Gaming > Violence

[deadaim6]

You're preaching to the choir. Of course we all know that video games don't lead directly to violence. I've been playing video games years yet the very thought of killing someone in real life makes me sick. Most politicians don't really give a crap about video games. They use them as a scape goat for societies problems. By rallying against video games they can pretend that they are actually doing something about a problem other politicians neglect. It makes them look better in the eyes of people that don't know much about video games.

BUT, gamers aren't exactly giving ourselves a positive image. When Michael Atkinson says that he has been insulted and threatened by gamers, I believe him. And when you're message is that games are dangerous, this really own helps to prove your point.

I completely agree. And if I could, I would have a little sit down with Michael Atkinson. If we really wanted to get this point across, we'd find someway to compromise or even show him blatant proof that there are bigger problems in society than just games.

 

[silver wolf009]

i will acknoladge them when the persons behind them cite a single one!

 

[Captain Bobbossa]

To be honest, as long as it doesn't restrict me from gaming (which it doesn't (yet), Haha Australia) then I don't care....

I suppose I would care if I got kneecaped by some fat, spotty 12 year old who had just finnished a 2 day GTA spree but then it's not all that easy to get guns here so I spose that Britain is a nice middle ground between Austrailia and America.

 

[Burningsok]

Umm correct me if I am wrong, but I'm pretty sure people were committing violent crimes several thousand years before video games...

You are wrong, did you even read Rokkolpo's post a couple lines above yours? Hello

yeah rokkolpo was just being sarcastic, hence the >.> emote face

 

[sms_117b]

I am by and large the least violent person you can meet, (unless I need to be). I play several hours a day, everyday.

So I'm either a outlier, statistical anomaly or the reports are biased or wrong.

Now seeing that I studied statistics, I know all statistics can be manipulated, I normally manipulate my results in my physics experiments, not drastically just tweak them to fit better with my prediction.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

In answer to the thread title yes Gaming is better than Violence.

A part of me loves hearing people complain about violent games ruining children's innocence as they take it so far. Does anyone remember the panic that was Night Trap? The game that supposedly involved breaking into peoples' houses, raping them and killing them? But in reality was a cheesy FMV that was more Home Alone than home invasion. Then again it did have Ninja Vampires.

 

[Macgyvercas]

I have yet to see a single, scientifically valid study conclusively linking violence to video games. People who claim to have found a link are usually paid off by the government.

 

[khaimera]

Umm correct me if I am wrong, but I'm pretty sure people were committing violent crimes several thousand years before video games...

You are wrong, did you even read Rokkolpo's post a couple lines above yours? Hello

yeah rokkolpo was just being sarcastic, hence the >.> emote face

I'm assuming you are using sarcasm in saying that you did not understand my own sarcasm above. Now I'm stuck in a sarcastic vortex. I think I'll look for an old lady to stab. Videoigames made me do it.

 

[Nikajo]

I think they run these studies and blame computer games as the are trying to show that they are doing something about the violence. When (as it's already been said in this thread) it's just down to the persons mental stability. People with these problems can get plenty of violent material from things that aren't computer games and will be violent even without them. Conducting these so called studies is just a big waste of time and money.

 

[Internet Kraken]

I completely agree. And if I could, I would have a little sit down with Michael Atkinson. If we really wanted to get this point across, we'd find someway to compromise or even show him blatant proof that there are bigger problems in society than just games.

I doubt Michael Atkinson really thinks video games are a major problem. I don't know much about Australian politics, but I bet he just makes them look incredibly bad so that he can look better by campaigning against them. I doubt that he could be completley oblivious to the true nature of video games at this point. Even if he was serious at first, what exactly is he supposed to do now to change that? Admit that he was completley wrong? That would make him look incompetent. That's the last thing a politician wants. It's just more convenient for him to continue making games look bad. So I doubt talking to Michael Atkinson would change anything, no matter what your points are or how civil you are in the discussion.

Though again, I don't know to much about Australian politics and if I claimed to I would be an ass. That's just the impression I've gotten from him.

 

[Burningsok]

Umm correct me if I am wrong, but I'm pretty sure people were committing violent crimes several thousand years before video games...

You are wrong, did you even read Rokkolpo's post a couple lines above yours? Hello

yeah rokkolpo was just being sarcastic, hence the >.> emote face

I'm assuming you are using sarcasm in saying that you did not understand my own sarcasm above. Now I'm stuck in a sarcastic vortex. I think I'll look for an old lady to stab. Videoigames made me do it.

yep, Sarcasm FTW

 

[Ekonk]

Umm correct me if I am wrong, but I'm pretty sure people were committing violent crimes several thousand years before video games...

Your first post is a sensible one. And for that, I congratulate you.

Also, welcome to the Escapist. It is quite a wonderful place.

...As long as you stay out of the basement...

 

[Enigmers]

Next time you hear someone say " causes violence in teens!" ask them "How many teens ahve played this game and killed people? How many teens have played this game and not killed people?"

 

[Zacharine]

And when someone claims that 'studies have shown', ask them to name the studies and the professionals who conducted them.

This is part of the normal modus operandi for those unable to find collaborating evidence. They make a generic referral to studies, experiments and experts to bring creduility to what they say, but when pressured upon the particulars they rarely, if ever can name an impartial study or one they themselves did not take part in.

As soon as the general public realizes this as well, the better off we are.

And as soon as the journalists making the articles do some basic background checks, we would have more truthful news as well. Too bad truth doesn't sell nearly as well as a tragic headline of 'Shooter was a known player of violent shooting games/roleplaying games /whatever'

 

[MattZero]

I'm a psych major and we do all kinds of behavior studies. We hate having to turn any of our results over to the media because they will take a 1 in 99 minority and report on them out of context and make it sound like we found out that damn near all of our subjects were like that.

Basically they spin the data to scare people. Hypothetically if I were to do a study on video games and violence and I got a spread that about 98 of the subjects would show no signs of increased desire for violence while 2 of them became slightly agitated and shows some outward signs of aggression. If I came up with that result and gave it to the local news station they would most likely report on the two guys, blow it out of proportion and cause a massive scare in our city.

All that being said please don't hate on psychologists. It's almost at the point where the gamer generations are running the world anyway so I'm guessing we're going to be hearing a lot less of this over the next ten or fifteen years.