I'm not being influenced

[RedxDecember]

My parents only want to help me. They want me to be in the best mental and physical shape before I go to college in three years. I love them, and they love me. One thing about our relationship, which makes me want to pull my hair out, is how my mother and father estimate me. I watch a lot of shows, Breaking Bad, Dexter, Mad Men, My Little Pony, you know, all those adult shows. I play GOW3, Mortal Kombat, violent game, violent game. My parents hate me watching and playing these and they're saying how it influences me. By saying, I mean giving me these long talks about how these shows and games are horrible and bad and I'm going to be influenced and become a murderer. I hate it.

I've been in two fight my entire life, both in self defense and I'm a social, all around good guy that just likes to play and watch edgy entertainment. I'm not a anti-social freak, I've been able to fit in and become well known as a white kid in a primarily black school. I'm just trying to get across that I'm good and healthy even after watching these shows and playing these games. How do I make them believe me?

 

[blaqknoise]

I watch a lot of shows, Breaking Bad, Dexter, Mad Men, My Little Pony, you know, all those adult shows.

My parents hate me watching and playing these and they're saying how it influences me. By saying, I mean giving me these long talks about how these shows and games are horrible and bad and I'm going to be influenced and become a murderer

I don't get how this works.

 

[cookyy2k]

You can't. Their minds are made up on the games and shows. See the south park episode "you're getting old" so see what I mean, different perspectives are just that. nothing you can say will ever get them to understand what you see in your media of choice.

 

[RedxDecember]

lmfao I was waiting for someone to catch the My Little Pony show - but I mean all the other shows

 

[ShindoL Shill]

I watch a lot of shows, Breaking Bad, Dexter, Mad Men, My Little Pony, you know, all those adult shows.

My parents hate me watching and playing these and they're saying how it influences me. By saying, I mean giving me these long talks about how these shows and games are horrible and bad and I'm going to be influenced and become a murderer

I don't get how this works.

its simple.
the OP suffers from RIPS, or Retarded Insane Parents Syndrome, most often seen in the parents off teenagers, like here:

OT: you could ignore their idiocy...

 

[SckizoBoy]

I don't really think you can... presumably because they're unwilling to watch/play with you based on their beliefs. But, all you can do is present yourself as the well-rounded and well-adjusted individual that you are... *shrug*

Thankfully, I don't have that problem... I watch loads of wuxia films, crime dramas, play violent games and indulge in a lot of martial arts, my folks keep just saying 'don't hurt yourself'...(!)

 

[HardkorSB]

My parents only want to help me. They want me to be in the best mental and physical shape before I go to college in three years. I love them, and they love me. One thing about our relationship, which makes me want to pull my hair out, is how my mother and father estimate me. I watch a lot of shows, Breaking Bad, Dexter, Mad Men, My Little Pony, you know, all those adult shows. I play GOW3, Mortal Kombat, violent game, violent game. My parents hate me watching and playing these and they're saying how it influences me. By saying, I mean giving me these long talks about how these shows and games are horrible and bad and I'm going to be influenced and become a murderer. I hate it.

I've been in two fight my entire life, both in self defense and I'm a social, all around good guy that just likes to play and watch edgy entertainment. I'm not a anti-social freak, I've been able to fit in and become well known as a white kid in a primarily black school. I'm just trying to get across that I'm good and healthy even after watching these shows and playing these games. How do I make them believe me?

I would go like this:
"Do you really think that I'm dumb enough to murder someone because of some games and TV shows? Do you really perceive your child as mentally unstable, prone to violence and ready to explode at any moment?
Tell me something, would you want to kill someone after you saw someone do it on TV or in a game you've played? Is that all it would take for you to commit murder?"

At this point they will most likely go the "No, but..." route. Cut them off mid-sentence and say:
"Then stop treating me like I'm a retard with no free will. I can think for myself. I know the difference between fiction and real life."

Harsh? Maybe but it works. Being nice, humble and polite will only make their offensive arguments more valid in their eyes. Be offensive as well (not rude, offensive) and they will see that you really mean what you say.

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

I would go like this:
"Do you really think that I'm dumb enough to murder someone because of some games and TV shows? Do you really perceive your child as mentally unstable, prone to violence and ready to explode at any moment?
Tell me something, would you want to kill someone after you saw someone do it on TV or in a game you've played? Is that all it would take for you to commit murder?"

At this point they will most likely go the "No, but..." route. Cut them off mid-sentence and say:
"Then stop treating me like I'm a retard with no free will. I can think for myself. I know the difference between fiction and real life."

Harsh? Maybe but it works. Being nice, humble and polite will only make their offensive arguments more valid in their eyes. Be offensive as well (not rude, offensive) and they will see that you really mean what you say.

What this guy said, also perhaps try to elucidate to them that there is no evidence or legitimate studies that have identified anything produced by these mediums as pernicious, so to assume such without any modicum of solid proof would be ludicrous.

 

[Rylot]

Tell them it's okay, since you've gotten really good at hiding the bodies.

Okay in all seriousness tell them to have a little faith in their own parenting skills and that while violent imagery can set mentally unstable people over the edge, there have been no conclusive studies that prove games and movies cause violence. Then hope for the best.

 

[Loop Stricken]

I suppose I'm lucky that my mom knows that the only violence I'd ever really impart would be towards zombies. Also I'm 26 so I really should know better.

I'd ask my dad if he thought I'd grow up to be a psychopath but alas he's a bit busy being dead.

 

[simple64]

And the biggest advice I can give? Beware of advice from this site. Or any other forum for that matter. We don't know your parents, how they'll react, or the best way to deal with them, in particular. You can give them the cold, harsh truth and they can throw you out on your cold, harsh ass. I dunno if you have those sorts of parents, but just be careful.

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

Bleh, i once did a meta study on those studies about media violence and the influence on the brain.

And as a gamer it was hard to admit, that yes, watching violence over and over again has a certain dulling effect on how you react to such stuff.. but (and its a really big but) a normal healthy and sane person has no problem to distinguish between real and fiction.

So the dulling effect actually only works on fictional violence.
A small example: Watching SAW1 could have maybe scared some people, but do you really think 3-4 movies laters the expierience was as "gruesome" or scary than the first?
The human brain adapts veeeeery well and get's used to certain imputs.

It only gets dangerous if the person can't distinguish between real and fiction anymore. But then the consumption of these medias are more often a valve or an escape for other bigger problems or even worse a real brain damage.

General rule is: Violent/agressive people like to play violent games or watch violent films but on the other hand violent films/games do not create violent people out of nowhere.

Sidenote: One of the studies made a comparison between two sorts of film. The first was a violent and intense film and the otherone was just a intense expirience with close to 0 violence.
Guess what? They both had the same short-term arousal.
Intensity > Violence. Derp.

 

[WouldYouKindly]

The old argument of correlation vs. causation. Maybe these people who commit violent acts enjoy violent video games. Instead of they committed violent acts because they like violent video games.

I'd tell them flat out that I know exactly what reality is and that it's definitely not in the slightest bit related to a game no matter how much it touts realism. If you think me having no concern for enemy AI or a graphical representation of another person in a game means I'll start not having concern for real human life then you have absolutely no faith in me as a person and no faith in yourselves as parents. You're better than that and you know I'm better than that.

This is how I'd handle my own parents in that situation, might not work for you.

 

[klaynexas3]

My parents only want to help me. They want me to be in the best mental and physical shape before I go to college in three years. I love them, and they love me. One thing about our relationship, which makes me want to pull my hair out, is how my mother and father estimate me. I watch a lot of shows, Breaking Bad, Dexter, Mad Men, My Little Pony, you know, all those adult shows. I play GOW3, Mortal Kombat, violent game, violent game. My parents hate me watching and playing these and they're saying how it influences me. By saying, I mean giving me these long talks about how these shows and games are horrible and bad and I'm going to be influenced and become a murderer. I hate it.

I've been in two fight my entire life, both in self defense and I'm a social, all around good guy that just likes to play and watch edgy entertainment. I'm not a anti-social freak, I've been able to fit in and become well known as a white kid in a primarily black school. I'm just trying to get across that I'm good and healthy even after watching these shows and playing these games. How do I make them believe me?

you actually think you can get them to believe you? if it works, tell me. i must know your secret, it might work on my parents. the point being is that your parents will worry over nothing with you, and you have to learn to deal with it. once you've moved out, you won't have to deal with it as much, but until then, you can either suck it up, or try to reason with them. but they are parents, and you are their child, so reason doesn't really kick in when it comes to worrying over you. i'd say keep trying to get them to believe you, but don't hold your hopes high that it will work.