Recently, (and in fact, over the last few years) there have been many, many attacks on video games and the violence that they portray. Lately, I got very angry at a news report shown the other night, entitled "The new welfare generation, how they are addicted to video games". Before that, on another current affairs show, there was a case study on how violent video games affect kids.
Now, I thought that I may make a thread, post my own views, and see what other people think.
Firstly, I play video games. I play them, I enjoy them. I don't think I play them obbsessivly, but some other people may think so. But, for some reason, when ever people say that "Video games killed my baby", or "Sony manufactured the PS2 to kill puppies" or something equally absurd, it gets to me. Violence in video games cannot make a person violent. Violence is given by experience or influence, not by a group of randomized pixels.
Example number 1- Grand Theft Auto 3 and the highway.
Feb. 22, 2005 | NEWPORT, Tenn. -- When the cops arrived, Aaron Hamel was dead. Kim Bede was gushing blood, fragments of bullets in her spine. The woods under the faded billboards along the highway were shrouded in darkness. As word spread around the small town, investigators scoured the brush with spotlights and heat-seeking equipment, looking for a trace of what they feared might be a replay of the Beltway snipers. "We don't know if it was road rage, a sniper, or what," Deputy David Jennings told reporters that night.
It didn't take long to find the answer. Lurking anxiously in the bushes were a lanky, quiet 15-year-old named William Buckner, and his short, hyperactive 13-year-old stepbrother, Josh. The two had been stepbrothers only for a brief while, but had instantly bonded after growing up in unstable families. They had no prior record, a clean slate at school, and seemingly no reason to have fired the deadly shots. But, after breaking down in tears and confessing to the crime, the boys volunteered a reason of their own. A video game made them do it.
Source -http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2005/02/22/gta_killers/index_np.html
That is all that is available from the site without joining up. Now, the kids claimed that the video game made them do it. So, these two kids played a game, got a gun, went down to a highway, and killed someone. Video games, therefore are bad, right?
Wrong. Why?
A) How did they get the gun? Their father/mothers? Their own, given to them as a present, bought illegaly, whatever. The gun was not provided by the video game, it was there before.
B) How did they know to shoot the gun? Pressing a button on a mouse or joypad is very very very different to cocking, loading and dealing with the recoil from the shot. These kids must have had some prior experience with guns. maybe being taught by their father.
So far, all this proves is that gun laws should be changed in America, not that a virtual environment should be taken away. So, what do the bright victims families do?
Sue the publishers of the game, Take Two (http://www.take2games.com/), saying that they need to (and I quote) "Stop pushing adult games on kids."
(Source - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/09/11/grand_theft_auto/)
Now, excuse me, but pushing adult games on kids? Yes, these games were made for adults. Not kids. They were rated for adults (in Australia, that is an MA rating [restricted to ages 15 and over], and an Mature rating in America). Now surely America has some system where you must be of a certain age to buy something with that rating?
So how did these kids get the game that was too old for them? A present from the parents, maybe. Or a fake ID? Anyway, it was not the publishers fault, it was the kids fault. So why sue the publishers and developers of the game? I leave that to you.
So, to example number 2 - the current affairs show that had the case study. (URL for further reading - http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/stories/262.asp)
Now, these kids played G rated games on day one. Then, these kids, aged between 6 and 9, were given MA15+ games to play on day two. Now, I don't think I am out of line when I saw complete and utter bulls**t. Why, when studying violence in video games, would you give a group of underage children games that have been shown to have adult matter within them. It was later revealed that the program had not received parental permission to play these games, as they should have done, and have not said any more on the matter, despite promising to follow up on the segment.
For further reading, I give you these web pages -
http://www.apa.org/science/psa/sb-anderson.html
http://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/conf2001/papers/walsh.html
http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/familyresources/a/vidgameviolence.htm
All of these are bias against the video games. Now to the point - video games are being used as a scape goat for everything. It happened with comic books in the 50's, television in the 60's, music in the 70's and 80's, and now video games from the 90's onward.
I daresay that I have written an essay of Shavixmir proportions, but I hope I have also made a point to people. I would definatly be interested in hearing opinions of others on this board.
Originally posted by D43M0NIt's easier to blame music, films and video games than it is to own up to the fact that the system is at fault.
Recently, (and in fact, over the last few years) there have been many, many attacks on video games and the violence that they portray. Lately, I got very angry at a news report shown the other night, entitled "The new welfare generation, how they are addicted to video games". Before that, on another current affairs show, there was a case study on how viol ...[text shortened]... a point to people. I would definatly be interested in hearing opinions of others on this board.
Bad-mouthing Judas Priest is so much more easy than confronting a system which systimatically reduces people to "Products" with the sole intention off making a few people richer.
However, there is some research which proves that television does influence a kid's behaviour. I remember reading about this when I was studying. I think it was Albert Bandura (a behaviourist) who did the research. I'd have to google to find it though.
Taking this into account then obviously music, video games, news(!), books, etc. will also influence a kid's behaviour. To sum it up: The environment influences a child's behaviour. And our environment is different than it was 20, 200 or 2000 years ago.
Just like the adventures penned down by Homer so many thousands of years ago influenced the young then, so it is now that video-games and cinema now influence the youthful.
Whether it's a kid watching Batman and jumping out of a window, a kid listening to Marilyn Manson and committing suicide or a child playing Resident Evil II and going out and shooting somebody, the problem is not the influence (because EVERYTHING influences) the problem is the lack of distinction between fantasy and reality.
There are various causes which lead up to this lack of distinction. One is the system. It's bleak. Sometimes it's better to live in a fantasy than in reality (do you really want to realise that you're going to slave your guts out for 50 years to make someone else richer whilst you and any family you have will have to suffer bullying and poverty?).
Another is a lack of parental attention. If parents are playing the same games, watching the same films, listening to the same music, they will be able to explain what's going on. They will be able to coach the distinction that's needed. Again...it's the system which discourages parents from giving kids the attention they need (Both parents working to buy all the stuff they need to keep up with the neighbours, single parents having to work instead of viewing "rearing" children as work in itself, ever more children in classes, etc.).
Originally posted by D43M0NI tend to agree with your position on this. I myself havent really played that many video games the past couple years, not because I am against them or they tend to make me "violent", but because I simply dont have the time and they dont interest me as much anymore. To be completely honest, I only really play one particular football game nowadays, and that's in between this (going online) and hanging out with friends, family events, partys, etc. However, a few years ago I was very much into video games, as many of my classmates and friends were. I dont think this was a "phase" (as many people that I know like to describe it) because I see more and more older people playing video games these days, not only high school and college students, but even people in their 30s and beyond. Personally, I think they are definately here to stay, much like as you described music and television over the decades.
Recently, (and in fact, over the last few years) there have been many, many attacks on video games and the violence that they portray. Lately, I got very angry at a news report shown the other night, entitled "The new welfare generation, how they are addicted to video games". Before that, on another current affairs show, there was a case study on how viol ...[text shortened]... a point to people. I would definatly be interested in hearing opinions of others on this board.
Growing up I loved to play video games. Did I know the difference between shooting someone on the screen and doing it in real life? Absolutely. Did the games make me more violent because of what I saw in them? Absolutely not.
Here's my take: Most people are not affected by playing violent games. I would argue to say all, but there are some "unstable" people out there who have "issues". For these people, a video game that happens to be violent may have an effect on them, where they literally may not be able to distinguish the game from reality. However, this is only a particular few that have problems to begin with, so a video game is really not the reason for why they are the way they are. For the majority, though, I really don't believe video games make an impact on their lives. I have friends who have played more than me, friends who still play to this day, and friends who have barely played at all, and none of them seem any different before or after playing any video games, whether they be violent or not. People dont "change" because of video games. At least not people I know.
My opinion is that video games are just a way to "have fun". They are just a way to kick back and relax. Can people become "addicted" to video games and forget about their "other" (social) life? Sure, but that still doesn't mean that they are going to go out and kill someone. That's their choice, and maybe they are happier that way. Who is it for us to judge them? Everyone has the right to live their life how they please.
In closing, I would just like to say that I whole-heartedly agree with D43MON about how people LOVE to blame "someone else". They love to pass the buck. "It's not MY fault, it's ......." ( < insert scape goat). People have to start taking responsibility for themselves and be held accountable for their actions. Enough with blaming your problems on something/someone else..... in this case, video games.
Originally posted by lioyankScapegoats, as Shavixmir pointed out, have always been there, but there are always going to be different mediums (music, TV, comic books, etc). I don't see how people can't differentiate between pressing a button on a control pad and holding and shooting a gun. AFAIK, this includes -
I tend to agree with your position on this. I myself havent really played that many video games the past couple years, not because I am against them or they tend to make me "violent", but because I simply dont have the time and they dont interest me as much anymore. To be completely honest, I only really play one particular football game nowadays, and that ...[text shortened]... ons. Enough with blaming your problems on something/someone else..... in this case, video games.
Loading the gun.
Cocking the gun.
Aiming the gun.
(In the case pointed out in my above post, the kids had to ...)
Lead the target, as it was moving.
Shoot to gun.
Deal with recoil.
Now, a button on a control pad, the most you can get is a small vibration. This is nowhere near as much as what I imagine a recoil of a rifle would be.
It is always easier to blame someone else for your failings as a parent. The women in Florida who sued Sony, Rockstar Games and the store that sold her son the video game when he killed a cop is a perfect example. She sued everyone and blamed everyone, but never looked at herself and said "Where did I go wrong as a parent?"
The problem isn't with video games or t.v. The blaim lays with the dual income families that don't spend any time with their children. They see their role as provider, but not mentor. It is a sad state of affairs.
Originally posted by CliffLandinyour right, its the parent fault, they shouldve banned him from that type of video games.
It is always easier to blame someone else for your failings as a parent. The women in Florida who sued Sony, Rockstar Games and the store that sold her son the video game when he killed a cop is a perfect example. She sued everyone and blamed everyone, but never looked at herself and said "Where did [b]I go wrong as a parent?"
The problem isn' ...[text shortened]... their children. They see their role as provider, but not mentor. It is a sad state of affairs.
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