Tragedy and Video Game Violence

[Mellow]

Found this on a youtube channel I subscribe to.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uwAo8lcAC4[/ame]

 

[Fletch]

At least he didn't trade one easy, simple, wrong answer for another, like the other "in defense of video games" article I read:

Are games to blame for shootings? No. Here’s why | Houston Gamer | a Chron.com blog

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

Violent video games causing violent behavior is the same lame excuse as guns causing shootings.

 

[No2rdame]

The correlation between violence and violent video games appears to be that people with a propensity toward violence will be drawn to them, not that the games cause the violence. That is not to say that only violent people play such games, though. Plenty of non-violent people love first person shooter games, etc. Hell, I loved the Grand Theft games, yet I've never had the urge to kill a whore for money or beat a cop to death or steal a car.

 

[burt gummer]

Guns dont kill the idiot pulling the trigger does, guns are a tool,

 

[ditto]

The correlation between violence and violent video games appears to be that people with a propensity toward violence will be drawn to them, not that the games cause the violence. That is not to say that only violent people play such games, though. Plenty of non-violent people love first person shooter games, etc. Hell, I loved the Grand Theft games, yet I've never had the urge to kill a whore for money or beat a cop to death or steal a car.

Exactly. These correlation arguments are garbage. A handful of nutjob turned killers were known to have played video games...ok...what about the violence that breaks out all the time at soccer matches in Europe, etc...what is violent about a soccer game? I think the nature of the individual is what determines if they will act violently. As we have learned in the past about murderers and are learning now about Adam Lanza, the problem stems back far beyond an "assault rifle" or a video game. And it was known for a long time.

OP, I love your avatar.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Hrm... I want to defend violent games but they do feed an appetite for an abnormal mind/thought process. Just because it doesn't do anything to us doesn't mean everyone is immune.

Kinda like saying reading fifty shades of grey doesn't get a woman in the mood. To the right person, violent simulations can lead to violent reality.

 

[Double T]

Hrm... I want to defend violent games but they do feed an appetite for an abnormal mind/thought process. Just because it doesn't do anything to us doesn't mean everyone is immune.

Kinda like saying reading fifty shades of grey doesn't get a woman in the mood. To the right person, violent simulations can lead to violent reality.

So basically, and I am paraphrasing slightly, take a ****ed up person who can't handle anything violent, and they come out on the other side still being ****ed up.

I think I see the logic

An unhinged person is still unhinged and can't cope with reality and fantasy. So basically it's the person's fault.

Got it

 

[JWAS]

sooooo.... the mental illness of the person is to blame....

 

[jfed85]

If video games influenced behavior I would be banging hookers in back alleys in a stolen caddilac every day. Ya, I played a lot of GTA.

 

[.452browning]

If video games influenced behavior I would be banging hookers in back alleys in a stolen caddilac every day. Ya, I played a lot of GTA.

Only difference between you and I is that I run the hooker over afterwards and get my money back.

 

[hoosierdoc]

So basically, and I am paraphrasing slightly, take a ****ed up person who can't handle anything violent, and they come out on the other side still being ****ed up.

I think I see the logic

An unhinged person is still unhinged and can't cope with reality and fantasy. So basically it's the person's fault.

Got it

No, I didn't say it would change them. I said it could be an impetus toward action similar to steamy novels.

 

[Titanium_Frost]

No, I didn't say it would change them. I said it could be an impetus toward action similar to steamy novels.

Would it be prudent to say that instead of vilent media (of any form, particularly FPS I suppose) having causality over an individual they are mike likely to be the outlet? Therefore there is no true correlation because millions of hhealthy kids play all sorts of violent games, watch violent movies, participate in violent competitions (sports) etc and hae NO issues- so why focus on the .001% that have SOME normal behaviour (playing popular games etc) yet have a predisposition toward noncomfority to the extent of lashing out?

 

[hoosierdoc]

Frost, I didn't quite follow that. I'm not saying there's a correlation and I'm not saying they should be banned, I'm saying we can't use our normal brains to say what someone with an abnormal brain gets out of something. It's reasonable to believe that a few people who are prone to violence could act out after immersing themselves in lifelike violent simulations.

I've talked to so many people who say "how could he look at a child and pull the trigger", it doesn't make sense. I point out that's because we're sane non-murders.