Video Games Not to Blame for Violence

dafloppyone · 25 Apr 2007 at 19:48

[font=Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif]By Benjamin Radford
Special to LiveScience
[/font][font=arial,helvetica]posted: 25 April 2007
01:57 pm ET[/font]

COMMENTARY

In the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting, video games have once again been blamed for inciting violence, this time by presidential hopeful and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

Recently on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Gingrich said that “young people are being dehumanized by violence in video games.” Blaming entertainment for real-world ills is a popular pastime, but Gingrich’s statement has no basis in science.

Despite decades of research , there is no proven link between video game violence and real-world violence.

If violent entertainment caused real violence, logic would dictate that the violent crime rate would have skyrocketed in recent years. In fact, exactly the opposite occurred: Violent crime has dropped significantly over the past 20 years—just as video games have become more prevalent and more violent. In fact, one could make the (equally illogical) argument that violent video games actually decrease violent crimes.

The images seen in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings hardly show the desensitized young people Gingrich describes. Youth were seen sobbing and comforting each other, participating in candlelight vigils and memorials. Where the news media saw a nation in mourning, Gingrich saw legions of “dehumanized” young people.

If Gingrich is correct, then presumably the colleges and campuses across the country do not need the legions of grief counselors who have been dispatched to help the students cope, since their violent video games have made them indifferent to suffering and the loss of human life.

Benjamin Radford wrote about the news media’s coverage of school shootings in "Media Mythmakers: How Journalists, Activists, and Advertisers Mislead Us" (2003). This and other books are noted on his website.

Magister · 25 Apr 2007 at 20:05

A study also recently found that bears **** in the woods and the pope IS a catholic. :eek:

[noodle] · 25 Apr 2007 at 20:13

benjo plz. · 25 Apr 2007 at 20:16

Magister said:
A study also recently found that bears **** in the woods and the pope IS a catholic.

Ah, but that doesn't answer the question of whether the Pope ****s in the woods

.

Phalanx · 25 Apr 2007 at 20:37

Phnom_Penh said:
Ah, but that doesn't answer the question of whether the Pope ****s in the woods .

tbh, the pope probably has a person to **** for him

video games are the cause of violence tbh

benjo plz. · 25 Apr 2007 at 20:46

Phalanx said:
video games are the cause of violence tbh

Except that violence existed before video games did

.

Dob1eman · 25 Apr 2007 at 20:49

Whether it is video games or violent films it's the individual who decides to be influenced by them. It is only a small minority has the majority of us understand between reality and fiction.

benjo plz. · 25 Apr 2007 at 20:54

DobieManGFW said:
it's the individual who decides to be influenced by them.

No it isn't.

Phalanx · 25 Apr 2007 at 20:55

Phnom_Penh said:
Except that violence existed before video games did .

yeah, i basically just said that to get attention

Dob1eman · 25 Apr 2007 at 21:17

Phnom_Penh said:
No it isn't.

Yes it is.

benjo plz. · 25 Apr 2007 at 21:25

DobieManGFW said:
Yes it is.

Go learn some psychology

.

Dob1eman · 25 Apr 2007 at 21:30

Phnom_Penh said:
Go learn some psychology .

Okay then!

All I was saying is that some people are more influenced by games and TV then others.

I don't play Rainbow Six vegas and then think I can run around shooting people or I watch Superman Returns and then think I can fly around.

I don't think we should just blame violence in video games surely people will be influnced by something or other if they allow themselves too.

Darkwave · 25 Apr 2007 at 21:51

It's a shame people waste money on studies like this, proving what we already know (that video games and movies do not cause violence), when that money could go to charity or something.

benjo plz. · 25 Apr 2007 at 22:00

Ulfhedjinn said:
proving what we already know

But we don't. It hasn't been proven either way, and I wouldn't call that a study.

Darkwave · 25 Apr 2007 at 22:10

Phnom_Penh said:
But we don't. It hasn't been proven either way, and I wouldn't call that a study.

It's not even worth studying in my opinion, we all know that people have been violent since the dawn of time and that psychopaths can be triggered by something as irrelevent as buttering the wrong side of a slice of toast.

PieEater · 25 Apr 2007 at 22:24

dafloppyone said:
Violent crime has dropped significantly over the past 20 years—just as video games have become more prevalent and more violent. In fact, one could make the (equally illogical) argument that violent video games actually decrease violent crimes.

Waaaah Haaaah Haaaah Haaaah Haaaah give the man a reality check, can anyone seriously suggest that it's safer to walk streets today than it was 20 years ago..... I DONT THINK SO. Anyhow subject is better discussed on another forum

alphaomega16 · 25 Apr 2007 at 23:11

The only reason violence is going up and up is because they will not proceed with capitol punishment and people are getting out of jail scot free because they are overcrowded.

Bring back Capitol Punishment (Death Penalty) which MUST BE TELEVISED ON EVERY CHANNEL and I guarantee that you will see at least at 50% reduction in murders/violent acts within 3 months.

If someone says "Oh thats against human rights" hire someone to kill one of their family members and watch them start whistleing a different tune.

TheBrooder · 25 Apr 2007 at 23:42

Magister said:
A study also recently found that bears **** in the woods and the pope IS a catholic.

**** off the pope's catholic?!

man, day by day, this planet just gets stranger!

TheBrooder · 25 Apr 2007 at 23:51

alphaomega16 said:
The only reason violence is going up and up is because they will not proceed with capitol punishment and people are getting out of jail scot free because they are overcrowded.

Bring back Capitol Punishment (Death Penalty) which MUST BE TELEVISED ON EVERY CHANNEL and I guarantee that you will see at least at 50% reduction in murders/violent acts within 3 months.

If someone says "Oh thats against human rights" hire someone to kill one of their family members and watch them start whistleing a different tune.

it isn't about individuals it's about society as a whole, we as a species have killed and maimed so many people it's untrue (although mostly in the name of religion ...) and as a nation we need to be seen to be in control of these base instincts. If we where to publicise the death penalty then it would, as far as human rights and the greater vote, be a step backwards towards barbarism. We need to convey the image of being above all of this and in control .... or something, i'm drunk and don't really care as I'm moving to a nicer country in few weeks ...

Darkwave · 26 Apr 2007 at 00:21

alphaomega16 said:
The only reason violence is going up and up is because they will not proceed with capitol punishment and people are getting out of jail scot free because they are overcrowded.

Bring back Capitol Punishment (Death Penalty) which MUST BE TELEVISED ON EVERY CHANNEL and I guarantee that you will see at least at 50% reduction in murders/violent acts within 3 months.

If someone says "Oh thats against human rights" hire someone to kill one of their family members and watch them start whistleing a different tune.

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