing media violence with my children? #51: How can I maximize positive media effects while minimizing harm? #52: If my child has problems with aggressive behavior, should I take their violent games away? Chapter 6 – Thinking about Media Violence in “The Big Picture” #53: Is it fair to compare the media violence issue to the issue of cigarettes and lung cancer? #54: Isn’t violent media the only kind worth consuming? #55: What makes violent media so appealing to youth? #56: What is your advice regarding public policy towards violent entertainment media, particularly violent video games? Conclusion – The “Take-Home” Message #57: What’s the “take-home” message of this book? |