Video Games and Violence

[Dr. Leggs]

What caused him to commit such atrocities was his hatred of multiculturalism, particularly with european acceptance of muslim immigrants. Whether the video games had any effect or not, I don't know. But he wrote many pages denouncing Islam and encouraging nationalism and deportation of muslims. I don't think the video games had as much to do with the massacre as did his hatred of Islam and him supposedly being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

A diagnosis that has since been contradicted. It's clear by reading Breivik's manifesto that he has a quite complex thought process surrounding multiculturalism and Muslim immigration, and I'd point to that far more than anything else as the reason he did what he did.

[blaze boy]

Violent video games DO have an effect on kids. Just look at Columbine. The two students who committed the killings were huge players of the video game DOOM. Violent games desensitize children to violence, and alters their already-not-fully-developed brains. This is another reason why I was such an avid player of Pokemon throughout my childhood, and even to this day. It teaches you good values and morals, not about how to kill someone with a chainsaw.

It has been shown that Violent video games don't have an effect on kids.

Furthermore there was other factor in the Columbine High School massacre such as Eric Harris complaining of depression, anger and to possessing suicidal thoughts, They were also victims of bullying for four years.

Them playing Doom was not a factor since million of people who have played the game haven't gone shooting people.

[Trainer Michael]

It has been shown that Violent video games don't have an effect on kids.

Furthermore there was other factor in the Columbine High School massacre such as Eric Harris complaining of depression, anger and to possessing suicidal thoughts, They were also victims of bullying for four years.

Them playing Doom was not a factor since million of people who have played the game haven't gone shooting people.

They do have an effect. They desensitize children to violence. For example, if a kid plays too many violent video games, and they see someone get shot or beat to death, they won't be as sensitized to it as children who don't play games like that. Those things can really mess with developing minds.

[skatingandgaming]

Violent video games DO have an effect on kids. Just look at Columbine. The two students who committed the killings were huge players of the video game DOOM. Violent games desensitize children to violence, and alters their already-not-fully-developed brains. This is another reason why I was such an avid player of Pokemon throughout my childhood, and even to this day. It teaches you good values and morals, not about how to kill someone with a chainsaw.

Okay? That was 2 kids. Out of millions that have played. Them playing Doom was probably just a coincidence. I'm not violent at ALL, I dislike violence in real life. But I'm smart, and I know that a video game is fake. Those kids probably had some sort of mental problem to begin with.

[NitroxWolf]

i believe video games are strongly influencing the way i think and act, just the other day i went down to florida and fought off a horde of zombies, then i rode of to skyrim with my buddies from my team of black ops and got rid of the dragon problem. I finished the day off by burning down a meth lab as my alter-ego The Iron-Eagle, i got bitten by a radioactive eagle and now i can peck villians to death, and shoot eggs out of my butt at lightning fast speeds. I wouldn't have done any of this if gamestop didn't have that sell and open my eyes to the evil lurking in the world. btw did you know there was a war against aliens in the 1940's? I saw it all in a documentary called resistance:fall of man.

[emogirl]

I don't think video games cause children to be violent. I feel like most of the kids I know are intelligent enough to realize that these are simply games, and most of these actions should not be done in real life. It's the same with movies. I'm pretty sure no kids have decided to set up elaborate traps for people just because they watched a couple Saw films.

[Donesparce]

It really depends. There's nothing wrong with violent games, but the ESRB should be at least considered. Younger minds are influenced more easily by sources like video games. For example, when I was young (7ish) my brother and I played Tekken a lot. Eventually my parents confiscated it because we started beating each other up, inspired by the game.

So there's nothing wrong with violent games, but you have to keep them in the right hands.

[blackterminator3]

It depends on the type of child that plays the game. If the child can't control his immaturity, then they shouldn't play the game. I know that there is a lot of kids in my town that plays games like Tekken, Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, after they get done, they start to act it out which is the reason they shouldn't play. That is my example of intake on it due to some experience I seen in my half of the town. There is nothing with violent games, it's the believable minds that kids will start to believe in non fiction then real fiction.

[Raddaya]

It depends on the type of child that plays the game. If the child can't control his immaturity, then they shouldn't play the game. I know that there is a lot of kids in my town that plays games like Tekken, Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, after they get done, they start to act it out which is the reason they shouldn't play. That is my example of intake on it due to some experience I seen in my half of the town. There is nothing with violent games, it's the believable minds that kids will start to believe in non fiction then real fiction.

There is absolutely nothing that contains any sort of anything that children will not try to act out. Eastern martial arts? Check. Captain America comics? Check. You might as well keep them in a glass dome until whatever random age you decide.

[blaze boy]

They do have an effect. They desensitize children to violence. For example, if a kid plays too many violent video games, and they see someone get shot or beat to death, they won't be as sensitized to it as children who don't play games like that. Those things can really mess with developing minds.

No it doesn't.

It has been proven that the link between violence and Video game is weak and that other factors are involved for a person to carry out a violence action based on a video game.

Also Ferguson and Beaver proposed Catalyst Model specifically exclude media violence as a contributor to violence, arguing research evidence for such effects have been weak, and media violence is too distal a factor to have much influence

Furthermore several major studies by groups such as The Harvard Medical School Center for Mental Health, The Journal of Adolescent Health, and The British Medical Journal have shown no conclusive link between video game usage and violent activity.

There is no strong link to prove at it has an effect.

[pikadon92]

Firstly, people need to learn the ratings of a particular video games and that rated games are rated for a reason. Would you let your child play an R-rated game such as GTA, for example?

There is an extent that people can learn things in video games. This is either a good thing if used properly, or bad if left unattended. Through a same, violent VGs, a child not aware of the outside world yet may learnt that killing random people is alright, while an older person may learn to choose a difficult choice that the developers intend to teach.

[GhostAnime]

I really doubt they would think it was all right by just playing GTA. You guys underestimate children.

No it doesn't.

It has been proven that the link between violence and Video game is weak and that other factors are involved for a person to carry out a violence action based on a video game.

He was talking about desensitivity. He would be correct in that sense. You're talking about something entirely different. Read his post.

[skatingandgaming]

I really can't understand this. AT ALL. I play violent games. I'm talking like Lollipop Chainsaw, Resident Evil, and other super violent games. I'm not violent at all. I'm opposed to violence. And I see no problem with this.

[IllusionMaster777]

I play violent games where you shoot people and cut peoples heads off with swords. But it's just a game. Irl I have I'm a pacifist, and I would never be able to hit anybody even with my anger issues. Video games do not make people violent, and there is research to prove it.

[Weedy Spyze]

Well for me personally, I would not allow my young child to play a violent or M-rated video game. The rating system exists for a reason, and M-rated games aren't meant to be played by kids. Otherwise they wouldn't be rated M.

Having said that, I really couldn't care less whoever else plays them regardless of age, unless they're interacting with my child in some way (like a friend or something). It's really none of my business if other parents/people don't care about letting their kids play those kind of games. I just wouldn't personally, partly because of the violence, and partly because I think FPS games are boring as hell anyway.

[ParaChomp]

Wrong thread?

Okay, I can understand what you're saying. I can't play a game with violence in it unless it's bluntly fictional (Tales of, Kirby, Zelda, etcetera). I can't play shooters (bar Metroid Prime) as I just don't find them fun for some reason. Same can be said about some fighters, they just bore me to death. Maybe it's my subconscious that's aware of this that makes me dislike them but I don't know. All I need to know is that I dislike video games with realistic violence that aren't bluntly fictional, don't care about your opinion against mine, and glad that such means more money in my wallet.

[GhostAnime]

I would just like to ask what would exactly happen to a child that plays a rated M game before the age of 17? People talk about drastic effects and all, but what is so drastic that could possibly happen? In this day and age, your child is going to be exposed to rated M or Rated R things just simply because of how easy it is to see them. Virtually everyone has.

[Vaco]

I think that video games aren't bad for most children. But there are some children who are very impressionable, and have a tendency to repeat what they observe as being acceptable, even if it is observed in a false reality. They probably shouldn't play these games. However, I think the more serious problem is that video games are addictive, and they prevent children from learning and growing from real-world experiences, as they should. Kids don't seem to play games outside anymore; games that require creativity and imagination, both things that are useful for all their life. So I think that video games don't necessarily cause bad things; rather, they displace good things.

[Iceberg]

As mentioned previously, violent video games (such as Call of Duty, Halo, Medal of Honor, etc.) have age ratings. Personally, I don't think playing a violent video game will turn your teenage child into the next Hitler. However, I think there is a certain line that should be drawn, which should be based more on the maturity of your child. I know some 8 year olds that are worlds more mature than a lot of 15 year olds I encounter. Still, I don't think Call of Duty is the best option for someone who is really to young to fully understand the context.

So while I don't think video games will make your child, or anyone for that matter, more violent. I do think certain people (regardless of age) who are too impressionable should avoid them.

[Cometstarlight]

I believe the parents should use their own intuition and common sense when buying these M rated titles for their 9 year old sons/daughters. I'm not hating or anything, I'm simply asking is your young child ready for violence and blowing off people's heads and what not? If they are desensitized to it already and you know they are straight of mind, then that is your choice. But if they are easily influenced by video games and try to renact parts from other video games, then you should wait on giving them a violent game such as Gears of War, or CoD, or anything like that.

[BurningWhiteKyurem]

Violent video games DO have an effect on kids. Just look at Columbine. The two students who committed the killings were huge players of the video game DOOM. Violent games desensitize children to violence, and alters their already-not-fully-developed brains. This is another reason why I was such an avid player of Pokemon throughout my childhood, and even to this day. It teaches you good values and morals, not about how to kill someone with a chainsaw.

I advise you to watch this documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWr4htYp9dM

There is a child whom the parent keeps buying him violent video games. So Penn & Teller decided to take your argument (also the argument of politicians) to the next level and armed the child with a gun to fire in the shooting range. When the child fired that gun, he was overwhelmed with emotions to the point where he was fearful and broke down in tears. That in itself is evidence that just because you're proficient at violent video games, it doesn't mean that reality is going to play the same way.

That's where I have a problem with your statement, you claim that the killers played Doom and that means there's automatically a link between crime and violent gaming. Well you're wrong. Take a look at Eric's journals:

Everyone is always making fun of me because of how I look, how ****ing weak I am and ****, well I will get you all back: ultimate ****ing revenge here. you people could have shown more respect, treated me better, asked for my knowledge or guidence more, treated me more like senior, and maybe I wouldn't have been as ready to tear your ****ing heads off. then again, I have always hated how I looked, I make fun of people who look like me, sometimes without even thinking sometimes just because I want to rip on myself. Thats where a lot of my hate grows from, the fact that I have practically no selfesteem, especially concerning girls and looks and such. therefore people make fun of me... constantly... therefore I get no respect and therefore I get ****ing PISSED. as of this date I have enough explosives to kill about 100 people, and then if I get a couple bayonetts, swords, axes, whatever I'll be able to kill at least 10 more. and that just isnt enough! GUNS! I need guns! Give me some ****ing firearms!
11/12/98

http://www.acolumbinesite.com/eric/writing/journal.html

Sounds a lot like pent-up hatred because of his being bullied as opposed to this so-called theory that violent gaming predisposed him to killing teenagers.

[MissDigitalis]

Verbal violence sounds like something inevitable to me. It's a result of our anonymity online. The Internet in general has the same exact problem. I think the best solution for that is to have some sort of mod system or point system based on how mean a person is online.

Some forums have "karma" that you can give out like once per day (or some other arbitrary time limit) but what I've found is that things like that don't work because not everyone has a good idea of what's nice or mean. Like, some people would give positive karma for being rude to another user.

[sizida]

I am an example of this.

It does cause violence if you read some articles of a woman killed her baby because the baby disturbed her when she was playing games on Facebook. And another in my country his father asked the boy in his 20s to stop playing game (I forgot what is it) on his X-Box 360. The boy refused and when his father resorted to take away his console, he retrieved a kitchen knife and stabbed his father's liver.

As for me video games does cause agitation if people who disturb my enjoyment time. In more extreme such as killing. Nope to me as I can't even bring myself to do this.

So it is yes and no.

[GhostAnime]

How does that necessarily mean the game was the cause?

[The Benmeister]

Sure, video games can influence people, but no more than most forms of media. With any incident of alleged violence as a 'result of video games', it's easy to miss that it's usually the behaviour of the individual itself that is the problem, whereas the video game is just the catalyst. It's usually a case of 'the person, not the weapon'.

I'm someone that will fight for the right for any form of media to be released, as long as it's controlled, and to that end, the obvious conclusion is that parents should watch what their kids play. It's illogical to campaign against video games when perhaps one in ten million people make an incident, which probably isn't even the video game's fault.

The flaw with most arguments presented is that you cannot prove that the incidents are a result of the video games themselves, mainly because the video games didn't cause it.