Whether online games increase aggressive influence more than movies is something that has been debated for years. As the two are interactive genres, these deserve as much attention to behavior because of their nature. Some believe that the media may actually depend on the way it is executed because of various reasons.
Online games are very interactive and integrated. Players spend countless hours navigating virtual worlds, solving challenges, and competing with others. Interactivity might sharply contrast with the experience of watching a movie, as active participation is required in playing games. This activity may result in heightened emotional responses, which may further affect behavior.
Evidence has been accumulated that also illustrates the idea that some forms of video games lead to short-term increases in thoughts or feelings of aggression. This occurs more easily because games tend to be competitive and players are rewarded for behaving that way. However, the strength will vary as a function of player personality, gaming style, and amount of exposure.
Movies can be no less effective than video games, but the role of a movie spectator is always a passive one. In a game, the player is the actor of action, whereas film spectators are just witnesses to events happening on the screen. While violent movies may stimulate reactions, it is not an interpersonal level of participation in aggressive acts.
Films tend to put violence that is portrayed within the film into perspective. Movie storylines might even bring about moral dilemmas or consequences for violent actions that may mitigate their action potential. Perhaps the violence is less practiced in one's head, viewed as part of a storyline rather than something being performed for them.
To properly grasp the subtleties affecting different media to human behavior, one needs to be well-known about such subtleties. You might end up on some popular gaming websites seeking to learn more about topics of this nature to understand such themes and get familiar with the broader aspect of gaming.
The major difference between the two-whether online games or films-is that of engagement. In games, the players decide on choices and also perform actions. This may make the impact of such aggressive content more significant since the player owns the responsibility for the consequence. In the film, it is further removed because the audience has no say on what is transpiring in the scene.
However, most of the study claims that despite the differences mentioned above, the long-term effect of gaming on aggression is very minimal. They also argued that other factors are likely to have a greater influence over an individual's behavior than the media consumed, for example, personality, upbringing or social environment.
Some are even designed to encourage aggression, yet effects can be swamped by the context in which they are played. For example, playing games competitively may lead to frustration or feeling aggressive when losing but will also foster teamwork and camaraderie in most multiplayer games. The social nature of such multiplayer games will help connect the children and learn how to resolve conflicts, which may balance out any aggressive propensities.
The impact of video games on aggression compared to movies is still quite complex. The effects seem to vary between people and regarding the type of media content being consumed. One solution that may mitigate or nullify the potential impacts may be the discovery and conservation of a balance between gaming habits and other hobbies.