We have all been through or are still in the middle of a child phase in our lives. In fact, as children, we play slightly too much. Video games, board games, and even tag was played seriously. These games as a child were always fun for me. However, “it’s all fun and games, until someone gets hurt or loses”. Ever heard that from your parents? How many times were they right? Do you want to know if this is true?

New York City’s private high school, St. Ann’s has added an extra curricular activity for their students. This game involves the theme of assassinations and killings to win. I do not think this is a correct way of enjoying collaboration with others by pretending to  “Kill”other students in a squad or fireteam. You must pay a fee of $20 per team. If I were a student in this high school, I would not pay a single dime on this because this could cause violence. The classic “You Cheated” method always gets games out of hand to real-world violence.

Growing up as a middle child, I still take games way too seriously. It didn’t matter what it was, I wanted to win it. Video gaming is not my best talent, however. My brothers will always beat me in those typical well known first-person shooters such as, Call Of Duty, Halo, and Destiny. These games involved a perfect amount of hand/eye coordination and my attention span isn’t as strong as others. This is what makes me frustrated. I feel belittled in the gaming community and should win, since I am the underdog, but, when I lose, I always use a negative way of accepting the fact of owning up to my loss. Im sure these students will have the same mindset as me. However, the scholars would possibly do something worse than anger. Possibly crimes. Real killings, perhaps?

These role-playing games should not be practiced because it gives gamers and realists the idea of how this could connect to real life and could affect lives. For example, people could take this role-playing killing game in New York seriously by thinking that this game is similar to the  military/army and become “Brainwashed” about how games are real. Exactly like how the first-person shooter army simulation game, “Call Of Duty” inspired many of those fans to become a part of the army because of the fact of how a simulation could be exactly like real life. Mind boggling, right?

On a Wednesday in New York, seniors went to a Walgreens and stocked up on water guns to practically, “stake out” the house of the other team to kill their enemy. This clearly illustrates how these teenagers are getting out of their way to participate in a game.

Another piece of evidence in this topic is how we, as Americans, have grown over time as gun-related game consumers and gun-related crimes. Am I lying? Look it up and tell me what you get. The game, “Grand Theft Auto V” has become one of the most violent games of all time and now is one of the most bought games of all time. After this game was released around Fall of 2013, a mentally ill young man created a mass shooting in Washington, D.C.  Connection with how people become ignorant to the real-world and delegate on how simulated games connect with life, when it’s not true, At all.

This proves how not just people in general, but overall everyone has seen or played a violent game. Not all people play these games, however not everyone should play them. We all just can’t just handle the rules of gaming.

No matter what, we all need a connection with these simulations, we just need to get our priorities together and figure out how to play a game and differentiate it with life. “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt or loses”. Point proven.

Sources:http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2013/09/17/a-grand-theft-auto-v-book-club-or-why-the-day-one-review-isnt-always-best/ Kain, E. (2013, September 18) “Do Games Like, ‘Grand Theft Auto V’ Cause Real-World Violence?”

Martin, G. (2009, June 22). “High-Jinks: Shoot Out.” The New Yorker, p.27

DaVon Johnson is … An eighth-grade student at Premier Charter School, an Artist, a Passive Gamer, and A very bias person. He tends to always state why he thinks this way and brings out his evidence after. You do NOT want to debate with him. He was also the nominee winner of Group 1's speech fight. :)