Serbian Education Minister Branko Ruzic said this when a teenager opened fire at an elementary school he attended in Belgrade, a topic that comes up every time teenagers in the US try to commit mass murder.

video games And virtual violence in recent decades have been the subject of much scientific debate which attempts to establish a relationship between the viewing of violent content on screens and the increase in violent behavior in children.

Some researchers argue that there is no connection, others conclude that there is a correlation, but it depends very much on amount of exposure of children to violent content on screens, which can be as violent as a movie and video game, as well as videos on social networks.

“Previous research has already shown that young children under the age of 12 see hundreds of thousands of scenes of violence on the screen. Especially with her new TV life what we had during the pandemic, young and old, we were more exposed to the virtual reality of the Internet, video games and social networks. For them, the measure is important,” notes Vaios Dafoulis, Child Psychiatrist and Director of the Child Psychiatry Clinic of the Hippocrates Hospital in Thessaloniki. Mr. Dafoulis emphasized this addiction conceptsaying that when a child or teenager becomes addicted to violent games without being controlled by their parents or loved ones, it can play a role in shaping a personality that is also content with violence.

“Even if only 2% of the 20 million who see a film about violence are affected, that gives us 400,000 people who will show increased aggression.”

In 2020, the American Psychological Association reported that there is a small but strong link between video games and increased aggression in children. OUR pediatrician and neonatologist Antonis Darzentas study this topic systematically. Reading the meta-analyses of the phenomenon published in previous years by researchers who have taken it upon themselves to sift through the content of dozens of studies, he stops at one characteristic passage: millions who will see a violent blockbuster, this gives us 400,000 people who will show increased aggression, even some time after watching. This is a number that can attract the attention of the public.

No limits

As Mr. Darzentas describes, scientists are also looking into other factors associated with virtual violence that may be associated with violent behavior, such as insulation child and reducing the hours spent on physical activities. According to him, researchers are re-examining free, spontaneous play what the older generation did in playgrounds, “fights” where children played with each other, even participating in staged fights and fights, they were aware of the limits of others and accordingly set their own. “In real life, when you are in pain, you stop. If you are about to hit a friend and he hits you back, you will be hurt and you will know what happened. Virtual violence, however, has no limits, it gives you false sense of peace. You feel overexcited from the game, but you don’t feel any pain, neither yours nor the one you cause.

For his part, Mr. Dafoulis notes that “when a minor increases the number of hours he spends in front of the screen, he does not devote time to other activities. He can withdraw into himself, become more nervous, lose friends, his school performance drops, and he does not pay attention to anything. In this context, foreign schools are trying to return spontaneous games to children, recognizing their benefits, adds Mr. Darzentas.

They mimic social media violence

“Today’s youth are exposed to violent content created by their peers”

However, video games are not the only source of violence that young people are exposed to today. As the pediatrician points out, social media is now a key activity for kids and teens, and as a result, while previous generations of kids were exposed to content created by adults, today’s youth are exposed to violent content created by their peers, which may they have received. greater influence on their psychology through the process of imitation.

Recently, after an incident with fans in Thessaloniki, its users tik tak they set as booty a cardigan they took from a 16-year-old after they beat him, dislocating his shoulder. This is not the only example of violence that exists on this particular social network. “There is imitation and the notion of a peer group — even a virtual one. Almost no one goes out alone to commit violence. Some teenagers, who may be impulsive or more imitative, will be affected by the violence that exists on social media,” explains Mr. Dafoulis.

The child psychiatrist is also bullying from one teenager to another through social mediawhich is also an expression of violence. “There is lightness in what we publish. Although it has been observed that our children are very smart because they are informed, communicate, communicate through social networks, unfortunately they do not care about violating the privacy and rights of others, as a result of which they expose each other to impulsive actions. behavior.

The critical four walls of our home

“Training and restrictions start early,” emphasizes Mr. Dafoulis, saying that at first family and then education system they play a critical role in controlling adolescents’ exposure to virtual violence, as well as in developing interpersonal relationships. In addition, as he himself emphasizes, it is generally accepted that the most influential factor the child exhibits aggressive and violent behavior, if he has experienced or witnessed violence in his real life, namely between within the four walls of your house.