In 1961, Albert Bandura's famous "Bobo Doll" experiment illustrated the impact of the "monkey see, monkey do" concept on children, particularly as it relates to violent media. In the experiment, when children saw an adult hitting the blow-up clown doll, they reacted similarly when placed in the same scenario, perfectly imitating the violence they had seen before. This led to the development of the concept of “social learning theory,” which is still relevant today in research relating to the interaction between children and questionable media. With the results of Bandura's experiment in hand, the American Psychological Association conducted follow-up studies in modern settings to test whether or not video games have a negative psychological impact on children and adolescents, and were surprised to find that There is, in fact, a link between greater aggression and the use of video games. However, the APA made a specific and crucial comment: It is unknown and unproven whether this increased aggression applies to increased youth aggression and violence in a real-world scenario. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Although video games were commonly associated with spikes in violence within society, as evidenced by witch hunts among school shooters and at-risk youth, the same many games were repeatedly cited as "provoking violence" , painting a hasty generalization across genres and pointing to a direct correlation between Super Mario Bros. and Grand Theft Auto. In this light, it should be considered that the percentage of games characterized by graphic violence compared to video games available to the public is placed in a much brighter light than is actually the case - in a 2009 study by the ESRB, the official rating of video games, it was found that 48% of all video games purchased were rated family-friendly E (Everyone), while second place was awarded to T (Teen) games with 23%. Only then did M (Mature) games reach a disproportionately low 17%, beaten in terms of length only by the rare E10+ (ages 10 and up) rating that is rarely assigned to video games. Among those excluded were two other and even rarer classifications: EC (Early Childhood) and A (Adult), a classification assigned almost exclusively to pornographic, explicit or borderline titles, such as some South Park games; however, most games with this rating are very limited in their exposure to the public, similar to the way A, X, and XXX rated films are advertised in the film industry, and as a result, most games was essentially censored to put them in the M-rated category. The rating system is crucial to understanding the circumstances under which activity-altering violence can occur, potentially affecting the underdeveloped frontal lobe. According to the ESRB, games rated above the Early Childhood rating may contain violence of some kind, but in moderation and under specific circumstances. The rating, under which the vast majority of video games purchased and available on the market fall, limits violence in video games released in the United States to mild, cartoon/fantasy violence (e.g., jumping on turtles, killing a slime, or a cell-shaded dragon). For slightly more violence-focused scenarios, typically aimed at an older audience, E10+ often applies to similar, but slightly higher standards.