Short article about violence and video games

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Short article about violence and video games; Please give critique
Topic Started: Apr 28 2010, 03:19 PM (719 Views)
DJ Dizzy	Apr 28 2010, 03:19 PM Post #1
Junior Member Posts: 20 Group: Member Member #24 Joined: Jun 9 2009	BFG: Big Fucking Gun While the internet and the gaming industry have been almost synonymously connected with youth violence by Research-illiterate , and the degree of censorship is ever increasing, the rate of crime has gone down. Some people chose to ignore this fact, and continues to spout their biblical nonsense that apocalypse will occur tommorow if we do not ban video games. That list of people include, our very own, much beloved (Not): Jack Thompson, Hillary Clinton and the Australian Government. These people seemingly ignore the fact that real research has been conducted, and what that research shows it that crime has infact gone down over the last couple of years. Coupled with the fact that gaming has become so common, that the argument that the perpetrators of X crime played Y game for Z amount of time can no longer be used, except by people who still think that having an X-box in ones home automatically makes you a domestic terrorist and a threat to society. If we take a look at the columbine massacre, which was a terrible, terrible thing that killed dozens, one of the arguments used was that the killers trained themselves, using the game doom, a first person shooter, developed in 1993. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but in 1993, the graphics couldn't even depict a man without it becoming a pixelated hell-hole that bore no resemblance to a real man in any way what-so-ever. Now to me as a writer and gamer, that just seems so stupid to even conceive that someone could think like that. You have to wonder, are these people serious? Are they playing a joke? Or are they just that stupid? But that is not all these illiterate fuckwads have done. In 2008 six teenagers were arrested, the police and other peers claimed that they had trained and been inspired by using the game Grand Theft Auto 4, and if I may just quote Wikipedia directly: “There have been reports in the United Kingdom and the United States of crimes perpetrated against people purchasing Grand Theft Auto IV, as well as employees of stores selling the game. One of these incidents, an attack near a Gamestation store in Croydon, London was later reported to be an unrelated argument between two groups of people leaving a pub and the story has been referred to as a "media panic."” And that brings me to another big problem when it comes to youth violence being blamed on video games; the media. Fear sells, so does panic, and the public panic that occurs when a school shooting occurs is immense, and the public needs a scapegoat, so they choose that which can't defend itself, video games. It is easy to instill fear using big words and hiding behind the face of authority. But while the TV stations like Fox News does not seem to care about research, some stations do however, but still they have to comform to what sells since obviously, they need money. One of the things that I described earlier in this article, is the crime rate going down. Part of this is because video games provides a medium for children and young adults to socialize in and a place for them to make new friends, however cheesy that may sound, it is true. Another part of the crime rate going down, is that the society as a whole has changed over time, better education, social offers like sports and extra-curricular subjects such as art and so on. For example, in the poorer parts of USA, youths are starting to box, and in an interview with one of them, he said that it was probably boxing that kept him out of a gang, one of the biggest problems in the USA today. But video games are an illogical choice for a scapegoat for gang violence, since most of the people that live under the poverty line cannot afford a computer, let alone one for their kid. To sum it all up, Video games are no an acceptable scapegoat, for one, it is illogical, for two, it goes against well documented research, and for three, it seems so stupid that fantasy would influence peoples view of reality, since it is one of the first things we learn as a child, the difference between reality and fantasy. But I don't think that some people realize this and that can be why they want to frame video games, that or they are glory hunting. The other reason can be that they are just plain stupid. Please give critique for this



Ragana	Apr 28 2010, 06:12 PM Post #2
4 8 15 16 23 42 Posts: 1,239 Group: Administrator Member #1 Joined: Oct 16 2008	The gamer side of me definitely agrees with you. The idea of someone being affected by video games, especially in such a drastic way is simply ludicrous.. Yet, people react to certain stimulants in different ways. Whether its biological or psychological, there will always be one out of many that snaps. Much like people prone to seizures, any factor can set someone off, and on the rare (and unfortunate) occasions, it can be a video game. Yes, gamers and the industry as a whole has become a scapegoat for today's society but ruling out the issue completely is just not practical. Thanks, Tommy Edited by Ragana, Aug 1 2010, 12:17 PM.
	"A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you- stand, Men of the West! "


Mdogg1337	Jul 31 2010, 06:34 PM Post #3
Junior Member Posts: 16 Group: Member Member #14 Joined: Jun 8 2009	Hey there Dizzy, I just wanted to say I agree with you. I actually just wrote a persuasive essay for my English course. As Tom said, it is ridiculous that gamers are always being attacked for the violence in video games. I'm a gamer, (obviously) and to me, my favorite games are the violent ones. They're something to do for fun and it's a way to escape reality in a way, because I am not going to go out and kill people, I can do it in the game, so to speak. Point being, if anything, violent video games would prevent violence in the streets because kids can sit and play violent games and take their "rage" out on the pixels on the screen. It's just getting old, and I'm really tired of hearing about how violent games are always being called into question with violence in the streets. Parents just need to take responsibility for their kids and especially if they're unstable, don't let them get their hands on the shit. //end rant. Thanks for listening, Matt.
	Ready to fight, ready to kill; ready to die, but never will. Matt - Guild Master of Insert Catchy Name Here


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