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]

Originally Posted by 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?

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.

[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.

[antikristuseke]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

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

[Armistead]

Originally Posted by antikristuseke

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

[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...

Originally Posted by antikristuseke

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....

[Rockstar]

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

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

Playing Pac Man makes me want to eat ghosts.

That explains a lot!


I definatly (i'm using steamwake's spellcheck at the moment) 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.

[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. 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!

[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

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by 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?

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 (its sarchastic, but it makes a good point)