Effects of Violent Video Games on Children

I'm in the process of researching the effects of violent video games on children as part of my college English class.  Have you ever wondered if video games can be harmful or helpful?  This topic is of interest to me as not only a parent, but as a teacher.  I see so many students come in tired to school because they have been up half the night playing video games.  According to the book Does Playing Video Games Make Players More Aggressive? by Barrie Gunter, violent video games can trigger aggression in children when they play frequently.  According to the book, children who played these games and then went to playtime mimicked some of the actions they used while playing the game.  In an interesting turn found in my research, prosocial, or helpful video games where the objective is to help or save someone, could cause children to be more helpful.  This makes me think that parents should really evaluate the content of the video games they are allowing children to play.  If they decide to let their children play violent games, limiting their screen time could cut down on some of the aggressive behaviors children display after playing, as it was found that aggression occurred more in children who played frequently.  So parents, don't let your child play mindlessly from the time they get home from school until bedtime.  Set some limitations for screen time and monitor what games your children are playing.  It could save you some unwanted behaviors in the future.