Survey Finds Most Americans Believe Games Cause Violence

[CaptainKoala]

Survey shows most people will believe anything because the media told them to with question.

 

[SovietSecrets]

But does this take into account that most Americans are idiots and parents now are too lazy to raise their children?

 

[10BIT]

If I tell you that the Big Mac causes people to get fat you can say "No, it doesn't. Look at these statistics! Since the Big Mac was introduced there is not a larger percentage of fat people", and you would be wrong. Because the one does not equal the other. Perhaps whatever people used to eat that made them fat is no longer being eaten since the Big Mac came out. Just because there aren't more dead people doesn't mean that a product isn't deadly. It just doesn't work like that.

Poor analogy. The claim being made by the people behind the survey is not 'violent videogames cause violence', but:

violent videogames are a cause of increased violence in the real world

To use your analogy, it would be like if you told me that the big mac has caused an increase in the percentage of fat people and I say "No, it doesn't. Look at these statistics! Since the Big Mac was introduced there is not a larger percentage of fat people", and I would be right since I have disproved the second part of your claim, that the percentage of fat people has increased. Therefore Andy's sited evidence that there has been a dip in violence does disprove the claim that violent videogames are a cause of increased violence in the real world.

 

[Ernil Menegil]

Survey says: Escapist writer uses anecdotal evidence to make himself look smart in latest aggressive, ill-informed article.

I'm kinda getting that vibe from the escapist in general.(Anecdotal) Almost every article about video games being violent should be banned comes with some smug comment on how they shouldn't be and everyone who thinks otherwise is a drooling moron.

Risking portraying myself as the "insufferable prick", that might well be because people who do think otherwise really are remarkably lazy morons who do not bother to take responsibility for themselves or get their facts straight.

 

[Blind Sight]

Ah yes, because a large group of uninformed people's opinions are FAR better then someone who actually studies this kind of stuff legitimately.

 

[Kurokami]

come on people let's get a facepalm combo going!

I-... Is the bigger picture meant to look... Sexual?

 

[Atmos Duality]

Hmmm....tasty bias Push-Polls.

"Would you eat babies if the FDA approved it?"

"If so, would you share pickled baby with your family too?"

"Are you going to answer 'no' to this question?"

 

[silver wolf009]

54% of american adults can be represented by this here graphic

on a side note, I'm really wondering how is that possible, I mean, holy shit

*Sigh*

As much as I dont like when painting is done with a broad brush, and even though I hate being the one painted, I agree with you.

This kind of ignorance is just pitiful, I just wish I wasn't in the nation getting the pity.

 

[Kirch Libre]

*head desk*

Why do people confuse correlation and causation?

 

[feather240]

Survey says: Escapist writer uses anecdotal evidence to make himself look smart in latest aggressive, ill-informed article.

I'm kinda getting that vibe from the escapist in general.(Anecdotal) Almost every article about video games being violent should be banned comes with some smug comment on how they shouldn't be and everyone who thinks otherwise is a drooling moron.

Risking portraying myself as the "insufferable prick", that might well be because people who do think otherwise really are remarkably lazy morons who do not bother to take responsibility for themselves or get their facts straight.

How many gamers believe that video games do not cause real violence? Now how many of them get their facts about the issue by researching it? Now how many just lap up what their preferred brand of news tells them? The only real difference is that our side is actually right, so it makes us look like we're well read about the subject.

If Urist is asked what the largest state in America, doesn't know, and guesses correctly, then does that make him any smarter then someone who guessed incorrectly?

 

[Mcface]

Survey says: "Uninformed idiots are uninformed". Yes, yes they are.

You just made my day..

It's America, they like to be contraversial to pretend they're still the big boys in the world, as long as their game laws don't come into the UN and then good ol' England I'll be happy as Larry*

* (Larry isn't really that happy, he got made redundant last week)

PS: Parents who think that video games cause violence should look at the fact that if they don't let their kids play on games (violence or no violence) with other kids, they become depressed and eventually can't take it.. besides it's the future, I say: "Live with it"

You do realize America probably has the lightest form of video game censorship out of any country, yes? Our only real law is you cant sell it to minors. Which is hardly enforced.

 

[CJ1145]

Survey says: "Uninformed idiots are uninformed". Yes, yes they are.

Fitting avatar.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

54% of american adults can be represented by this here graphic

on a side note, I'm really wondering how is that possible, I mean, holy shit

No, the 54% of adults in the survey can be represented there. They certainly don't take up enough of the US population to accurately represent the entire country. I mean, come on. The US population is 310,714,523. 1000 is a pathetically inadequate sample.

 

[Delusibeta]

Ah yes, because a large group of uninformed people's opinions are FAR better then someone who actually studies this kind of stuff legitimately.

Meh. If your website has a number of videos in which your founder (or at least a representative) appears in Fox News and if you're a polling company, expect some flak at the very least.

 

[Zechnophobe]

The correlation listed int he OP here is not very strong. Just because violence rates have gone down while game exposure goes up doesn't mean they are somehow linked.

I mean, the sheer number of other variables at state there makes such a comparison pretty silly. I'm sure Cell phone usage has increased greatly too, does that mean... cell phone usage causes more video game exposure? Or... less violence?

 

[Bat Vader]

Most Americans believe in a giant living in the clouds too, but we try not to laugh at them for that!

No offence, but that's like a middle finger to christians & catholics, next time, THINK before you do anything.(coincidentally, that is just what those adults need to do).

No offence, but you assume I worry whether crazy people have hurt feelings over their "special stories" and it's HILARIOUS that i'm being TOLD TO THINK in relation to stupid superstitions LOL

If you don't believe in something that other people believe in that is fine but don't make fun of them for it. Just because someone does believe in god or some other type of higher power does not make them crazy.

On Topic: It is pretty good that a majority of the people who took the survey agree it is the responsibility of the parent to determine what limit of violence their child can see.

 

[iblis666]

i love how people think that video game violence = violence in society, when in reality video game violence is a nonviolent outlet for the violent tendencies in all of us and as we humans crowd this world we are going to need that outlet more and more.

 

[Sixties Spidey]

[blockquote] 1* How concerned are you about the level of violence in many video games today?[/blockquote]

Every video game has levels of violence in someway shape or form. Yes, even punching an avatar in Wii Sports. Tell me how violence in video-games today is different from violence in the 8-16 bit era. Or even for that matter, a game on the Atari based on fucking a Native American on a cactus?

[blockquote]2* Do violent video games lead to more violence in our society?[/blockquote]

There are other factors. Blaming it one thing is fucking childish. Likewise, what about irresponsible parents, or people who were brought up in a horrible background? What about people who've been psychologically affected?

And besides, what about the idea that games are a stress reliever than anything? Games are, if anything, cathartic by nature. Can't the same be said about films?


[blockquote]3* Should states be allowed to prohibit the sale or rental of violent video games to minors?[/blockquote]

Do you think that makes a difference when there are other ways for a child to get a game through? Case in point: Through his friends? I doubt it would do anything but make it worse. Even if you were to place bars, what are the odds that a child would get Grand Theft Auto anyway? Chances are pretty damned high. Besides, EB Games is using this practice, and as far as I'm concerned it hasn't changed a fucking thing. Kids will get anything they want no matter how hard you try to protect them.


[blockquote]4* Who is more responsible for limiting the amount of sex and violence children are exposed to in video games ? video game makers, the government or parents? [/blockquote]

Parents should have the proper knowledge to know what is right and what is wrong for their child in the same way that they are for other forms of media. Videogames are no different. End of fucking story.