So, why do politicians hate video games.

[Saint of M]

Yeah, a bit on the nose, espesialy there are a few that are gamers in office.

However, I have to wonder how long until one of the presidential hopeful's mentions "video games cause real world Violence," to the groaning of what has to be a tone of potential voters.

Yeah, we'll probably still vote for them vut Trump, Clinton, Obama, Romney, Dubaya, and so on and so on use this as a scapegoat, despite no noticable difference in people to commit violence than say sports where we see over zealous dads beat the crap out of couches, referies, and even kids on the other team for what ever kept their kid from scoring.

Film and television had the same blame. Heck, I remember my 11th grade American Lititure teacher mention that the first time Huckleberry Finn got banned wasn't for the numerous use of the N word, but the fears kids might emulate young Huck.

Yet, despite stronger evidence for Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction, people still believe this. Why?

 

[Meximagician]

Oh, you're asking why politicians still hate video games.

Part of that is how video games are viewed. Popular opinion (outside of gamers themselves) is to think of games first and foremost as either virtual toys or (more recently) casual mobile games. Not knocking those types of games, but when that's your only frame of reference, it's hard to see why anyone would become personally invested in them. Future generations not even owning their games probably won't help change that either.

A tiny part is how art is viewed, too. If any jackass can duct tape a banana to a wall and call it art, what's the point of giving 'art' any kind of special treatment? That kind of thinking ignores that art has various functions and can be measured by how many or how well it fulfills those functions. It's an easy trap games-as-art discussions usually fall into.

Another part is laziness. It's easier to slap around a scapegoat than actually addressing a problem. Like how we could acknowledge that the Federal Assault Weapon Ban of the 90s was sabotaged from the start and try again, this time with a manditory buyback program, a moratorium on both manufacturing and sales, and no sunset clause. Or we could make mental health screenings free, along with any prescribed antipsychotics. Or we could drag the CEOs of Atari, Nintendo of America, and Sega into a room and shake our finger at them while holding up a light gun made by Konami[footnote]The best part: the Konami Justifier was only used to play as either law enforcement or agents of law enforcement at the time of those hearings[/footnote] again.

 

[Hawki]

I'm not counting on it. And even if they do, so what?

 

[Yoshi178]

for the same reason you grandparents hated your parents comic books.

they're old farts who didn't grow up with them and don't understand them.

 

[BrawlMan]

Yeah, a bit on the nose, espesialy there are a few that are gamers in office.

However, I have to wonder how long until one of the presidential hopeful's mentions "video games cause real world Violence," to the groaning of what has to be a tone of potential voters.

Yeah, we'll probably still vote for them vut Trump, Clinton, Obama, Romney, Dubaya, and so on and so on use this as a scapegoat, despite no noticable difference in people to commit violence than say sports where we see over zealous dads beat the crap out of couches, referies, and even kids on the other team for what ever kept their kid from scoring.

Film and television had the same blame. Heck, I remember my 11th grade American Lititure teacher mention that the first time Huckleberry Finn got banned wasn't for the numerous use of the N word, but the fears kids might emulate young Huck.

Yet, despite stronger evidence for Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction, people still believe this. Why?

Because they like appealing to ignorant, old dumb, asses. Nothing new, but this is dying down with each generation, and they know it. Obama usually got a long with gaming fine, and used the "we'll look in to it" if games cause violence. Of course he never followed through and was used to please some old people or non-gamers that hate gaming. Otherwise, he held a decent respect for gamers. Hilary and Trump being the worst example. I remember her trying to launch the campaign against GTA San Andreas and nothing happened and nothing changed. The only thing new showing she was just another ***** in a box stand. Trump is self explanatory, and I won't need to say anything about the ultimate ***** in a box stand.

 

[stroopwafel]

Because politicians are old and out of touch and because videogames are an easy scapegoat for social ills and gun violence despite study after study showing there is zero correlation. Guns have the NRA, first amendment and militant advocates so that's a no-go. Social ills would require investing in mental healthcare but this would mean marginally less tax brakes for the 2% billionaires. Videogames it is then.

 

[Hades]

I don't think politicians hate video games at all. Politicians likely really love video games since its the perfect scapegoat. Right now there are still a sizable amount of people to old to understand video games and politicians know they can easily con these people by using video games as a distraction. Going after video games allows politicians to pretend they take actions without actually having to take any real action. That video games don't have many strong lobbies only helps matters for politicians.

 

[Saint of M]

This will be the case until there is a big enough sea change that gradually educates the reluctant masses on subjects which are overshadowed by willful ignorance and petty bias. Eventually we?ll get there, but people in general have a tendency to be pretty stubborn and flat out stupid.

Having said that, and adding to what others have said above there are almost certainly politicians that love video games but unfortunately ?it doesn?t fit the narrative? to say that out loud in public. Because if they were going to be truly honest about direct and indirect causes of violence in youth, they?d have egg all over their faces.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Eh, it's mostly over apart from the odd few stuck in the past and desperately needing another of the shitzillion scapegoats available to avoid responsibility. Still waiting for most to catch up on the weeds and MDMAs though, but people are way more judgemental and ignorant about that whole area of funsies.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Its gonna be interesting seeing Gen X and Millenial Politicians in the future who did grew up with Video Games.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Eh, it's mostly over apart from the odd few stuck in the past and desperately needing another of the shitzillion scapegoats available to avoid responsibility. Still waiting for most to catch up on the weeds and MDMAs though, but people are way more judgemental and ignorant about that whole area of funsies.

Politicians always need that convenient enemy, but the whole "vidya gaemz makes ya da violent" fervor does to have died down a fair bit these past years, only dug up on some media for those times a nutcase buys a shopping cart full of guns and goes on a kill streak for whatever just cause he conjured up for himself. Notably when the culprit is of the variety that rhymes with "salt shite" and "Cronkite's publicist".

Its gonna be interesting seeing Gen X and Millenial Politicians in the future who did grew up with Video Games.

I guess in decades past it helped that the majority people who played games tended to be young i.e. below voting age, which is also known as politically irrelevant, and could be safely ignored. But we're getting to the point where many are old enough to cast a ballot. Maybe even run for office. So now they might actually matter, at least enough to be political tools.

 

[Thaluikhain]

If I was being cynical, I'd say it's because they own (or are owned by) everything else that could be said to promote violence, who else are they going to blame?

 

[bluegate]

Have politicians moved against games in a serious way, though? All that there ever seems to be is games getting used a scapegoat after yet another tragedy in America, but nothing ever seems to change or be affected by this scapegoating.

Sure, some governments worth their salts have started investigating loot boxes, but this wasn't done out of a fear or hatred of the medium, but because of cries of concern from customers.

 

[gyrobot_v1legacy]

Eh, it's mostly over apart from the odd few stuck in the past and desperately needing another of the shitzillion scapegoats available to avoid responsibility. Still waiting for most to catch up on the weeds and MDMAs though, but people are way more judgemental and ignorant about that whole area of funsies.

Politicians always need that convenient enemy, but the whole "vidya gaemz makes ya da violent" fervor does to have died down a fair bit these past years, only dug up on some media for those times a nutcase buys a shopping cart full of guns and goes on a kill streak for whatever just cause he conjured up for himself. Notably when the culprit is of the variety that rhymes with "salt shite" and "Cronkite's publicist".

Its gonna be interesting seeing Gen X and Millenial Politicians in the future who did grew up with Video Games.

I guess in decades past it helped that the majority people who played games tended to be young i.e. below voting age, which is also known as politically irrelevant, and could be safely ignored. But we're getting to the point where many are old enough to cast a ballot. Maybe even run for office. So now they might actually matter, at least enough to be political tools.

Most of the people running for politics will be old money types or people who spend their spare time going on holiday retreats and regular social activities instead of playing video games in any serious capacity except as reference material. They arent going to be true diehards who gotten into the political field with the sole purpose of lobbying video games

 

[CaitSeith]

For the same reason they hate gays, immigrants, D&D and rock and roll: easy scapegoats for complicated issues.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Movies, comic books, jazz music, rock 'n roll, Dungeons and Dragons, video games: All things that parents of their day didn't understand and therefore feared were "corrupting our children", and politicians could point to and say "give me power and I will make that bad thing go away and your children will be innocent and pure forever".

 

[Dalisclock]

The average age of a US Senator is about 60 and a US congressperson is about 50(mostly due to an influx of millennials elected in 2018). Which pretty much means a lot of them see Video games as quartermunchers or maybe phone games that their kids/grandkids play with no particular value.

Add to this that Senior Citizens(65 and older) tend to make up a very large percentage of voters(for reasons I'm not going to go into here) and you have the same issue. Old people catering to/reelecting other old people(many of whom have been sitting in the same seats for decades), most of whom probably don't know much about or care much for video games and since the New Media is evil, yeah, it's easy to cast blame on them.

Granted,the media has a long record of doing an awful job of actually researching this stuff. There's the infamous "Mass Effect is Porn" thing Fox News did about a decade ago, just for an example.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

It's not a politician thing, it's an old person thing. I saw Yang make a point by making a reference to RTS games and how you have to build your bases strongly to build the good units to win and you can't do well by ignoring infrastructure. Also Gabbard at one point made her anti-social media point by referencing that Southpark episode with the human centipede.

Old people are just stuck in old mindsets where games were seen as childish and frivolous, the younger ones get it.

 

[nomotog_v1legacy]

They don't.

This one one of the weird bits about gamers. Games aren't weird. They are not outside. Their main stream normal now, but we (gamers) haven't been able to change our feelings. politicians don't hate games. They don't love games. Games are just normal now. Ya politicians will talk about violent video games, they talk about violet movies, violent books, violent anything. They aren't talking about the games they are talking about the violence.

 

[Worgen]

Because politicians are old and out of touch and because videogames are an easy scapegoat for social ills and gun violence despite study after study showing there is zero correlation. Guns have the NRA, first amendment and militant advocates so that's a no-go. Social ills would require investing in mental healthcare but this would mean marginally less tax brakes for the 2% billionaires. Videogames it is then.

Don't forget that organizations like the NRA will put a lot of effort into blaming videogames to try to turn attention away from guns.