Do video games cause violence?

[Armistead]

I've only played a few in my life, but it seems zombies are really in today.

Do you think the violence of video games actually have effect on real life among teens? Should there be a limit. It doe's appear to me that kids today are growing up with less respect for life. Do you think all the violence in games has desensitized the young mindset.

My 13 year old was playing some game a friend brought over, car running over people, cops, shooting anything, character calling women itches and ho's and I told the kid not to bring it back....course I'm sure he plays games like this at his friends house, but least want to set an example. Do you set limits with your kids?

[antikristuseke]

I don't have kids yet, and the world is thankful for that, but it doesn't take a lot of looking at history to see that the world of today is a far less violent place than it was a few centuries ago so no, I doubt violent video games have much anything to do with actual violence.

[Rockstar]

I've only played a few in my life, but it seems zombies are really in today.

Do you think the violence of video games actually have effect on real life among teens? Should there be a limit. It doe's appear to me that kids today are growing up with less respect for life. Do you think all the violence in games has desensitized the young mindset.

My 13 year old was playing some game a friend brought over, car running over people, cops, shooting anything, character calling women itches and ho's and I told the kid not to bring it back....course I'm sure he plays games like this at his friends house, but least want to set an example. Do you set limits with your kids?


Do we set limits? Yes we do, I think it our responsibility as parents to share right from wrong with our children. Shooting cops running down people whether it be in thought or action is just plain wrong. There are better things to do in life than sit in front of a monitor hacking of limbs for points.

My brother is a cop, the last thing I would want anyone to think is they can get away with killing one even if it's just a game.

And no they are not little innocent saints hidden from the world. Nope, we like you are at ground zero and know it and have just as much trouble with youth as anyone else. Just like my parents did. :D

[SteamWake]

Playing Mount and Blade makes me want to go buy a poney and ride down the street and lop pepoles head off with a machete.

[GoldenRivet]

Playing Pac Man makes me want to eat ghosts.

[Herr-Berbunch]

We (the wife and I) are quite strict with my step-son (13) as to what he can play - nothing like GTA, and he's been that used to it that he's quite happy just playing tennis on the Wii, or NFS on PS2. He does try some things on - I'd relaxed his security settings temporarily so he could do something on the internet and the next thing we know he'd got porny pics on his phone and ipod! He'd lost his ipod charger and when he realised the battery was nearly flat he took pics with his phone... ingenious - we had to laugh. Still, he got his ipod confescated for it (and now we can't remember were we hid it... Oops!)

So, with this moral high ground I've taken - I blame the parents. :yep: But - you can take away guns from boys, they'll use sticks - you can take away GTA, and they'll still call women ho's, you can take away everything but boys will be boys!

On the other side, I've played many GTA games and have never robbed a woman after using her *services*, or run anyone over, or shot anyone. I play SH3 and don't march round everywhere with a little 'tache. I play FSX but I don't claim to be able to fly a real 747 from London to New York, nor can I skateboard like Tony Hawk, or BMX like Matt Hoffman! Yet! :D

[Armistead]

Yea, that was the name of the game, GTA...

[Weiss Pinguin]

I dunno about the rest of you, but nothing pumps me up for a chainsaw massacre lile Left 4 Dead :yep:

[antikristuseke]

Playing Pac Man makes me want to eat ghosts.

If Pac-Man had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in dark rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive electronic music. - Marcus Brigstocke

[Rockstar]

And watching Wile E. Coyote (Eatibus anythingus) draw up plans to capture the Velocitus incalculii makes me a "super genius".

[Armistead]

If Pac-Man had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in dark rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive electronic music. - Marcus Brigstocke

hehe, running in dark rooms, munching pills....sounds like my generation

[danlisa]

This old gem.

Any stimulus can cause violence in someone who's either already unbalanced or particularity susceptible to react badly to said stimulus.

If the media want to go after certain high profile games, then perhaps they should examine the 'family friendly' fayre attractions. I mean wft does 'Whack-A-Mole' teach adolescents? That's it ok to take a mallet to every small mammal you see?:doh:

[Herr-Berbunch]

I mean wft does 'Whack-A-Mole' teach adolescents? That's it ok to take a mallet to every small mammal you see?:doh:

And after my shenanigans after mis-hearing HOOK-a-duck... :nope:


:D

[TLAM Strike]

I'm just glad their are places where there are no video games (Violent or otherwise)... like Africa and the Middle East...


... such nice, peaceful places...

[Dowly]

I'm just glad their are places where there are no video games (Violent or otherwise)... like Africa and the Middle East...


... such nice, peaceful places...

Point. :yep:

[Herr-Berbunch]

I'm just glad their are places where there are no video games (Violent or otherwise)... like Africa and the Middle East...


... such nice, peaceful places...

Kuwait, at least, is heaving with video games of all descriptions and knock-off copies are only a few dinar each - unless something's really changed in five years since I was last there. And Dubai had a video games expo this year. I know these are two moderate middle-eastern countries but they do get a lot of people visiting from the rest of Arabia. Both Saudi and Yemen - two less moderate countries also have huge gaming markets - albeit mostly knock-off again!

Africa, well you're probably right there!

Just found this on the Telegraph website:

One former Guantanamo Bay inmate who went through the programme, which features "positive thinking" classes, art therapy and video games, is now deputy leader of Al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula, the cell in Yemen behind the attempted Christmas Day bombing on an airliner as it approached Detroit.So maybe shot ourselves in the foot there!

[Sammi79]

No, but violence has caused some great computer games.:D

[the_tyrant]

what is so bad about desensitizing?
I hate those little kids who squirm and scream when they see a picture of a girl in a bikini.
I also hate those girls who through up at the sight of blood, even a small cut

[Penguin]

I wonder what video games the Nazis had played that lead into committing one or two atrocities....
I am glad that their allied counterparts played Wolfenstein 3D - though it was all in black&white back then...


If Pac-Man had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in dark rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive electronic music. - Marcus Brigstocke

Actually this happened to many people of the Pac-Man-generation: they became ravers....:-?

[AVGWarhawk]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dcpc99AkgrA/SbXmuO5mrpI/AAAAAAAAAd4/N6q1VyCEaGA/s320/I+Was+Scary+In+The+80s.php

[antikristuseke]

Actually this happened to many people of the Pac-Man-generation: they became ravers....:-?

It is the irony of the entire thing that makes that particular ironic joke funny. But still, blaming that on video games is ridiculous.

[Armistead]

I'm just glad their are places where there are no video games (Violent or otherwise)... like Africa and the Middle East...


... such nice, peaceful places...

they have radical religion, don't need video games.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Actually this happened to many people of the Pac-Man-generation: they became ravers....:-?

That is Marcus Brigstocke's point - he is a very funny man. :haha:

[Herr-Berbunch]

they have radical religion, don't need video games.

We have radical religion too - Catholics blowing up/shooting Protestants and vice-versa - everyone seems to forget that... :yep:

And the religious and righteous anti-animal testing, anti-abortion, anti-muslim brigade. :nope:

But this is a topic covered before and not for continuing here and now.

[Penguin]

the dumb humourless German doesn' t get the irony, arghh :x

:DL:DL:DL

[Herr-Berbunch]

the dumb humourless German doesn' t get the irony, arghh :x

:DL:DL:DL

We'll help you adjust :D Nobody called you dumb (not me, anyway). :doh:

[Penguin]

naah, it was just self awareness...;)

Don't you think it is sad for todays youth that anything gets blamed on video games?
We had at least heavy metal, zombie movies, comic books and video games to chose which of these turns us into violent maniacs!

[Takeda Shingen]

If firearms, with which you can actually kill people, don't kill people, I don't see any way that a video game could.

[SteamWake]

Ya know thinking about it Autocad or rather Cute PDF has driven me to voilent behaviour. Just yesterday I was so damn frustrated with its inconsistancy I slammed a keyboard and broke it :haha:

But seriously kids like this one need to be watched...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxfOhQ0cc1s

[Rockstar]

If firearms, with which you can actually kill people, don't kill people, I don't see any way that a video game could.

You know I was thinking the same thing even when I wrote my first response. However as far as certain video games or any other subject matter goes I should draw the line. That for me is the issue not whether an inanimate object such as a gun or firearm could cause something to happen, they cannot. But there is certain subject matter that should be guarded against.

[Krauter]

In Soviet Russia, Game shoots YOU

(sorry had to throw that out there :haha:)

But seriously, when i was growing up, and even now, playing violent video games never really gave me the message "Hey I can go out and do this stuff too..." I realized, as a person, that I was capable of doing things in a "game-world" or "virtual-world" that I was not permitted to do. I, as a kid drew the line between video gaming and the real world.

Therein, in my opinion lies the problem. Some kids these days are either disturbed, mentally, emotionally, whatever else might be bothering them, that they cannot or will not draw the line between reality and virtual gaming. These people delude themselves to the point where they cannot perceive the distinct differences between the two.

Who is to blame? The kid who was seeking distraction and found someplace he could do whatever he wanted with impunity? The video game developers who created and distributed it? The parents who should know their child enough that they can tell if they are disturbed (not knowing exactly what's wrong with them, but having the feeling that something is off)? Or is it we, the masses, who support these games by buying them and supporting their development?

Just food for thought and my two cents.

Cheers,

Krauter

Edit: Also, where does 'violent' music come into play? Things like Death Metal, "Emo" music, Country (God that stuff can drive a person crazy :haha:), etc? Is it just video games that are a central issue driving our youth to violence? Or is it a combination of many different factors in our society today? (Music, Entertainment, Movies, etc?).

[yubba]

For me they are a great release, have a bad day, jump into the cockpit shoot down a few zeros, take the sub out sink afew ships , then it's Miller Time. Get the government out of our play time.

[nikimcbee]

Playing Pac Man makes me want to eat ghosts.

That explains a lot!:har:


I definatly (i'm using steamwake's spellcheck at the moment:D) see it in some kids when they play a lot.

[nikimcbee]

But seriously, when i was growing up, and even now, playing violent video games never really gave me the message "Hey I can go out and do this stuff too..." I realized, as a person, that I was capable of doing things in a "game-world" or "virtual-world" that I was not permitted to do. I, as a kid drew the line between video gaming and the real world.



Although, when I was playing Red Baron a lot, I did want to paint a giant iron cross on the side of my red car. But I do have a laughing sawfish on my hood though.:hmmm:

[Sledgehammer427]

I woulda liked to see that on the minivan you rented for the SS meet :D

as for the OT, I remember taking a psychology class, where we talked about how our minds react to things. like, if you scream into a pillow, or, lets say you hit a pillow every time you get really angry, then hitting something else, like a wall or your spouse, will be okay for your moral midset when it gets worse. now, I may be forgetting things but I have a nasty headache.
but in the context of video games, I can see how it would keep us from doing these things (I'm 19, so I'm part of the market)
but I can see how it could bolster our confidence in doing these things.

violence aside, I was a so-so guitar player, one might my friend brought over Guitar Hero and we played it until like 6 in the morning. the next day I was a halfway decent guitar player!
that being said, it takes a certain concoction of psychological assets and certain events to translate video games into violence.

that's my thoughts anyways

[Task Force]

Hmm, the vediogame violence thing again. No, though in theory might do something to a person who is already crazy and would do it anyway. But not a normal person.

Then if they do something, they cant honesetly think the same thing will happen, Real life has no health bar.

[NeonSamurai]

Well this is more or less in my general field, and I have done research into the literature (published research) on this specific topic.

So far this is what we have. Research indicates that children are more likely to behave more violently after playing a violent video game (GTA or Doom or similar), which can be explained as modeled behavior. They also show fairly clear signs of desensitization towards violence (not surprising, strong exposure to anything always causes desensitization). Furthermore research shows that there is generally no catharsis or cathartic release (lowering of stress, or release of negative emotion) when playing these sorts of games, actually just the opposite as they tend to increase stress and arousal levels.

Now this applies to specific types of games, like FPS and similar, that feature high amounts of action and involvement, and high levels of graphical violence. Also the point is that this stuff increases violent behavior, not causes it. Many of these studies are correlational studies which cannot show causation or directionality. This means for example that we don't know if playing violent video games makes kids more violent, or if violent kids prefer to play violent video games, or if there is a third factor influencing them both.

[yubba]

I got a book that you must read before you do something stupid after playin your favorite violent video game, frist page goes like this, Good Idea . Second page Bad Idea. Sorta like that sex manual, first page In, second page Out , and repeat.:woot:

[Ducimus]

I've only played a few in my life, but it seems zombies are really in today.

Do you think the violence of video games actually have effect on real life among teens? Should there be a limit. It doe's appear to me that kids today are growing up with less respect for life. Do you think all the violence in games has desensitized the young mindset.

My 13 year old was playing some game a friend brought over, car running over people, cops, shooting anything, character calling women itches and ho's and I told the kid not to bring it back....course I'm sure he plays games like this at his friends house, but least want to set an example. Do you set limits with your kids?

I want to make two points and post one link:

Point 1:
Violence in general is prevalent in american society. On any given night watching TV, you can see shootings, stabbings, assaults, autopsy's, etc. Sexual content remains taboo, but you can get the whole gamut of "action".

Point 2:
Some parents don't realize it, but there are games intended for adults. I think of it like this..... All the Gen X'ers grew up with video games. Before Gen X, there really wasn't video games. Now that game playing Gen X'ers are grown up, video game makers create games targeted at the adult audience. Just like movie makers create movies targeted at an adult audience. And just like the game designed for an adult audience, i highly doubt parents would let their kid watch an R or X rated movie. If you , the parent, let your kid play a game that is targeted for an adult, YOU are at fault, not the game makers.

Link:
The 4 Most Important Things to Know as a Gamer Parent (http://www.cracked.com/article_18819_the-4-most-important-things-to-know-as-gamer-parent.html) (its sarchastic, but it makes a good point)

[NeonSamurai]

I have to say I have always found it deeply ironic that violence is far more acceptable in the United States then sex.

Anyhow, Ducimus there is a big difference between watching violence and causing violence (simulated or otherwise). There has been research on that, and they found that kids are more likely to act aggressively after playing a violent game, compared to either watching another kid play a violent game, or watching a violent tv program or movie.

Even still though the rate of aggressive behavior doesn't go up a whole lot between playing a violent vs a non violent game.

Last there are several games that are quite violent, but don't have the 17+ Mature or 18+ Adults Only rating. It is actually sexual content that tends to push games into those categories (or extreme amounts of gore)...

[Skybird]

Do video games cause violence?

It depends.

[TarJak]

In a word; No. People cause violence.

[Skybird]

In a word; No. People cause violence.
But not without an according motivation - or a mental blackout.

[Sailor Steve]

Yes, we are coerced into doing what we see. We are stupid and can't help ourselves. Therefore, I contend that if we ban the Illiad we will stop all war. If we ban porn we will stop all sex. If we ban the Bible we will stop both.

Wait, what?

In a word; No. People cause violence.
I agree. We should ban people, and the problem will be fixed. I think I'll go out and start shooting everyone I see, in the name of saving us from ourselves.

When I go to trial, I'll blame TarJak. :D

[Tribesman]

Does violence cause video games?

[Sailor Steve]

Does violence cause video games?
Of COURSE violence causes video games! If we just banned violence video games would go away!


Waitaminute... :shifty:

[Ducimus]

All i'm going to add is, if and when i have a kid or two, they aren't going to be playing Dad's games, and they ain't getting away with a whole lot. Their old man knows better. I'll probably try and hook them up with some innoculous indy games on steam. That way, i can track what their playing and for how long! :haha: Oh, and the PC will be set up in a common area with lots of foot traffic. :O:

[Weiss Pinguin]

Dunno if anyone has said this yet, but my opinion: Nobody wants to take responsibility anymore. Everyone is looking to blame someone or something else for their actions, which is why people always point to video games as the cause for violent actions; then it's not their own fault, it's the fault of the video game and its makers for influencing that person.





/psychiatrist

[TarJak]

All i'm going to add is, if and when i have a kid or two, they aren't going to be playing Dad's games, and they ain't getting away with a whole lot. Their old man knows better. I'll probably try and hook them up with some innoculous indy games on steam. That way, i can track what their playing and for how long! :haha: Oh, and the PC will be set up in a common area with lots of foot traffic. :O:
Good luck with that strategy. Don't you remember what you were like when you were a kid? I know that there is a whole shedload of stuff my parents are still blissfully ignorant of.;)

[TarJak]

Yes, we are coerced into doing what we see. We are stupid and can't help ourselves. Therefore, I contend that if we ban the Illiad we will stop all war. If we ban porn we will stop all sex. If we ban the Bible we will stop both.

Wait, what?


I agree. We should ban people, and the problem will be fixed. I think I'll go out and start shooting everyone I see, in the name of saving us from ourselves.

When I go to trial, I'll blame TarJak. :DWell if you kill them all there will be no trial. Now, how do I make sure Steve has enough ammo?:hmmm:

[the_tyrant]

Dunno if anyone has said this yet, but my opinion: Nobody wants to take responsibility anymore. Everyone is looking to blame someone or something else for their actions, which is why people always point to video games as the cause for violent actions; then it's not their own fault, it's the fault of the video game and its makers for influencing that person.





/psychiatrist

I agree 200%:up:
first its comic books, than its Marilyn Manson, now its video games.
we always blame something for society's problems

[Ducimus]

Good luck with that strategy. Don't you remember what you were like when you were a kid? I know that there is a whole shedload of stuff my parents are still blissfully ignorant of.;)

:hmmm: Good point.

:O:

[Penguin]

Research indicates that children are more likely to behave more violently after playing a violent video game (GTA or Doom or similar), which can be explained as modeled behavior. They also show fairly clear signs of desensitization towards violence (not surprising, strong exposure to anything always causes desensitization). Furthermore research shows that there is generally no catharsis or cathartic release (lowering of stress, or release of negative emotion) when playing these sorts of games, actually just the opposite as they tend to increase stress and arousal levels.


This is consistent with the studies which I've read. The desensitization effect may also have something to do with the fact that you act active in a video game, while most of the other media is consumed more passive.

While the catharsis theory was more or less dismissed in the middle of the 90s, I must say that it works for me. Spending to much time on the road with insane drivers, I like a to play a round of GTA and let my road rage out.
There is something relaxing in doing stressful or exhausting stuff which keeps your adrenaline levels high. Same goes for more physical activities like long-distance running, working out, slam-dancing or smashing the **** out of a punching bag.



Some parents don't realize it, but there are games intended for adults. I think of it like this..... All the Gen X'ers grew up with video games. Before Gen X, there really wasn't video games. Now that game playing Gen X'ers are grown up, video game makers create games targeted at the adult audience. Just like movie makers create movies targeted at an adult audience. And just like the game designed for an adult audience, i highly doubt parents would let their kid watch an R or X rated movie. If you , the parent, let your kid play a game that is targeted for an adult, YOU are at fault, not the game makers.


This is a good point, which is emphasized too less in the public discussion. The public tends to regard video games more or less as kid's entertainment. In Germany the buzzword for 3D shooters is "killer games", which can either mean these are games in which you kill, or also games which turn you into a killer...:stare:

These games are meant for people with a certain maturity (I hate this word) and maybe even irony, which allows you to distinguish between reality and a game. It is not the responsibility of the developers to provide this.

[Ducimus]

The public tends to regard video games more or less as kid's entertainment.

That's the core problem, because they aren't just for kids anymore. Would any parent let their 9 year old watch the movie Saw by themselves? How about Debbie does Dallas? I highly doubt it. You let your kids watch disney or G rated movies. The same principle applies to video games. The general failure, is in recognizing this, and parents not adequently supervising their kids.

edit:
On a side note, the crap kids can see in some video games that are targeted for adults, pales in comparision to what an unsupervised (edit: or even supervised) kid can find on the internet.

[Madox58]

Video Games do not cause violence.
I don't know how many heads I've had to bust to get that fact across!
:hmmm:

(Just kidding Guys!! :haha:)

[DarkFish]

Would any parent let their 9 year old watch the movie Saw by themselves? How about Debbie does Dallas? I highly doubt it.My parents did:DL
Seriously, they never made a big problem about what I did or didn't watch. I've seen war movies before I even was a teen. I've seen Apocalypse Now when I was about 12. And I loved it:DL

On me, it only has had positive results AFAIK. It sparked my interest in history.

[Penguin]

Video Games do not cause violence.
I don't know how many heads I've had to bust to get that fact across!
:hmmm:

(Just kidding Guys!! :haha:)

:haha:

You'll get my video games from my cold dead hands - with the gamer's callus on the fingers ;)