Killing and Computer Games.

[SonOfVoorhees]

I know this topic is over forumed here, but i was thinking about the link between violence and computer games. Now, first things first, i do not believe that computer games make people kill, we all know this.

Now. A lot of killers escalate from minor crimes to serious ones. Such as a stalker could escalate to rape and then to murder. The thrill of watching doesn't do it and thus they need to do something more. With killers they have been linked to torturing and killing of small animals and then it escalates to killing people.

Do you think that computer games have now become part of these peoples escalation process? Using them as a way to fantasize about killing until they move on to killing in reality?

 

[JoJo]

I can definitely see potential killers enjoying video games where you kill people but as an actual escalation step? I don't think so as:

1) Violence tends not be explicit in most video games: you shoot someone enough times and they fall to the ground in a pool of red liquid. No lingering death, screams etc usually. Non-combatant humans are only the victims in a minority of games too and certain groups such as young children are virtually taboo to include as killable enemies in a game.

2) Far more violent depictions are found in books, television and movies. Heck, one can easily enough find real videos of people dying, being executed or tortured online. I'd imagine these would be far more enjoyable to someone unhinged in that way than non-explicit video game violence.

Besides, who here hasn't gone on a random rampage on GTA before? It's fun even if you wouldn't squash a fly in real life.

 

[Vegosiux]

There's been a Jimquisition episode on that. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/6692-Desensitized-to-Violence]

I found myself agreeing with Jim. Violence/killing in gaming and real violence/killing, they're two completely different things.

 

[BoogieManFL]

There is no more correlation with them playing games than them sometimes having bacon and eggs for breakfast.

 

[NightmareExpress]

Killers are regular people of different circumstance.
Their childhood was different, there were different cause/reaction loops in their life.
But at some point, they were rather normal. Sometimes they still are.

Thus, it's not surprising to hear that they liked normal stuff.
Video games, movies, music, books and what have you. The specific kinds that they liked may have proven to be a bit of a symptom, but definitely not the cause (in a vast majority of cases that I hear about; the ironic part is that books both factual and fictional appear to ingrain dangerous ideas more often than the other mediums combined).

Games could definitely be used to fantasize, but so can any creative medium.
If they didn't have a video game, I guarantee that they would write about it in great detail.
Maybe even draw a few pictures...or just silently run the situation through their heads a few times like an imaginary snuff film.

Where there exists a place that allows the projection of ideas onto other things that may or may not be related, there can potentially exist a killer's fantasy.

 

[Torque2100]

Every time this topic comes up in conversation, I can't help but groan. I know where the concerns come from. The problem is, while they are legitimate concerns they are also totally unfounded. I really think we would not be having this discussion if more people read the book Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super-Heroes and Make-Believe Violence by Gerard Jones.

http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Monsters-Children-Make-Believe-Violence/dp/0465036961/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363820779&sr=8-1&keywords=Killing+Monster

In this book, which I strongly encourage everyone to read, Dr. Jones lays out in very clear and sensible terms why fantasy violence is actually a positive force in society. He points out that violence has had a place in stories going back to the beginning of time. Fantasy violence is a pressure relief valve and one that is healthy for society as a whole.

He also made me realize something. As a society, we are NOT "de-sensitized" to real violence. We are HYPER-sensitized to it. Every single act of inhumanity everywhere in the world is taken in by our mass media and blasted back at us at 200% volume direct into our living rooms. We react to every one of these events with shock, they make us feel awful.

Contrast this with our ancestors, who thought that taking the kids out to a public execution to see some poor bastard get hanged until he was almost dead, then strapped to a table ,disemboweled and have all four of his limbs hacked off was great family fun.

Now you tell me which society is de-sensitized to violence.