Poll: Do Video Games cause violent behavior?

[blankedboy]

 

[Blind Sight]

There have been studies which have shown that violence in videogames can amplify an already existing tendency (no source at my hands sorry) but that holds true for almost anything you encounter in life.

My two cents is that i don't get the appeal of violent games (first person war simulators and above; im fine with rts's since violence is no primary aspect there) anyway. Maybe some Escapist may explain it to me.

Many of the studies that find a connection between video games and violence are often politically motivated to produce results in favour of the argument. I wish I knew exactly what studies you're talking about so I could expand on this further, but a lot of times they use faulty data gathering techniques or ignore external factors that directly affect the results.

To the OP: Video games do not cause violence, people do. I'd get you some research material but it's 3 in the morning here (that's my polite way of saying 'fuck off' haha). Parents need to take a more active role in their children's lives and stop trying to block them out from the rest of the world. Suppression is not the answer, education is.

Indirectly, but yes.
After playing bunches of shooters, I've thought about learning how to use firearms in real life.

That doesn't mean you're heading down a path to violence. I'm really sick of the anti-gun lobby making everyone who owns a gun look like a sociopath. I've been shooting since I was eight and I know my way around a gun, but like I said above, education is key. I would never point a gun at another human being unless they pointed one at me first. Guns can be used for protection just as much as they can be used for violence, once again, it all depends on the person shooting it and their choices.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

Only if you are already that way inclined. If an angel of pure sweetness and goodwill played a blackly violent videogame, it would not turn them violent. If a serial murderer played a blackly violent videogame, it might encourage them to further their murdering.

I think my favourite piece of "research" on this topic is the Penn & Teller's: Bullshit! episode, where they take a 9-year-old boy who loves his Call of Duty, take him to a firing range to shoot a real M-16, and watch as his soul is crushed by the scary loud sounds of the weapon. He literally breaks into tears and says "I don't want to touch a gun again". Yeah, he's a killer alright.

 

[furry-ryuu-ken]

I played GTA vice city when i was five.
I am one of the least violent people i have been around.
I have played Vice city, san andrasp),halo,halo,halo3,halo:ODST,halo:extend your arm, and many violent video games and still do to this day.
Maybe it has to do with how easly the person is angered, I'm practicly imposable to anger.

So no, video games might influence small amounts of anger and frustration but they don't make you violent.[sub]unless your already crazy[/sub]

I chose maybe because it depends on the person and the game.

If a 18 year old is playing an E rated game, I seriously doubt he's going to go murder some babies afterwards.

However if a 10 year old is playing an M rated game, then it could potentially cause problems. I don't know about serious mental instability, but it may increase violent behavior slightly just because the child isn't fully developed, and what you do/learn as a child affects you later in life.

Anything you have to say about me, like I dont know, IshouldbeacrazypersonwhoLOVESviolencebutforsomeresonimnotandbecauseofyourbeleifsiamlieingtoyouall[sub]andthatmean[/sub][sub][sub]sthatiamcrazy[/sub][/sub]

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

I chose maybe because it depends on the person and the game.

If a 18 year old is playing an E rated game, I seriously doubt he's going to go murder some babies afterwards.

However if a 10 year old is playing an M rated game, then it could potentially cause problems. I don't know about serious mental instability, but it may increase violent behavior slightly just because the child isn't fully developed, and what you do/learn as a child affects you later in life.

Anything you have to say about me, like I dont know, IshouldbeacrazypersonwhoLOVESviolencebutforsomeresonimnotandbecauseofyourbeleifsiamlieingtoyouall[sub]andthatmean[/sub][sub][sub]sthatiamcrazy[/sub][/sub]

"However if a 10 year old is playing an M rated game, then it could potentially cause problems." This assumes that the kid is a very rare breed of human who can't identify between real life and video-games. Even the most realistic graphics and immersive game engines can't makes you less aware of the fact you are holding a controller in your hands. There are always at least three degrees of seperation - the hardware, the screen, and you; the way videogames currently are, that seperation will never be removed.

You can't in all honesty play Red Steel 2 on the Wii and say, "yes, I am now a real-life master swordsmen," or played Time Crisis and say, "yes, I am know an expert marksman, I could kill a room of terrorists as if they were fish in a barrell." It's just not possible.

 

[Good morning blues]

Cause? No. People are a hell of a lot more complex than that. Video games do normalize violence, though, and I would argue that they probably do so more effectively than other violent media because of their participatory nature.

 

[captaincabbage]

Generally video games relax me more, even violent ones.
Seriously, have you ever gotten home from a really shitty day and work/school and played a bit of God of War?
After five minutes of removing minotaurs tonsils I'm at peace. XD

But anyway, I believe that the wrong people playing the wrong games could give them problematic ideas or mentalities. I don't, however, believe that it can happen to just anyone, since a normal healthy person can quite obviously tell the difference between the laws of video games and the laws of reality.

 

[OldAccount]

Sonic is telling me to set things on fire. I must obey the fast one.

 

[M4yce]

Haven't read the rest of this thread, sorry if I derail anyone at this point. I can only state from my own point of view, but people cause my violent behavior...games are the outlet which I might vent my frustrations, not the cause. If they are then I stop playing 'em, hence why I canceled xbox live and found my blood pressure coming back to reasonable levels.

 

[J3llo]

Most likely not, but i do think it might inspire the violence.

 

[bluekangaroo]

I think sometimes they can stop violent behaviour. Really angry? Get GTA shoot people to bits. Still angry? Nope.

 

[Nouw]

It influences you but depending on the person, it will not.

It's a lie to say video games don't influence you because everything does.

 

[CrustyOatmeal]

it takes a demented mind to derive violent acts from video games but at the same time that demented mind would have just as easily gone postal from watching tv, reading a book, or just watching a bird fly. demented minds are abnormal and nobody knows what might set them off. video games are just an easy target just as movies were before them

 

[Sacman]

No, violent people make video games popular...<.<

 

[Westy215]

I had to do this topic for an English essay. I spent a lot of time studying, having interest in it because I'm a gamer myself. Upon studying I found many arguments and included them in my speech but I ultimately went for the 'no'.

My teacher failed me simply because 'my answer was wrong'.

It was an opinionated speech.

Note that the teacher was very, very old. Now I have no problem with people saying that the answer is yes, but failing a speech because you disagree is disgusting!

 

[Naama]

Seems to be the opposite way.

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2008/04/gaming-real-vio/

 

[Paksenarrion]

On the contrary; *we* cause violent behavior in video games.

 

[Kurokami]

As part of an English project I'm writing a counter arguement paper against the whole, "Video Games cause violent behavior" and some data and input would be most useful for the paper. Put out a comment, put up some videos or what ever

Asking people on a gaming forum this doesn't really get you unbiassed data, good luck on your assignment though.

 

[biGBum333]

no way. sure there are the crazy ones, but you'll always get crazy people no matter what anyway (there was a 16 yr old who got done for murder a while ago because he watched a horror movie and you dont see that medium getting banned). doing things in real life is completely different from doing them on a controller. why is it so hard for people to understand that?

 

[Racecarlock]

I had to do this topic for an English essay. I spent a lot of time studying, having interest in it because I'm a gamer myself. Upon studying I found many arguments and included them in my speech but I ultimately went for the 'no'.

My teacher failed me simply because 'my answer was wrong'.

It was an opinionated speech.

Note that the teacher was very, very old. Now I have no problem with people saying that the answer is yes, but failing a speech because you disagree is disgusting!

Wow, really? You really got an F because your answer was "wrong"? How can opinion and especially opinion backed up by research be wrong? Who does she think she is? The all knowing one? I think she's trying to force her views on you, and the worst part is that she's supposed to be educated. She's a friggin teacher for gods' sake. This should not happen. Ever.

And no, I don't think video games cause violent behavior. You know why? I played GTA Vice City when I was seven and I have aspergers syndrome. I haven't killed a single person and cried for nearly a whole day after punching a fellow student on the bus one morning because he mocked me until I snapped. I haven't gone on any shooting rampages in real life so far. I'm living proof that these damn theories are wrong. Furthermore, if I don't follow a religion, I shouldn't have to follow their rules. SIMPLE! But no, they have to keep trying to push their bullshit censorship laws on us on the guise of protecting the children or protecting people from themselves. I don't want to be protected from myself. I like me.