Poll: Do video games cause violence?

[RadioActiveChimp]

Fellow Escapists, I call on you for help. My professor assigned my 200 level english class a 3-5 pg. paper on video games. My topic will be about how video games do not directly cause violent behavior. I'm probably going to use the stats from this poll in my paper somehow. Also, I could paraphrase your thoughts on the topic.

 

[Icecoldcynic]

I don't believe videogames cause violence at all. If a person is so screwed up mentally that they would commit a violent crime I think they would do it regardless of playing video games. Saying videogames cause it is ridiculous, because if that were true violence would have been practically non-existent back before videogames were invented.

 

[reg42]

Only if you're an easily manipulated person, I say. I have the same opinion about metal.

 

[Latinidiot]

Here's a concise version of what I think.

It's not that videogames cause people to be violent, but that violent people use videogames as an outlet. If there were no videogames, they'd still be just as violent.

yeah, that's pretty much it. there always have been ways to express violence, and videogames are convenient AND don't get you in jail. for now.

 

[PureChaos]

i don't think so as i've played various violent games most of my life and i'm not a person.

 

[Archereus]

I could write you a 10 page essay on how games do not cause violence, because I have done this in one of my classes but I will break this entire 10 page bore fest into 1 simple sentence.

Games don't cause violence, people cause violence.(see what I just did there)

 

[Matt_LRR]

Cause, no. Contribute? Yes.

At the bare minimum, the frequent, repeated acts of violence in videogames have a desensitization effect, which leads to a reduction in our ability to feel empathy and which makes us more tolerant of images of extreme violence. That said, the effect is, as far as I am concerned, not significantly more pronounced that that of any other form of visual media.

There's evidence to suggest that there is some increase in aggression in people, particularly kids, after playing violent videogames, but there's also evidence to suggest that that influence is easily countered.

AT WORST, videogames serve as a model for already violent or unstable people to base their violence on, and as a reinforcer of aggressive tendencies. No normal person is going to be made to commit an act of criminal violence as a direct result of playing videogames.

-m

 

[SNIPERFOX ft. Harry P.Ness]

lol ecery one said no. games do not cause violence its the persons thoughts. if he says: hey im gonna rob a bank for some reason! he does it out of spite not cos the game told him/her too.personally i think 5-6 year olds should not play 18- or over games but, when i was a kid i played half life when i was 8 and im doing very well in secondary school

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

You'll also notice that some of the most violent and conflict-stricken nations in the world do not have video games, or at least, the majority of the population don't, and this majority are usually the ones being violent.

 

[Gigaguy64]

No, Video Games are an Excuse.
All kinds of people play games.
Many people, such as myself, play some games as a way to vent or relax.
Now IDIOTS can play games and commit acts of violence based on what they saw in the game but, look at the number of people who played the same game and didn't go out and commit violence.
Its just an excuse to turn the blame form the proper targets a few examples being, the Person who committed the act of violence, the Parents who let the impressionable child play a game that isn't suited for them, and the people who torment other people and then wonder why the person reacted in such a way.

 

[RadioActiveChimp]

You'll also notice that some of the most violent and conflict-stricken nations in the world do not have video games, or at least, the majority of the population don't, and this majority are usually the ones being violent.

great point killer. That will definitely make its way into my paper (giving you credit of course)

If anyone believes that video games do have a direct affect on stable minded people, your viewpoint could be very useful considering that it would most likely be coming from a gamer.

 

[thepj]

nope, video games don't cause violence in people in the slightest, at worst they provide allready fucked up and crazy people with and idea of how to do violent things, at worst. The vast majority of gamers play games and don't do anything violent, if they did cause violence then why hasn't anyone who ever played a video game commited a crime? People who say games cause violence are talking BS

 

[A Raging Emo]

lol ecery one said no. games do not cause violence its the persons thoughts. if he says: hey im gonna rob a bank for some reason! he does it out of spite not cos the game told him/her too.personally i think 5-6 year olds should not play 18- or over games but, when i was a kid i played half life when i was 8 and im doing very well in secondary school

Really?

On Topic: Video games do not cause violence. They may be a contributing factor towards aggression, but they don't cause violence; no link has ever been found.

 

[Hollock]

absolutely not.

 

[Marine Mike]

No, I actually think they keep violence in check more often than not. Video games are a consequence free outlet where bludgeoning hookers to death or dismembering random people has no effect on real people. On the note of the hookers, it possible Jack the Ripper's killing spree could have actually been avoided if he just had a copy of GTA.

 

[anthiggs]

No, video games do not cause violence.
only one link has ever been found, and that is that playing violent games increases aggression. However that effect is temporary.

It's basically like the aggression an athlete would feel trying to win.

Or even the aggression that the spectators get at watching a sports game.
Its more that the release of adrenaline in the pursuit of a clear goal that gets people riled up, but when no physical outlet is around, like the athletes have, the secondary participant becomes irritable and easily provoked. Of course that is only temporary.
I see the link between video games and violence as one of correlation, not causation.

 

[errorfied]

This poll proves nothing. All it proves is a bunch of pro-video game people *think* video games don't cause violence.

Go find real studies. Not opinions. And if you want opinions don't deliberately find incredibly biased ones.