Your Stance on Video Gaming's Effects on Daily Life

[spike021]

Have you or someone you know ever found a game so distasteful and worthless that was blamed for a criminal's actions? Many people are turning to this endeavor lately and much can be said for the way it works in the world.

Over the last few years, many media sites of came up with a stance (for lack of a better word) on video games. I remember just a couple years ago when GTA: San Andreas came out and all of the major news networks from around the US were blaming crimes on what this game brought to the table, or as we would call it: the screen.

Blood, gore, language, sex, and much, much, more is involved in most games on the market today. Some, such as Manhunt 2, have been banned in certain regions. But is this really the cause for people to break into a criminalistic path in the world? You hear about a late teens kid breaking into a car and hijacking it... What do the authorities blame it on? Yep... video games. But is it really even remotely related to the subject of electronics in general? What about books? Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler is said to have spawned violence and the like into the minds of the German Nazis. Why is it, that while books are banned in certain regions, they still seem to go unnoticed in the world?

Could a criminal have phycological problems that relate to this? For instance, they have great fear of a mortal enemy and find that the video game, Bully, correlates with this? They might decide to take up a bat to defend themselves, or worse.


This is something that's been on my mind for quite a while and decided it could make for some interesting discussion.

 

[Bran]

No, it's like Rapelay, people are banning it just cause it's horribly distasteful but it's not gonna make people want to go rape chicks. Especially cause you can get horribly stabbed to death if you are not careful... or ran over by a train.

...and no I don't know that from experience... of course not... Fuck you I was curious.

 

[Zx30]

Here is my stance.

Videogames are meant to make you feel part of a world that does not exist.
If a videogame influences you to do something as extreme as killing someone, then that person needs help.

 

[Zero]

Pretty much every form of entertainment can have some sort of negative impact on society. I think video games get treated badly because they're new and most of the aged population did not have them, thus they get treated badly as they have not experienced it first hand but have a presumption that it has a worse impact than other mediums.

 

[Seth]

I feel video games have trained me very well for a post apocalyptic world(fallout 3/others),A world for 4 small pucks can take on a evil boss 8 times there size and power and somehow still win(Alot of rbg mainly disgaea).A world where if I ever get trapped on a spaceship and am left there to be killed by things but if I have a shop that let me buy guns and upgrades, I can go back to living the same crappy life I have before(dead space). They have trained me to use a AK-47 and to sprint for long distances to gain a flag and get points(cod4).They have trained me to live in mid evil times(oblivion/others) ,fight threw WW2 as many times as it takes(3/5 5 shoots for last gen and this gen),Fight in mordren times(cod 4),and even take on the future wars that may never be(gears,halo,killzone).They show me if I have one wired ability and a avenges for revenge that I can talk down 10000 of guards and solders if for the sake of killing the guy who killed me dad.THey shown me that I can play football, Basketball,hockey,stake board(darkness,dark sector),or drive a car better than ever if I play then 60 bucks for a slitly new mode of football.Hell they even trained me to be a god and due to the world what I feel like.(every ea game that sells)

If someone truly wish to blame video games for all this,then maybe they dont want me to live,be a rockstar or sports player,a freak,a soldier,a god. After all I think having a jobless hopeless life or haveing your only son be taken away from you for the sake of fighting in a war makes people more violent that a game ever could. and let not forget that in all the studys ever done on this not one can link video games to people becoming more violent.

 

[Teowulf]

As aforementioned, if someone resorts to violence as a result of a video game, chances are they had problems to begin with. To me, nothing relieves stress like shooting the head off of an enclave soldier and seeing it explode in a bloody mess.

 

[Adiuvo]

If you blame video games for the actions of an individual you are giving the people who made him that way a free pass. Video games are not a substitute for real life, or even come close to it, so they can't influence a person's mindset in real life. Other factors are always involved, such as abuse or neglect. Blaming video games is a cop out, and used just to make things simpler.

 

[Robby]

I don't think violent video games affect a user negatively.
Last year I had to write a 7-page paper on why video games are bad. Oh my, that was horrible.

 

[Joey]

Stupid people do stupid things, and will eventually be influenced by something (movies, books, games) to do that stupid thing. This does not mean we should ban all objectionable media.

Case Closed.

 

[spike021]

I agree with all of the opinions that have been posted. For someone to decide to go the video game route, it's just not right. I remember a CSI: Miami (I know) episode a few years back. Basically there was a game that wasn't quite GTA, and this group of guys decided to "play" it by robbing a bank, killing someone, etc. I definitely think that someone has to already have problems for this to happen, almost like they have nothing else to do, so they figure that they should try this. Either that, or they use video games as a religion, I don't know if anyone from the forums is like this, but you know the gamers who play hours on end drinking multiple energy drinks, no? Imagine people like this, but a bit worse off, they're probably even more likely to do it I'd imagine.

 

[Zx30]

I agree with spike on

I definitely think that someone has to already have problems for this to happen

part.

Something has to be wrong with the individual way before he ever began to play videogames. Maybe it's the videogame that finally tipped him over the edge on becoming a psycho...but then you have to think, if something as simple as a video game tipped him off the scale something else would of done it eventually.
Just take a look at movies now a days. Most contain violence and guns. Some movies are even more gorier than videogames, yet I've never heard a "[insert movie here] made me do it" quote ever.
People just want to find something to bitch about. The videogame isn't the problem here. Something is wrong with the kid.

 

[spike021]

Plus, I forgot to mention, the video game is interactive. So many people can identify with characters/etc from them. All it takes is someone to immerse themselves into the ideology of one hero [insert random video game hero here]. Imagine someone who loves the God of War series. I know well that this game is only just that, but what if someone believes otherwise? That there is/was a real God of War? Or that you just need to bash the head of someone you hate in until they're a pulp?

IF someone were to play games nonstop, I would believe that eventually they would lose all sense of time-perspective [see Philip Zimbardo's theories on the human mind]. They might see themselves as the story itself. What if they began to see similarities everywhere between life and games? What would they do? It could almost(and I don't know the specifics about it) be a mental breakdown. From what I do know of them, basically the person loses all sense of self.

 

[Slasher]

Children from a young age should be taught basic rules of conduct and values by their parents. If videogames honestly influence a kid enough to commit for example a crime, then this framework is obviously not there and the parents are not doing their job.

I played GTA3 at what most would consider a young age (It must've been grade 5 or something), and it's not like it influenced me in the least because I already knew that what I was playing was just a game for entertainment and in no way would it ever be acted out by me. My parents did their job, and in turn, I knew my shit.

If a kid starts playing GTA3 and his parents happen to be the type that don't care for their child like they should be, then who knows maybe this kid will get some ideas and the game just might be the influencing factor in his decisions. Honestly though, the same could be said for movies, television, and just about anything in modern society. It's not just games.

 

[Robby]

I agree with all of the opinions that have been posted. For someone to decide to go the video game route, it's just not right. I remember a CSI: Miami (I know) episode a few years back. Basically there was a game that wasn't quite GTA, and this group of guys decided to "play" it by robbing a bank, killing someone, etc. I definitely think that someone has to already have problems for this to happen, almost like they have nothing else to do, so they figure that they should try this. Either that, or they use video games as a religion, I don't know if anyone from the forums is like this, but you know the gamers who play hours on end drinking multiple energy drinks, no? Imagine people like this, but a bit worse off, they're probably even more likely to do it I'd imagine.

I just saw that episode this weekend.

 

[Adiuvo]

IF someone were to play games nonstop, I would believe that eventually they would lose all sense of time-perspective [see Philip Zimbardo's theories on the human mind]. They might see themselves as the story itself. What if they began to see similarities everywhere between life and games? What would they do? It could almost(and I don't know the specifics about it) be a mental breakdown. From what I do know of them, basically the person loses all sense of self.

Possibly, but I think the only way that can happen would be for the person to have no social interaction at all, and that's pretty hard to do. Assuming they live alone, the person would need to buy food, water, work, and of course buy the games. They would still have a connection to the real world, and experience what real people are like.

If they lived with their parents, then the parents would serve as the social beings. To me, becoming so addicted to gaming that it eventually substitutes for real life is impossible, since real life will always be there.

 

[spike021]

Possibly, but I think the only way that can happen would be for the person to have no social interaction at all, and that's pretty hard to do. Assuming they live alone, the person would need to buy food, water, work, and of course buy the games. They would still have a connection to the real world, and experience what real people are like.

Well, there are ways against what you're saying here. Some supermarkets provide ways to order groceries/etc online and have them delivered, removing some interaction. Games can easily be purchased online, as many of us surely do.

If they lived with their parents, then the parents would serve as the social beings. To me, becoming so addicted to gaming that it eventually substitutes for real life is impossible, since real life will always be there.

Would you say that Second Life is a form of game? Bingo. Anyone who classifies Second Life as a game can agree with this. From what I've seen/heard, quite a few people spend 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week on Second Life and devote all of their energy to doing so. Which does make this seem entirely possible.

On another note, we are drifting more towards children/teens here which are impacted just as much. But yes, that is also entirely true.

 

[Adiuvo]

Second Life is a real life simulator. You can't murder people like you can in GTA, or do anything illegal. You're also interacting with real people during the game, despite them being behind an avatar. Nothing bad can really come from Second Life, because you can't do anything bad in Second Life.