There's a mountain of reliable evidence showing that violent video games (or TV, books, etc.) increase violent behavior. People model their behavior based on others (especially children). However, you have to remember that:
1- This increase isn't necessarily very big, and can be countered by positive role-models. Watching or playing violent content doesn't radically turn people into violent creatures, it just makes them more violent than when they started watching. For a non-violent kid, playing SH3, I wouldn't expect any increase to worry about. Say, 0.01% from baseline. Statistically significant, but practically meaningless.
2- Because the violence in SH3 is very removed. Disable the external camera, and all you can see is bits of debris flying off the boat 1,000 meters/yards away! Not very graphic, and the kind of violence in the game is pretty hard for kids to emulate unless they have their own sub! In which case, they're spoiled and should give it to me!
3- Consider what the alternative to SH3 will be. Mario involves violence- jumping on heads, throwing fireballs, etc. Its cartoon-like nature is designed to lessen the impact of the modelling, but it's still there. So SH3, overall, might actually be a poorer model of violence (less applicable) and thus could reduce the child's overall aggression compared to the baseline of playing Mario!
So I certainly don't see any problem with an 11-year old playing the game. As others have mentioned, there's the added bonus about understanding a very important part of history's biggest and most important war. Win-win if you ask me!
|