There have been many arguments regarding the violence in television and video games. The current trend is to limit children's exposure to violent material. The belief is that violent material elicits violent behavior. A counter-argument states that violent material actually relieves built-up anger innate to humans. I believe that some aggressive activities could be a good stress reliever. Activities such as contact sports, or fantasy video games. The problem is that some video games now are so realistic that they create a virtual bloodlust, desensitize people to death, and devalue human life in the eyes of the player.
             Counter-strike is a new game that has recently caught the online gaming community by storm. It is a first-person shooter game dedicated to terrorist/counter-terrorist warfare. Many games have simulated real fighting with modern assault weapons. This is the first that does so in an incredibly realistic fashion. The sounds of the gunshots are quite real, as is the sound of hot lead hitting soft flesh. That sickening sound is hear quite often in the game and is accompanied by massive amounts of blood splatter. The graphics are also very realistic; the characters' movements and the texture mapping of the models are true to life. The most horrific part is the long stream of blood that follows a headshot, instantly "killing" the player. Blood is nothing new to a video game, but it is all too realistic in this one.
             Having played this game quite a lot, I know what impact it has on people. A whole community has sprung up around the game. Players from all over the world join together to participate in this killing-fest. Again, this sort of thing is not new, however, the emotion that goes into this game is a bit beyond normal. This is because of the stark realism. I have noticed the negative effects especially with my roommate. When he is losing, he becomes violent, slamming the mouse and spouting curses. Wh...