By Fareed Zakaria
Vice President Joe Biden was meeting video game representatives yesterday as the Obama administration and the U.S. public grapples with the question of gun crime – and why it is so much more prevalent in America than other rich countries.
The oft-debated premise behind such talks is clear. Young males weaned on a diet of violent and graphic images, it is argued, are more likely to engage in deadly violence themselves.
But the actual data suggests something quite different.
Last month, The Washington Post compared spending on video games and gun-related homicide rates in 10 countries.
“The search for meaning is a natural response to any tragedy, and the latest U.S. mass shooting is eliciting questions about, among other things, the potential role of violent video games. After all, with kids and increasingly teenagers spending so much time hammering away at simulated shooters, is it any wonder when they pick up actual guns?” wrote the Washington Post’s Max Fisher. “Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod lamented on Twitter, ‘In NFL post-game: an ad for shoot ‘em up video game. All for curbing weapons of war. But shouldn’t we also quit marketing murder as a game?’”
Presumably, then, if violent video games somehow translated into more deadly gun-related behavior you would expect the United States – which has far and away the highest levels of gun-related murders per capita – to be the biggest spender on such games. But this is not the case. In fact, according to the Post’s figures, U.S. spending per capita is ahead of only China. The Netherlands and South Korea spend more than twice as much per capita on video games, yet gun murder rates in these two countries are far, far lower than those in the United States. Japan, which has some of the most graphically violent games and animation in the world, has violent crime rates that are a fraction of those in the United States.
Yes, the relationship between popular culture and violence is complicated. And yes, we can quibble with the way different countries report crimes. But neither of these facts gets anywhere near explaining the differences between gun murder rates in the U.S. and those in its peers.
As with almost everything relating to this conversation on gun violence, it is extremely helpful to start with facts.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Haha! Pubic!
The reality is that this is not a simple problem, which means there is no "pat" solution. We have political correctness running awry (which makes people push down their real feelings and thoughts); we have a society that recognizes mental health issues but either marginalizes them or offers too much support (i.e. – if you throw a tv through a wall, you should not get a new one for free). We also have an education system that has been steadily declining (and yes, that's because of the cost of education and very poor choices on the part of our purported representatives in Washington).. I could go on but it doesn't matter until WE THE PEOPLE begin to really raise a voice and challenge DC to make real, viable changes that have nothing to do with special interest groups, but rather our COUNTRY
I would bet nearly every victim in history, dead or alive, wishes they had a gun at the time, to protect themselves
Way to go, Trish; I agree completely. There was an NPR discussion that aired shortly after Sandy Hook, and it included some very good information about mental health services: their availability, the preference for simply handing out psychotropic drugs, the incredible decline in the number of mental health beds, etc.
Incredibly insightful comment. Too often as a society we are always looking for some THING to blame for the ills we see around us. We need to look no further than cancer to see that there is never just one cause, there are more ideas on how people get cancer than there are types of cancer, and there isn't one treatment either. If we can set aside the need to find a single point of failure in our society we can really begin to have a conversation about where we've been and where we want to go as a nation.
Agreed!
Trish:
I agree with you on most points in education. We spend more money per child than any other nation, but have the worst results. Schools do not need more money. We need to reevaluate how and what we are teaching our children. Just because everyone deserves an education does not mean we try to teach everyone the same. If a child is not going to understand complicated math don’t try and force them to learn it just brings down the whole class. There are other options like vocational training instead of an education.
Reasonable words Trish. But when I scan the hundereds of other comments I'm totally not impressed.
The data shows that other modern countries have equally violent games and media but a fraction of the violence.
It's obvious that our modrn erra of totally unlimited gun access is the cause. All those other countries restric guns. Clear as could be.
Why do common folk need automatic firearms? Your greedy pleasures are the cause and all NRA members should feel the guilt. You can have your hunting riffles and basic hand guns; the rest is radical crap. It's called extremism! There is always a victum. NRA is the cause, may the guilt sink in. Your sick pleasures allow the killing of innocent children.
And the idea that having a gun would prevent these mass murders is obviously lame. By the time the do-gooder gun slinger gets involved its way too late.
Trish, okay, so what's the first step so WE THE PEOPLE begin to really raise a voice and challenge DC to make real, viable changes that have nothing to do with special interest groups, but rather our COUNTRY. Talk is cheap, I challenge you to get us started.
Not to mention we never really had astounding mental healthcare. Read "mad in America" and "on killing."
There was more suicides by military personnel than there was murders by assault rifles, and far, far, far, more suicides all across the USA than by assault rifles. 1% of murders were by assault rifles, 49% by handguns, 39% by knives or other sharp objects, 6% by hammers or other blunt objects, 4% by hand (choking, etc.), 2% by sport rifle/shotgun, and 1% by assualt rifles. Yes, yes, we can solve the problem by banning assault rifles. The lightbulbs are very, very dim.
Gun manufacturers should develop finger print scanners for guns – that limit access to them to certain people. The technology is there, they should use it.
In the 80's it was Ozzy's music NOT or video games it's the parents
Ozzy or Judas Priest, I remember when 2 kids try to kill themselves and when they failed they blamed Judas Priest music. Something like playing the record backwards made them do it. This video game thing is just another example of people not wanting to take personal responsibility.
way to go there Queen, btw i like the name.
This logic in this article is purely anecdotal and not based any any empirical evidence.
In a 2009 report, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared, "The evidence is now clear and convincing: Media violence is one of the causal factors of real-life violence and aggression."
Sounds like their "clear and convincing" conclusion is opinion. When data support facts, it's easier to present the data and leave subjectivity out of it.
Then why do South Korea and the Netherlands have much higher rates of video game consumption than the US but much lower rates of violent crime?
The article doesn't address this... What is the "media" environment like in South Korea and the Netherlands? Do they have the same violent movies and TV shows that we have? We seem to be forgetting that Hollywood has become far more graphic with their violence – which our children are exposed to. We've lowered our standards in what our children (and ourselves for that matter) are subject to.
I would agree that video games are not "the" culprit – but they violent video games play a role. But what also plays a role is the graphic and gratuitous violence of Hollywood and our society's inability to deal with problems effectively without the use of "medication".
Funny thing is – our need for "gun control" has absolutely nothing to do with the guns themselves. We've always had guns in this country. Day 1. But it's easier for us to fixate on "taking the guns away" to give ourselves a false sense of security, rather than it's our own habits and inadequacies are causing this problem. Tell Hollywood to cut down the violence and stop taking a pill everytime we have a problem. Sometimes the best cure for depression and sadness is to get ouy and help others – rather than popping a pill.
Which is why the murder rate is exactly half of what it was 20 years ago when home video game consoles were released.
On the contrary, it is exactly what the article does. It presents empirical data. Most people in the media tries use logic based on one incident to argue for or against gun control. The author points to empirical data to argue that violent video games is not a significant cause.
If you look further into empirical studies, you'll find that mental illness is not a significant cause of gun violence either, The only significant cause is the availability of firearms.
The 2009 AAP has been discredited for it's many factual errors (inflating greatly the number of studies, failing to cite any of the many studies that disagreed with their position, repeating urban legends like the effects are similar to important medical effects). The American Academy of Pediatrics has long since lost credibility on this issue
......because of the violence in media and entertainment, I suppose that humans have always been playing video games and watching television, for as long as we have been roaming planet Earth.
@avoiceinmyhead:
"If you look further into empirical studies... mental illness is not a significant cause of gun violence either, The only significant cause is the availability of firearms."
The availability of firearms CAUSES gun violence? I don't think you have a proper understanding of empiricism or causality.
Think multi-factorial. Guns x Violent video games x Untreated mental illness = mayhem.
Take one out of the equation and the mayhem drops. Since the US is not going to give up its guns, we need to concentrate on the other two factors. Remember that the untreated mentally ill may view violent video games far differently than a mentally healthy person.
When I worked on a locked psych ward as a med student, people would stampede towards the phones when the late night television hucksters said, "Call NOW for your..." Imagine what the untreated mentally ill teen takes away from endless loops of violent video games.
Yes, exactly! If you isolate one variable and then consider one data point (in the aggregate no less) then you can "prove" anything about anything. The fact is that violent games are the norm, I have to have my kids shield their eyes from the TV when a "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" promo plays on a commercial during a football game, and regularly ad spots feature gun violence. Unreal how anyone could possibly think there is not a connection.
Dixie,
Your anecdotal evidence doesn't stand a chance against hard, cold data. Google 'US murder rate per capita over time" and you will see that the US murder rate has fallen steadily since 1991 (when most Americans started buying home game consoles.) In 1991 there were 10 murders per 100,000 people and now there are only 5 murders per 100,000 people.
Before video games they blamed music, before music they blamed books. Blame anything except the parent that raised the psychopath. I grew up with guns and violent video games, I also had an attentive caring parent. I am now a successful adult.
PARENTS RAISE PSYCHOPATHS NOT THE TOYS THEY GIVE THEM.
Mr. Zakaria
You are not connecting the dots my friend. I would bet that all of the countries ranking ahead of the US in buying violent video games do not allow such easy access to guns/assault weopons to children (or adults for that matter). This makes transitioning or stepping to the next level more difficult. My wife is Dutch, and I know how stringent they are about gun ownership!
Good point. That isn't addressed in the article.
Yes, Mr. Zakaria is connecting the dots. In a recent OpEd piece in the Washington Post he clearly showed by the example of other western-style democracies that if you take away guns (no matter the other factors) you will end up with having hardly any gun shot victims. He also mentioned that mental illness is equally or not quite as well treated in other countries as here. It's not a factor. I see this article as a reiteration: violent video games are obviously just another red herring. The real issue/problem is excessive gun ownership, period.
Actually you see the same data if you look at simple assaults (i.e. no guns,) so Zakaria's argument still holds.
So you are saying these nations would have comparable (greater actually, since they play more violent games) rates of gun violence, if guns were available?
What about knife violence? If violent games are the cause, then wouldn't these people just inflict violence by any available means? Knives and fists are weapons options in most violent video games!
Fareed is right. There is no casualty link proven between violence in video games and violence in the streets. Period.
Mr. Zakaria
You are not connecting the dots my friend. I would bet that all of the countries ranking ahead of the US in buying violent video games do not allow such easy access to guns/assault weopons to children (or adults for that matter). This makes transitioning or stepping to the next level more difficult. My wife is Dutch, and I know how stringent they are about gun ownership!
You also do not define whether you are discussing all visdeo game purchases or ony "violent" games, however one defines that.
You're betting? Do you have empirical data to support your claim as does the article?
Yes, the problem with the Washington Post article is that the data is for all video games, not violent video games. You can't draw a conclusion when you don't start with the facts.
Google gun laws in the Netherlands and South Korea and you will find out why there are fewer gun murders in those countries than in the US despite heavier purchases of violent videos in Netherlands and S. Korea. Guns are severely restricted in these countries. I favor the second amendment, but favor background checks. I believe violent movies,video games and music corrupt our youth and lead to irresponsible behavior. The entertainment industry deserves condemnation for degrading our culture.
Gun violence isn't the only form of violence, though.
Supporters of the 'video game' theory are ignoring that. If games make you violent, then the countries that play the most games should have the highest murder rates overall, right?
These video games don't lead to violence as the stats show.
In fact, I would argue they provide an outlet to someone committing violence.
Does providing someone a punching bag increase/promote violence or simply provide someone with an outlet to express the anger they have? Video games are the same way..........and I would contend they are actually an outlet for people to express vent. I know when I'm stressed or angry, playing something like God of War or Assassins Creed most certainly takes the edge off and destresses me. In a society of high stress, would you rather have someone killing someone in simulation or in real life. You take away the video games and you take away an outlet for people and I guarantee all you'll see is the rate of violent crimes increase.
"My Child, many a sinful thought and desire was brought in your soul by your curiosity to see things. This fault draws you toward the dangerous attractions of the world. The memory stores up pictures of what is scene, and in a sense makes these pictures a part of you."
It's the prevalent (ab)use of prescription drugs/medications in the US, eroding the brains of our youth. The US over-prescribes and poisons our kids, resulting in suicidal tendencies.
Good catch, Sean. I just discovered the same thing. Gun ownership in The Netherlands and South Korea is limited to the military.
Fareed, I'm surprised.
These countries have far lower violence and crime rates overall. The availability of guns is irrelevant.
Playing Assassins Creed does not appear to cause the youth of these other countries to go on violent stabbing sprees with readily available knives.
Violent video games, combined with isolation, poor diet, lack of sun exposure, lack of exercise and broken family ARE the cause of what happened in CT and other places. Take away VVG and none of the other elements create a mass murderer.
If someone would have given him some Vitamin D, then this never would have happened, then. 10-4.
And all these PHD's and MD's are telling us these cases are so complex... They should just read your post, problems solved!
To all my Liberal common sense friends,
Our President makes me feel very safe by getting rid of all those evil weapons, but he needs to get rid of all evil things including video games. I know that video games make our children want to kill every living sole because our children are becoming or are already desensitized. I will never let my young or old children play those evil games. I now that President Obama will do the right thing by banning all evil video games that promote evil and evil violence too. Join me to outlaw violent video games! Write your President!
Thank you Mr. President and team.
That would be a violation of freedom of expression.
You are not using common sense. You are making a statement that is not true, that banning video games will fix the issue. It will not. It would erode civil liberties for all the law abiding citizens that enjoy video games. It would not decrease violence.
The problem is that you cherry picked 10 Western countries with low crime rates and compared that to the entire USA. If we're going to do that, why don't we cherry pick the best US States for that like New Hampshire, Vermont and Hawaii which all have lower gun violence than the Europe. If you were to compare, Europe to the US as a whole, the result would be very different. Imagine taking into account the unrest in Russia and Kosovo, that would really impact your results. Fareed, the facts are the facts but you can't cherry pick which facts you do and don't include in your analysis.
So, if we stop the selling of video games that simulate war, does that mean our government will stop going to war as well?
I think we all know the answer to that. The issue isn't the games.. it's how we have let our culture degenerate.
I find it interesting that we can blame learned behavior in the home for future violence and other anti-social behavior, but when someone spends hours a day participating in violent video games that also send the message violence is good their exposure has nothing to do with their mental problems. There are also many studies that prove constant exposure does influence us. It just doesn't compute that constantly playing death games, where the good guy/victim uses extreme violence to get back at the bad guys/victimizers would not influence immature minds.
What influnences immature mind more in a negative manner?
A. Killing a characer in video game.
B. Killing a live deer, duck, etc using a real gun with real blood spilled.
C. Walking your dog and/or feeding your cat.
D. Eating more vegetables instead french fries.
To the medieval mind, it did not compute that the earth could possibly revolve around the sun – no the earth must be the center of all creation. That did not make them right. I suggest looking at some real crime data, such as the DOJ/FBI Uniform Crime Reports and specifically compare violent crime rates by year for the last 25 years. "Realistic" violent video games can be said not to exist prior to about 1994 (iirc, Mortal Kombat and Doom). Obviously violent video games have become much more realistic, much more violent, and much more widespread since then. Has violent crime gone up? No, it hasn't. Its gone down a lot. Media attention tends to make people feel we are living in more violent times, but in reality we are living in the safest. Crimes are just being recorded and brought to your attention "better."
"If it bleeds, it leads." That's the news media's working motto. We live in the safest time of history, violent crime has dropped more than 50% in the last decade according to FBI statistics (while gun ownership has gone up). Research it yourself. Don't be duped into living in fear. Just remember, you are your first responder, are laws there to enable you to do this or do they make you a criminal for wanting to have the ability to defend yourself and your family? Why the focus on AR ban when AR account for a small fraction of crimes committed? Think people.
Governments don't go to war unless the people agree to it. They just don't willy nilly say, hey, lets go to war.
Nope.
It is the military industial complex that decides when to go to war.
The people get to finance that war and fight in that war.
Hmm, I dont remember people voting on a war in my lifetime. Hell we haven't declared war since the 1950s... Hell its not like the invasion of Iraq was done on a whim, I mean we had sound intelligence and they were totally linked to 9-11 right? I swear for some reason my memory of that is slightly different.
Ever hear of a guy named George Bush Jr.?
Did you ever hear of John F. Kennedy and Vietnam?
Derek — I don't remember a declaration of war in the 1950s. You may be thinking of Korea, but that was never declared a war by Congress. I believe the last time Congress declared war was in December 1941, after Pearl Harbor.
Unfortunately, Congress does, all too often, pass resolutions, etc., authorizing military action overseas; that is not the same as a declaration of war. It's just another example of Congress being wishy-washy and wanting to have it both ways.
Do you really believe that? Maybe I am wrong but I do not think the American People asked before we went into Vietnam. and if you would like many more examples research it.
I am pretty sure "Perfectville" only exists at Walgreens. LMAO
Actually, violent video games are just another factor to violent crime. These games are an influential factor because, they occupy the mind in antisocial behavior. Young kids, need to be learning how to adapt to their social enviorenment. They need to learn what is like to try hard and fail. Unfortunately, life is not like a video game where you can just simply tap the reset button. Video games still valuable time for young kinds to socialize in real time. But, ultimately the video game industry fills their pockets selling antisocial games, shouldn't they be held responsible for promoting an educational program to teach proper parental approaches? Tobbacco, and alcohol are required to do it. Isn't this an appropriate responsible civil approach? Same goes to the NRA, firearm industry, ammunition, and music industry?
First of all, video games all have a rating on them. The parents have to buy these games for minors because it is illegal for a minor to purchase them. Blame the parents for buying graphically violent material for their kids, not the video game makers themselves.
I hate it when games are even hinted at as a cause of violence. I just shows gross closed mindedness.
I have been playing violent games since I was 12. I'm now 40. I have killed exactly 0 people.
Those that use games as an excuse for their violence are weak and unbalanced already. In a case like that, if the games did not exist, they would have found something else to blame for their OWN behavior.
And for that matter, Hey parents, try actually raising your kids instead of letting the TV/PS3/XBox360 do it for you.
Before we go blaming everyone else for the actions of criminals and retards, explain to me how violent crimes have dropped more than 50% over the last decade while sales of guns and violent video games have gone up??!! Maybe it's time we acknowledge that there will always be a percentage of us who are f*** up no matter the environment and we should take steps to address their actions when they come knocking on our doors or our schools.
I agree that kids need real social interaction (texting, Facebook, and video games don't count), but I would like to point out that video games are no longer an antisocial activity. Quite the opposite, in fact. Multiplayer games where you work as a group, such as World of Warcraft, require teamwork and communication. Companies are actually adding social aspects to single-player games. The Sims 3, for example, allows players to share messages about what they've accomplished in-game, send friends gifts, and use provided tools make and publish stories that the community can comment on.
About video games making people more violent in general, I've noticed that I've indeed become desensitized. But ONLY to video game violence. Real violence, and even some gory movie violence, still makes me feel sick (I laugh as I blow a enemy's head apart and an eyeball flies at me in Fallout 3, but have to look away when someone stabs someone else in the eye with a screwdriver in a horror movie). Just sharing my personal experience.
as with all media bull, you must realize the deception. Most games per capita, not most violent games per capita. Also if there are no negitive effects why do we give games ratings?
Yes, we must not blame the video games or anything else on the current problems in our society. Let's face it, we're living in a sick society nowadays and not all the gun control laws in the world will change that! If anyone truly wants to go on a shooting rampage, they're going to do it no matter what!
It is easy to blame everything but the real issue. Mental health has been a non subject for so long and now we want to blame it all on games, guns etc.
If the solution to prevent people being killed by drivers texting all phione s would be seized!
It is easy to blame everything on mental health and plead insanity. Gun violence ruins families. CEOs of big corporations with their greed ruins many more families. If root cause of gun violence is mental issue, then criminal CEOs are far bigger mental issues. May be all CEOs should have their psych examined every 3 months, and should be put in mental hospital at the slightest sign of mental issue.
Let's just call a spade a spade here folks...other countries have games and guns and don't have the issues. Gun owners are pointing the finger at mental health and everywhere they can to shift blame. But that's not realistic either, look at the garbage this country went through with Obamacare..and they are going to push for mental health care? (they never have, never will). The biggest problem we have in this country are media outlets that have divided this country into extremism with lies and manipulation of facts, our society has become toxic and we all know why. You see it everywhere....you want to fix mental health in this country, you start by fixing these forces which are driving Americans apart..once you do that, people can find common ground again and work towards practical solutions together.
Lulz. People who shoot things IRL are noobs. Everyone knows RL isn't as fun as games.
^^
Trolls be trollin'
Why is there so much violence in the US in regards to guns? Just look Atty our history. We stole this land using guns, enslaved people with guns and have been at war ever since without a break in between. Want to blame something? Blame the disgusting behavior this country was founded on.
"Why is there so much violence in the US in regards to guns? Just look Atty our history. We stole this land using guns, enslaved people with guns and have been at war ever since without a break in between. Want to blame something? Blame the disgusting behavior this country was founded on."
You must be looking at a different history.
Stole the land? Original settlers came here in the 1600's and lived peacefully. It wasn't until the early 1800's that the move to expand happened. Besides, you c an't steal what is not owned. The Indians resided here but they did not own the land.
Been at war ever since with out a break in between? Again, what reality are you in?
"Blame the disgusting behavior this country was founded on"? You mean the concepts of freedom, liberty and life? Yeah, that real disgusting.
You are clueless.
In the same respect, if the Indians didn't own the land, then we don't own it now either.
Indians lived here but didn't own the land? If I enter an island, setup my won government, and and give myself full rights to the island, does that mean I own the island? Isn't that exactly what happened with original settlers? Come here peacefully, scope out the area, then attack. Just like what the robbers do.
What revisionist history have you been reading where Europeans got along peachy king with Indians until the 1800s?
This is clueless?
Pequot war – 1637 – Native Americans sold into slavery and sent to the West Indies
King Philip's war – 1675 – again, Native American warriors sent to slavery
see this page, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_American_military_history add in this one, too,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_the_United_States
Has any American generation lived in peace? Yes, there were early settlers who lived peacefully with the Native Americans (who had their own conflicts). But, it wasn't long before the europeanish mindset (something akin to sibling quibbling – almost interminable ) spread itself over here.
So, violent games just continue that age-old tendency. You are what you think (gamers think? or is it being an automaton and reactionary boob?).
Heard of 'dirty American' as a concept? Well, that started early as an import. Many fled here to escape things like having their noses split, ear cut off, and more. Guess what? Those who perpetrated these types of things followed, not long after. In fact, note, please, the 1637 date, above.
The fact? Many of those in power now are direct descendants of all of those types, including Barack who was a cousin, many times, of George W. But, the sins of the fathers do not fall on the sons (oh yes, they do so many ways).
I foresee a future for gaming in education, decision making, and such. Too, we most likely will be able to use them to hone characteristics (reward/retribution) necessary for future peace. Consider this, if you would: hell as a no exit (thanks, Sartre) mode from a violent game in which augmented reality enhances the perturbations. Ah, any game would serve such a hell, would it not? Along with the gaming would go altered states, controlled (way more than Aldous thought).
Too, Fareed and his ilk will not be able to deny that there are correlations (note, please, did not mention cause/effect) which will become as visible as the sun (at noon on a clear day – to those with eyes) once the facts are straightened out. Science will get there, eventually.
In the meantime, mockers ought to get their facts straight, to boot.
Wow... Go read a U.S. history book that wasn't published for an 8th grade classroom.
You can't can't claim the nature of human civilization for its entire history as unique to the US. Every piece of inhabitable land has been conquered, stolen, reconquered again, etc. for thousands of years. Get real.
wow.....
So the early settlers did not steal the land because the Indians resided here but didn't own the land? Guess that means that anyone can come and take over the land from the settlers because they didn't own the land they just resided here. Good logic.
No, you are clueless.
"The Indians resided here but did not own the land" RIDICULOUS. Land ownership is a farce supported by government.
The natives living here were first wiped out by disease from the settlers, then manipulation and war. Our country's values are actually "Freedom isn't free, Liberty for the privileged majority, and my Life is worth more than yours." That first one has been used to justify countless unnecessary wars. You may think I hate my country but I'm actually working to fix it... instead of being a war apologist.
Which games? I have been playing games since before N64 and the ones I play use sword, maces, staffs and we slay fantasy creatures... Pretty sure I've not yet blurred the line between reality and virtual and went out seeking trolls to kill in real life.
We didn't steal this land. We beat the natives for it, just like all countries have done, cause we were smarter, braver, better armed and tougher. They lost. Too bad for them, good for us.
White people were more technologically advanced because the Americas were isolated from the rest of the world.
The Chinese invented gunpowder. The Parthians (Iranians) invented plate armor.
Guess what the conquistadors used to conquer South America.
Protip: It had nothing to do with genetic superiority.
And, the "whites" brought disease, obtuseness, plus firewater.
Blame everything under the sun except the real culprit. Bad parenting.
Because other countries don't have bad parenting?
Not nearly as bad as it is in the USA. Look at statistics of single parent households across the world. Most cultures keep their family units together.
January 12, 2013 at 1:41 pm | Reply
So Greg, are you saying that it is "not" bad parenting but single parenting that causes mass killings?
no, bad parenting as in, games like Call of Duty, BattleField, Fallout, Counter-Strike, Left 4 Dead, etc. are ALL M for Mature. Heck, I had Counter-Strike when I was 14, but not 13 because my own parents didn't think I was ready then, but ready when I was 14. I play Call of Duty, but don't have any urges to kill someone. These games are rated accordingly for a reason:Little Kids shouldn't be playing these, and if you blame the games, it's not their fault. The parents had to buy it in the first place and ALLOW them to play them.
And like many other people have said, gun violence has gone done significantly, even after violent video games and more. I still don't think video games have to deal with anything. If so, I must be a farmer and a war hero, because I played Farmville and Call of Duty. See my point there<–??
I think it really points to the WHY they are committing these acts of violence with guns. Mostly, it is out of the inability to handle emotions such as rage or rejection....
AMEN!
"...it is extremely helpful to start with facts." Then why doesn't this reporter try it. A simple study of the FBI files on violent crimes "per capita" is less than half of the U.K., that we hear so much about today. It is amazing to believe this reporter and our government can actually believe, what you spend so much of your life doing will have no affect on your behavior. Yeah, what a bunch of idiots, and eating daily at Mcdonalds will have no adverse affect on your health.
I've played violent video games heavily over the last 20 years and I am completely non-violent. I'd love to point to your hobbies and make stupid statements about them as well, but you'll never tell us what your hobbies are because you're too busy demonizing some other hobby that is literally 100% harmless.
Only ignorance, stupidity and detachment via old age could lead someone to a conclusion as stupid as "video games make you violent."
NRA people can't tell the difference between real gun battle and video game gun battle. When they see a character in video game getting shot, they think a real person got shot.
Just check the per capita numbers of psychotropic and SSRI prescriptions filled in the USA. We trounce other nations in number of pill bottles filled with black label warnings of violence. In 2012 we had almost as many SSRI prescriptions filled as humans in our country.
Good point. Prescription drugs and alcohol are part of the problem too. Both relate too to the woefully inadequate mental health services in the USA where people self medicate rather than get actual treatment. And so does poor parenting and bad diets, poverty, and the culture of violence including films, TV, commercials, and first person shooter video games. But if it were not so easy to get weapons and if we as a nation do not glorify killing by way of our wars in many parts of the world and capital punishment at home, maybe the mental cases would not be able to access automatic weapons, or even think that the way to solve their problems is by shooting other people.
Yes, facts are important, and here's one: The UK's statistics for violent crime include things like simple assault and robbery, which the US does not, so your comparison of the two is invalid.
I think your argument is valid. I played Risk and Monopoly a great deal as I was growing up, and now have great difficulty controlling my compulsions to take over the world and to buy up properties so I can build hotels on them.
You're Donald Trump???!!!
Violent crimes and mass killings are not the same. Which would you like to debate? For the sake of the current debate over mass killings, let's try to stay on topic.
Violent crime per capita in the U.S. is half of the UK? Show me what FBI files say that. The question is what is the definition of a violent crime and what is the murder rate per capita? Don't try and tell me that the UK murder rate and gun violence stats are 1/2 of the U.S. Thats the problem, whether you believe in gun control or not the truth is those developed countries with stricter gun control have far less murders and gun violence. It happens yes, but not to the extent it does in the U.S.
OK, facts. What are the names of the video games are being played where?.
And might I add, PARENTS should be looking at what they are buying for their children and themselves as wreckreation. Violent video games are thoughtless, often degrading to women and minorities. I propose there are better ways to develop and take advantage of whatever cognitive benefits come from playing video games without including the lesson that kill kill kill is a worthwhile skill to develop.
. .
"without including the lesson that kill kill kill is a worthwhile skill to develop."
There is literally not a single mainstream game that is actually teaching people to kill, how to kill, or that killing is good. You're completely ignorant of what you're talking about. Pretty much every last person claiming that video games endorse and cause real-life violence are utterly ignorant of what they are talking about. You should be ashamed for blaming something you don't understand, all out of ignorance and fear.
Watch how children who play video games play with each other, and your ignorance will become informed.
What minorities are portrayed badly, often, in video games? Zombies? Aliens? Terrorists? Stop being stupid.
Well, that explains it right there, we are so insensitive and accepting of violence and hate, we cannot even see it when we are "playing it". no line between reality and the "fun and games".
" no line between reality and the "fun and games""
You are blatantly talking out of your rear! FIND ME ONE HUMAN BEING WHO CANNOT DIFFERENTIATE VIDEO GAMES FROM REALITY. What's that, you can't? Then stop spouting your extreme ignorance. You have *absolutely no idea* what you're talking about yet you pretend you do. Typical idiot.
There are ratings and regulations that are to prevent children from getting violent games, same as getting in to R movies. You want censorship and nothing less. You are demonstrably unamerican.
Ratings are a good start, but parents need to pay more attention to what they buy for their kids and what they allow their kids to play. If the game involves shooting, killing, or maiming something else, parents need to say 'no'. A lot of them don't because they themselves are psychically numb from the steady stream of violence on TV, on the news, on commercials, in films, and by our government in our names. It is complex, but violent video games where killing is the main point even if they involve people that are already dead (zombies) don't help and companies that make these games should start to rethink and give Americans some other options for their spare time that is more creative rather than destructive. They would be better citizens for doing so.
"wreckreation"
…I see what you did there.
Fluoride media is behavioral control is crime.
Your case and the studies cited are not at all convincing that video games do not promote violence. More careful studies are needed that include factors like access to weapons, culture and the laws of each country. There are video games, and there are games that are used to train killers. In fact those studies you cite almost seem meaningless, exactly the result the game industry would want.
You think those killer games have no effect? Who are you kidding?
"There are video games, and there are games that are used to train killers."
NO. THERE. ARE. NOT. You people are complete lunatics for attacking something that you overtly know nothing about. Seriously, your ludicrous religions and religious belief are a greater cause of violence than video games ever will be.
You're all making claims about games that are 100% demonstrably false. You should be ashamed, but you won't be, because your ignorance and stupidity has pushed you beyond the capacity of intellectual shame.
"But what about ARMA hurrrr"
There is no video game in existence that teaches you how to kill someone in real life.
"killer games" Are people using the game disks as some sort of throwing stars to murder people?
I cant find a single case were a person was murdered with a video game. Last I checked firearms killed about 31,000 people last years alone.
Call it training.
;I'd like to make a minor correction. True, as far as I know there has been no video game used to commit blunt trauma murder but guns have been used to kill. It would seem it is not the instrument used but rather the mindset of the user. I do feel that too much time watching TV or playing games does tend to take the mind out of reality. (Too much of a good thing?)
Having been in a war (Vietnam) , I can attest to the fact that for the normal man to kill another human is not a natural thing but I suspect that the mind can be conditioned to accept killing in a manner other a real battlefield. Maybe they need "smell-o-vision" The smell of death never goes away.
I think your argument is valid. I played Risk and Monopoly a great deal as I was growing up, and now have great difficulty controlling my compulsions to take over the world and to buy up properties so I can build hotels on them.
This is especially true of corporate bigwigs. Deep down they all want to be a mustachioed, tophat-wearing fellow with all the 500 dollar bills and the silver sportscar.
Those "killing simulators" used to train killers you seemingly scapegoat are ARMY sims used to train SOLDIERS.
One of them is called "America's Army" if you can believe it.
Since we're all citing info that only serves to give our argument false weight, here's mine: an America's Army player– not a soldier, a guy who just downloaded the game and enjoyed playing it– was actually able to save people in a car wreck because he played medic in that game.
Oh how the NRA and their allies in the media *ahem* FOX news will construe even that story to say that "Man Imitates Killing War Game, Car Crash Involved"
I have played America's Army. It's actually one of the less violent shooting games out there. The focus is on acting carefully and following a method to achieve goals. It's not a trainer of military tactics, more like a trainer on following instructions.
Nothing happens in isolation. I think it's important to use both the availability of weapons in a country plus its expenditures on violent video games as the basis of comparison. If the only weapons available are on screen, the only victims will be on screen.
The problem is education, or lack thereof. Americans in general are ignorant and uneducated.
This is what happens when you spend all your money that should have went to school on bombs.
What these other Countries have that the U.S. has lost ......................... is discipline ................... and parents are parents.
Exactly....
shoot ' em up action videos are so PASSE ' ! !
If you examine the history of mass shootings in the USA, you note that there were very few until the 1970s. Although the semi-automatic 1911 pistol was introduced in, well, 1911, and the M1 Garand and the M1 carbine, both semi-autos, had been widely used in WW2.
Just coincidentally, I'm sure Fareed, that was when the generation that was the first to be fed a constant TV diet of violence came of age.
So again we see the lack of honesty amoung the favored tribunes of the Ministry of Propaganda.
I am a huge gamer and have been since I was about 4 years old hammering away at pac man. Granted these games may have noyhing to do with violent crime.....i have always noticed.a.trend of parents allowing their kids to play these games that are meant for adults. Its called BAD PARENTING. I cant tell you how many times we will be playing call of duty or battlefield 3 and hear some 12 year old on chat asking his mom to make a sandwich. These games are not meant for children and teenagers for one and kill the fun for the adult audience.
ya except, no ones even said that these kids even played video games? Bad parenting, sure. But take the last 4 gunmen from killing sprees, never once has it been said, he's been playing CoD since he was 10. Theres not even a link between them. It's just a stretch for an excuse.
It is *always* the most misinformed and outright ignorant people that are claiming video games make people violent or are training people to be killers. Those statements have no basis in reality and do nothing more than demonstrate how dimwitted, clueless, off-base and misinformed these people are.
"As with almost everything relating to this conversation on gun violence, it is extremely helpful to start with facts"
I agree, so let's review some actual scientific studies: http://everydayeinstein.quickanddirtytips.com/the-science-of-violence.aspx
When we start hearing about thugs budging people to death with playstation and Nintendo ninjas killing folks with nunchuck wiimote combos Im going to maintain that guns are this primary issue when it comes to gun related violence.
It is not fair to blame guns for the violence. A gun is nothing more than a tool. In responsible hands it defends, and provides food.
It is a parents responsibility to dictate what games their children play, or what type of TV shows they watch. Many of these games and TV shows in questions are intended for adults. It very clearly states on the cases of these games that they're intended for adults. Every TV show and movie aired in this country is clearly rated, people should understand that poor parenting is the problem.
You may have stumbled on to something. "Parents responsibility". Our communities are full of responsible parents, And those that have only one parent, (who has to work to provide), requiring someone or some other organization to be the responsible parent. Or maybe allowing the (Government), to be the responsible parent?
Why does USA have so much more gun violence per capita-let's see because they have orders of magnitude more guns available to the public compared to ANY OTHER western country??!!! That is the issue, all the other stuff about videos, background checks, multiple round clips etc is just evading the obvious which is a political non starter in US ie confiscate the weapons!!
Poor scotty.......200,000 lawful guns killed no one today, or yesterday.......
Scotty, I'm sorry I have to disagree. The 2nd amendment is there as a last resort to put a tyrannical government back in its place. If the elected officials have nothing to fear than they can get away with anything. To take guns from law abiding citizens just opens them up to becoming victims. Criminals will get guns whether there is a ban or not.
If Video Games make people violent, then how come Farmville hasn't made me a farmer?
This is junk reporting. So what if other countries spend more on video games? What video games are they buying? That is the important question that RUKidding is describing. Maybe they buy Mario Brothers in the Netherlands.
When instructors in the military don't have to train recruits how to hit a target anymore then you know there is a problem. In fact, they have to teach them NOT to aim at the head like in video games.
I agree with others that wrote that we have a cultural problem which includes media violence and videogames. Parents and the videogame industry both need to keep violent video games out of the hands of children. Better parenting is needed. Celebrating death in the media is not helping things.
MC
I think that there are merits to both sides of this argument. Video games and television certainly DO have an effect on the minds of the children that play them, anyone who say differently simply needs to ask how many children learned the alphabet and counting skills from sesame street. There is not a filter that says this is bad, don't retain it. Having said that, there is still the responsibility of the choices we make. Free will still hasn't been taken from us yet. There is the question of mental illness, which certainly plays a part, however, how did we in one generation go from, where we were to an alphabet soup of syndromes and disorders that effect half of children. Personally, I'm not a big believer in the ADD ADHD epidemic. Not saying it doesn't exist, just not in the reported numbers. Too easy to say "it's not my fault, I have a syndrome or disorder" too easy for the parents to say, "its not our fault we didn't discipline, our child is labeled" Personal accountability and responsibility have gone the way of modesty and respect. The absence of those four principles effect on scoiety is simply going to become more and more pronounced.
Read the study by Bandura, 1961. Violence is copied.....so it follows that vids, movies, tv do help
with the prevalence of violence
This country is headed straight down the drain. Ever since the terrorists destroyed the Twin Towers we have been in a chaotic, mind-hive like state with a lingering feeling of insecurity and skepticism. I do not play video games, but If the US government thinks that we as a people are too stupid to play violent video games without actually becoming violent, then I for one am moving to a more stable and more intelligent nation (perhaps Canada).
Definitely becoming a fear based society.
Parents/lawmakers are seeking a scapegoat. What parents NEED to do is educate their children about caring for others. America also has a bullying problem. What schools need to do is foster a community with zero tolerance on bullying & violence and build team mentality (everyone on board and no one left behind). Where are schools that demonstrates world class leadership and resonates in our youth?
This sounds like a solid way to start
It isnt only the video games, but the US has the most demonic, immoral, perverse music and movie industry. Combine this with video games and mental illness and you get the tragedies of today.
this is the narrow minded way to look at the situation
The denigration of culture is contributing to the mental illness of young men.
"demonic"
Oh, shut up with your religious insanity. It adds nothing to this conversation or anything else.
There is proof that the music industry is openly involved in demon worship. Check youtube for evidence.
You don't travel much, do you?
Actually I have travelled overseas several times a year.
Everyone seems to want a single-item solution to a very complex problem. Sorry, but it doesn't exist.
In OUR CULTURE, which is unique to the USA, the violent video games are likely part of the problem. So is the current state of mental healthcare in the USA. So is the war on drugs. So is the proliferation of military-style semi-automatic weapons and guns with high-capacity magazines. So is the breakdown of the two-parent family.
In order to effect real change, we have to be willing to look at EVERY part of the puzzle, and to say "our culture is unique, so the impacts each factor has may be different than it is anywhere else."
"violent video games are likely a part of the problem"
No they aren't. Stop being violent. Religious belief has a chance to make people violent – video games don't – yet why aren't we talking about how insane it is to believe myth is reality and how the teachings of virtually all major religions can lead to violence? But, no, it's pixels that cause violence, not insane real world beliefs, right?
The Poncio Pilato's like YOU are really turning this into a hypocrisy game with involving religion into this. But it distracts from the argument and root cause analysis.
How does considering religion distract from an argument? Is it really so implausible that living in a culture which normalizes and embraces belief without evidence and scriptures which call upon believers to convert or kill nonbelievers just might contribute to violence?
People kill people, not guns or video games, so to prevent violence you have to address the environment that leads to this behavior. For example, our murder rate is skewed by gang violence, as in Chicago and DC where you have very strict gun laws. A more relevant statistic, would be compare murders committed by legal gun owners, instead of lumping everyone in with criminals and Gang bangers. I wish the media and pPluto isms would stop exploiting this issue, it makes it impossible to discuss the real issues. One thing is for sure, laws do not prevent violence by themselves, that's all you hear about.
Guns don't kill people. Liberal idiots kill people.
Every day.
Chicago, anyone?
Yes, lets blame violent media and guns, lets never blame people for the things they do.
When I use to attend High School, the government of my school district evaluated me and said I had ADD and made me take these pills to "manage" my ADD. What my parents and I didn't know was the side effects it had on me. I became from being happy to depressed and suicidal. I don't think video games is the main problem, it goes much deeper than this.
Obama and Biden won't let facts get in the way of a good political move. Taking one Gun ownership is obviously risky so lets go after the gaming industry they are a soft target. US has history of such acts back in the 50s they banned comic books for violent and graphic content. Anyone today think that helped make the US culture non-violent in the 70-80s?.
So if we are going to trounce on the second amendment we should also expect to loose something in our first amendment rights also. Let say that there is a ban on any weapon for public use, then there should be a ban on any video game, television or movie that has used that gun and ban the development of any video game, movie, or other type of "entertainment" that would otherwise use similar guns. Also, these weapons should be banned from the military of the US.
We can blame the violence on many things, mentally unstable people, movie and video violence, access to firearms, etc. but we should also look at the upbringing of the young, divorce rates are out of sight, there are many broken homes, many homes are without a father figure, and too many are on drugs, we have spent billions on the drug war and yet it keeps rising, we could spend billions on firearms control, but it also will keep rising, we need to concentrate on good home life influences, and all of the things associated with a good mother and father figure for the young....
Right, blames games. Because all my years of playing Madden have made me an NFL super star right?
How about we take a look at mental health issues in the US, the lack of parenting and the ease with which a person can purchase a weapon.
All of your years of playing Madden have not made you a mass murderer either. Kids don't always make the connection that these games and guns are not toys..
Let us blame the man who is 0 guilty........G.W.Bush! Obama will save us from ourselves ,right?
If the shooter had been a Latino kid we would all be having a completely different discussion.
People dont understand politicians will use even 20 dead children to push any agenda to establish their own vision of this country and we are happy to repeat everything the news is suggesting because they sound smart enough when they say it.
Latino shooter = Gang Member and/or is always a criminal.
Black Guy shooter = Gang Member and/or is always a criminal.
White guy Shooter = He must be mentally ill because he was bullied in high school or something so hes a victim too. Lets blame everyone we can about it! movies video games bullies etc. etc. etc......
good points Roger. The whole idea of it being engrained in pour culture is seen in film, tv and video. some can make the "quantum" leap between reality and fanatasy. Others cannot. And there is a very big problem with lack of good parenting skills, and access to effective mental health treatment. And lets not forget the kids growing up around parents who cannot filter their language and activities around the kids.
The simple math:
1. Violent video games provide Training.
2. Second Amendment gives the tools (Guns).
1 + 2 + Motive = Murders.
...
I have played video games for years. I was trained that "B" Button reloads. I have no idea how to load or handle a real weapon, and I have no desire to learn. What kind of training have I gotten from video games?
Are you high? Violent video games provide training? Have you ever even played a first person shooter? First of all, you use a controller instead of a gun. You would get absolutely no practice in how to actually handle the gun: how to load, how to hold the gun so that you can aim and minimize recoil, how much pressure to apply to the trigger, etc. Second, how you play a shooter is completely different from how you would actually execute a shooting in real life. In a game, you have a certain amount of health, maybe armor or shields. If you get shot, you don't die. Playing video games teaches you how to do one thing: play video games. That's it.
Look at all the facts, Other "rich" countries have nearly twice the violent crime rate though, the UK, for example has over 725 violent crimes per 100,000 people, the US id half that with just over 300 Violent crimes (Yes that includes 10%-15% of those are gun related), But this article is very misleading as they pick and choose what stats to use, and which to hide from their readers.
More cops and longer sentences for gun related crimes is the only answer!
The article needs to consider another import fact; access to guns for the players of violent games. In the Netherlands there are about 4 guns per 100, in South Korea 1 per 100 and in the US, 90 per 100. These numbers can't be ignored. Would physical assaults increase in South Korea if they had 90x more guns? This article only makes a casual link between games and shootings but not with all the needed facts. The jury is still out, more research needed.
I am 22 and have played games since about 6. Games that are probably above my age limit at the time. I am working in my church as a youth pastor. Funny that I never turned violent either... Also playing racing games hasn't made me drive dangerously. Stop blaming simple stuff that you think will solve stuff and start taking action on the big things.
Fareed – I am one of your biggest FAN. I am SO disappointed of you making such a comment. Yes, the video games did not get guns and go to Newtown but I assure you the guy did a lot of practice and imagination. That being said I am pro gun control. Yes that is a MUST but we as human being should stop thinking how we can just making money by anything including violent video games.
Yes, we DO blame violent movies and video games. Like it or not, they DO have an impact on impressionable minds, young or old. If you don't believe that, just think about the classic case of one of the earliest movies ever made. In 1915, D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation" featured hooded klansmen terrorizing Blacks after the Civil War. By 1915, the Klan had just about disappeared from American life; but, thanks to this movie, the Klan experienced a tremendous resurgence in membership (5 million members by 1925). So don't be fooled, movies and video games DO have an impact on the way people think and behave. Put that in your little peep and smoke it!
So your point is that we should ban any depiction of violence, even to the point of banning historical movies portraying violence, because a small minority of people may get ideas?
Put the blame where it belongs, the medical community and lazy parents who puts our children and adults on mind altering drugs such as Prozac at the first sign of them misbehaving rather than having love and hard discipline in the home and schools.
I agree with Fareed and Jason, "It is helpful to start with the facts".
Making the assumption that correlating number of gun related deaths to video game sales is just that, a correlation and not the facts. Actual research has linked "aggressive and anti-social behavior to not only video games, but TV showings, and movies – http://www.soc.iastate.edu/sapp/videogames1.pdf. Include in that toxic mix ready access to assaut weapons and extended clip handguns via the Internet and gun shows along with a heterogeneous and undisciplined culture that is continuously at war and you have the potential for gun violence.
There is nothing in Mr. Zakaria's argument that denies the possibility that pervasive video violence doesn't act as an accelerant for gun violence when guns are readily available. Mr. Zakaria, while pointing to these various facts, self-righteously, avoids the question of what factors ARE responsible for the US winning the gold medal for gun-related violence. Another issue, conveniently ignored in the likening of video violence to other forms of entertainment violence relates to the fact that the video form of violence is a participatory activity, not merely a spectator sport.
Spoken like somebody who has no idea what the video game community is like other than their narrow little view from the outside.
Video games themselves do not cause anyone to go on a rampage, there has to be some underlying mental illness in the first place. That said, I do believe that they can be a contributing factor in that it inures players reaction to violence in general.
For a real life example, take how the military used to train soldiers to shoot. Way back in the day, they used standard targets like you'd find at a firing range. They found, however, that once the soldiers got out on the battlefield and realized they'd be shooting real people rather than a red dot on a piece of paper, many of them froze. The military discovered that replacing targets with the likeness of the human form was much more effective at overcoming the natural hesitance at shooting any human being, enemy or not.
It doesn't take a great leap of imagination to understand how the steady diet of violence in the media, both news and entertainment, could serve to make impressionable individuals believe that this is the new "normal".
Yes and the U.S public too...
Some relevant neuroscience. Mirror cells have been identified that activate apparently identically when one engages in an action as when one observes someone engaging in a similar action. Watch a video of someone doing something and the brain reacts as if self was engaging in that act. This is thought to be the basis of the human quality of empathy and imitation. Watch enough actions and one learns that skill. Watch video games killing and one becomes trained to kill. One soon becomes inured, and the distinction between killing on the screen and killing in real life disappears.
"according to the Post's figures"... a.k.a. anti-gun agenda.
There's nothing wrong with owning guns if you go through the requirements to own one lol, the NRA should get a Saturday morning cartoon. These fools are hilarious!
what moron wants to blame video games
if you want to blame 1 thing blame pysc meds all the shooter have them in common
Look I feel horrible about the whole situation at Sandy Hook and any event like this including murders, and it really frustrates me when the gun control guys get all high and mighty about if you don't want gun control you don't care about the children. I don't think controlling video games, magazine size, or some of the semiautomatic guns they call assault weapons that are the same basic makeup as a large percentage of supposedly different hunting rifles is going to do much of anything for safety. JUST CONSIDER RONALD REAGAN SURROUNDED BY SECRET SERVICE WAS SHOT AND NEARLY KILLED BY A WACKO WITH A SIX SHOOTER!! You can't stop the crazies but better screening would help the most.
Start with the facts? I think the author left out a few. He says that people in the Netherlands and in South Korea spend more on video games yet their gun violence rates are a fraction of that in the United States. Gun ownership is illegal in South Korea, except by special permit that is only granted in cases of necessity, such as for bodyguards like those used by gun control advocate New York Mayor Bloomberg. Hunters also may have guns in South Korea, but must keep them locked up at the local police station when they're not using them for hunting. Likewise, gun control is very strict in the Netherlands and guns are permitted only for special situations, such as for training for shooting events like in the Olympics. In fact, in the Netherlands, a 24-year young man named Tristen van der Vlis somehow got into one such shooting club and was able to obtain and keep firearms at his home in Amsterdam. When he wasn't at his shooting club, he spent most of his time playing the extremely violent video game, "Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2". On April 9, 2011, Mr. van der Vlis took one of those firearms to a local mall and opened fire, killing six shoppers. He also shot children, who fortunately survived. Another notorious killer, the Norwegian Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people, mostly teenagers at a scout training camp on an island in Norway, was also an afficionado of the very same game and also "World of Warcraft".
Various studies prove that playing violent video games does in fact cause brain changes that desensitize the players, causing long term effects on the parts of the brain that control emotion and aggressive behavior, essentially turning players into the same mindset as pyschopathic outlaws. Whether they act out their violent tendencies depends on many factors, one of which would be whether they actually have access to weapons, which is very difficult in countries like South Korea and the Netherlands as well as Norway, where self-defense is not considered adequate justification for owning a gun.
So this article is a good example of a non-sequitur. The conclusion does not follow from the premises.
There are around 50 million active gamers who play these violent video games ( 40 percent of them are women). If this (albeit time wasting) hobby actually caused the violence predicted by those who oppose the game, we would have millions of roaming armed hoodlums shooting up malls, stadiums, concerts, churches and freeways. Let's test the logic. For example, we can make a pronouncement that excess food causes people to be fat. There are millions of over eaters and, sure enough, proving the hypothesis, everywhere we can see millions of overweight people who coincidentally are those with out of control diets. But, with millions playing violent games we don't even see dozens of violent rage shootings. If you wish to prove cause, then the predicted effect must follow to validate the premise.
The truth is that these games probably do more to quell violent behavior than to cause it.. It most likely gets frustration and anger out of the systems of people who might otherwise have violent tendencies.
so video games are to blame for violence in the world?
please tell how Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, jack the riper, etc, use to play video games
As someone who is in involved in the game design industry, I have no belief that video games are a primary cause of real life violence. But I think that as game designers, we need to ask ourselves if we are handling violence responsibly in our games. Does the violence contribute to the plot of the game? Does it ask moral questions, and add to the overall quality of the artistic product? If not, you have a tasteless game.
Why doesn't Fareed mention that Newton killer Adam Lanza spent HOURS playing the violent video game 'Call of Duty' each day....? Oh wait, he gets his talking points from Hollyweird, not the NRA. Hypocrite.
The blame media for violence strategy is to deflect from focusing on guns, taking them seriously for more than a few seconds plays into their goals.
If you really want to spotlight South Korea, here's a quick question: what is their national sport?
The question we must answer is: How do we keep guns out of the wrong hands?
Played every violent video game...From Duke Nukem, Doom and GTA (the 2d version). Haven't played them since 007 on Nintendo...Never owned a gun in my life. Had an issue where my life was in danger...One phone call 2 hours and $300 was all it took. Don't intend to use it, but like I said my life was and is in danger. I was quite amazed how quick it all happened. I've ordered pizzas and it took longer than it took to get a piece (a nice one) with a full mag. The issue is simply the amount of guns in circulation. Now, I'd like to think that I am a good guy. I pay taxes. I work. Never been convicted of a violent crime. But when you can literally order a gun with one phone call and an hour later...that is a big part of the problem
We can stop alot of it over night. Just make the death penalty include attempted murder, if you shoot someone even if they dont die you still do because the victim got lucky does not mean you are any less a killer.
I believe there was a case in Florida where a woman intentionally missed to keep, I think a violent boyfriend or husband, away from her, she was jailed for attempted murder or something.
A curious situation given its Florida, maybe we should just saw them off and set them adrift to sea, wouldn't have to put up with their election nonsense either.
We need more police funding and death sentences.
Try this out for research...Peer reviewed SCIENTIFIC study
Violent Video Games lead to aggressive behavior. Study by The Ohio State University...
http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/violgametime.htm
Instant celebrityhood, thanks to media hype, has much more to do with rampage shootings than video games.
One more thing. I believe the study's premise is flawed. Without breaking down the TYPES of video games purchased, how can one make any correlation on the effects of those games? A ton of Epic Mickey, Mario Kart and the like certainly wouldn't affect kids other than expanding their waistlines.
Personally I actually think that violent video games could be even helpful to reduce real life violence because they work as a safety valve for people who can get rid of aggressions just killing online characters.
This is hog wash. Of course the per capita spending is higher in South Korea, Netherlands, etc. because the per capita income is lower. Per capita spending is higher in those countries for... well, darn near everything compared to the US.
If they want to blame the mass killings on something they should start with mind control drugs. Like Zoloft and all of those. If you really do some research most of these shootings people were on those types of drugs.
Please cite you sources that say the US has the highest gun crime per capitia. We do not. That is a liberal lie.
As 1 of the WORLD's best Vidgamers . Sorry but cartoons, vidgames,and movies don't make killers . MENTAL HEALTH . Now this is the issue . 300 million Americans , if 10 % have mental health issue's = 30 million people . If 1% of those people are dangerous to them self's or others = 300.000 . This number is probably true in most countries that have mental health problems . SO TO FIX THE PROBLEM . Stop making excuses for the Rich Gun Lobby or the NRA as u call it . Explain to these MONEY GRUBBING PIECES OF CRAP " WE BANNED TOE CLIPPERS ON AIRPLANES , SO WE SURE AS SH.. ARE BANNING ASSAULT RIFLES !!!! Oh ya and any clip over 15 BULLETS . GONE !!! The bodies of these babies murdered were RIDDLED , I SAY RIDDLED LIKE A BLOODY DAY MASSACRE MOVIE , I own a gun in a country where i needed training to Keep it . So i don't say this as a gun owner , or as the #1 Killer in Vidgaming for the last 10 years . I say it from a Human point of view . STOP THE GUN LOBBY and make some real Rules for Gun Ownership . You stopped me from carrying toe clippers onto a plane . I think you can probably fix this 1 to !!!!!! THX 4 PLAY ~N~ PS, anyone talking about putting more High Powered Guns in all Schools , Hospitals , Movie theaters , Excreta ! Pls don't have children . The Gene Pool is already weak enough with out your stupidity being add ,
This guy compared gun related homicides to countries with more restrictions on guns than the U.S. has. How about violent crimes in general? The question is whether we have a more violent culture in the U.S. and not what our weapons of choice are.
Compare the U.S. to Switzerland where gun control is non-existent. We have more violent crime (and more gun related homicides btw). You want to control guns but don't take away your favorite video games, huh? Don't curb the glorification of murderous rampages in the movies either! Just take away the rights of law abiding citizens. That's the only clear choice, right?
And for those of you who argue they aren't taking your rights away by banning assault weapons, the Second Amendment isn't there to protect hunters and if you think they are going to stop at an assault weapons ban... you deserve everything that happens to you.
Who care what the Pubic Grapplers think ? I didn't even know the Pubic Grappling group had that much pull.. "Did I just say pull and pubic in the same sentence?" "Yes I did."
On the serious note... America has sent its kids off to kill people (usually brown people) how many times in the last century??? You think that wouldn't trickle down here at home. Were Americans,, we kill people. We have been killing innocent people for years. We even make it an occupation!!! America hires American's to kill people.....
The far left media in complete denial that media contributes significantly to violence in our culture. Also in denial that guns don't kill people, abortion kills people. Wake up and look at the facts. The cities and nations with the most restrictive gun control laws have the highest gun violence rates. The cities and nations with the most freedom have the lowest rates. But since when did the far left ever care about the facts.
so at what point do we start putting the blame where it truly lies..... on the people raising kids, Do you ALLOW your child to play these games you feel are corrupting them? Do you ALLOW your child to watch the violent shows and movies? How about being a parent for a change instead of a meal ticket? It is time to start RAISING our kids and stop letting others do it for us!
So are you saying that it is "not" bad parenting but single parenting that causes mass killings?
We are allowing our kids to learn to kill playing these video games. They are learning to glamorize blowing up things and learn to believe how cool it is to slaughter people and some of these kids are living in a fantasy world. The media is also at fault because they sensationalize the mass murders with all the publicity they give for a few weeks after these atrocity's happen. Kids are very vulnerable and impressionable at young ages. These games should be rated and parents have a responsibility to protect impressionable minds and not push them off into a corner with a gory video game.
ITS THE PARENTS FAULT THERE IS A 55%CHANCE THAT IF ITS A WHITE KID IT WAS AN UNPLANNED BIRTH (PROBABLY A DRUNKEN NIGHT AT THE BAR HIM AND HER WENT HOME AND MADE SOME WOOPIE) AND BANG A FAMILY IS BORN THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE PARTYING DAYS ARE OVER CASH YOU USED TO SPEND ON BEER AND A BAG OF WEED YOU ARE SPEND ON A BAG OF DIAPERS IF ITS A BLACK KID THERE IS A 75% CHANCE THE UNINTENDED BIRTH 75% OF INMATES IN PRISON ARE BLACK (THINK THAT ON OVER CONNECT THE DOTS) THE WORLD WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE IF EVERY ONE WOULD PULL IT OUT IN TIME. THAT BABY YOU JUST HAD IS GOING TO SET YOU BACK $250,000 BUCKS OVER THE NEXT 18 YEARS.....SAVE THE EARTH,,DONT GIVE BIRTH,,....
The basic premise of the article is an outright lie.
The US does NOT have the highest gun related murder rate in the world and is actually quite far down the list. Only when suicides are included does the US even come close to the top ten, and suicides count for almost double the number of murders. This is another example of CNN propaganda to suit their left wing journalism slant.
This article is filled with lies and distortions and deliberate errors of fact. The US is nowhere near the top in gun related death. Period! Most of the countries used in comparison have banned guns all together so the citizens have far less access to them to begin with making any comparison totally false. Not a single word regarding psychological studies of the subject occur in the article either! Zakaria ends his article by claiming to want to discuss the subject with the facts but present none. One cannot begin to have an honest debate if one begins as Fareed Zakaria has done, with an obvious agenda based upon lies. CNN can only gain a measure of credibility in the discussion by firing Fareed Zakaria for intellectual malpractice.
This is the same crap we heard when Columbine happened and they tried to blame it on the game DOOM. If you can "learn" to kill people in real life from that game, you must have a pretty creative imagination.
I dont think playing the game Hitman has made anyone want to go strangle people with a piano wire either, but maybe I am wrong.
Im glad someone finally understands. Maybey its the possible fact that America has a higher rate of bullying, and people with mental illness. If you put a bunch of people in a situation where anxiety and anger prevail above all other functions of the brain, I can almost garuntee something catastrophic is bound to happen. Regaurdless of their access to a firearm, they will continue to pursue any sic intention they have created. Video games would play a very small part in this, if at all. Did jack the ripper play Call Of Duty? No. Its all about the background, and mental state of the individual.
Whatever the truth is about the link between violent video games and gun violence is you won't hear it from CNN. CNN is part of the Entertainment Industry. CNN is a corporation. Corporations exist only to make money. News = violence. No violence = no news. No news = no money for CNN. CNN is never going to admit that video games or movies or the way they present the news is part of the problem of violence in America. They never will because they are only about making money.
All the calls for discipline all just read as code to beat the children. I know from experience that this method results in the worst possible outcomes. I have seen my share of children parented with this method; when growing up my parents did foster care, I have seen the results in school kids growing up, and now in the little kids in the neighborhood. It is a tactic of parents that lack leadership and management skills. I see in my neighborhood the kids who are hit at home hit other kids in an attempt to resolve conflict and get their way. They are just mirroring the example set by their parents at home. Being beaten by parents at home creates a person who lacks the ability to cope, is prone to hostile outbursts, is out of touch with themselves, lacks the ability to show empathy, and often develops into the psychotic monster who is more likely to hurt others.
Education is a major problem in America, life skills and soft skills are not taught at least until college and we fall well behind in the hard skills like math and science.
Video Games are used by the US Military to de sensitive recruits to forget what their parents taught them about love and not killing....the games teach them to hate their enemy and how to blow them away with assault weapons.....VIOLENCE is so ingrained in our culture...EVERYWHERE....where do we begin????
Gun control isn't the answer... Impulse control is what needs to be addressed.
This guy is so freakin' clueless. I mean every time, he as no idea what he is talking about. South Korea's most popular video games are Starcraft (strategy), Lineage (medieval fantasy), MappleStory (cartoonized fanatasy) and Kart Rider (racing). The list of the most popular games in the US is dominated by first-person shooter (FPS) games like the Grand Theft Auto franchise, Halo franchise, Call of Duty franchise...and then Madden. He's comparing poodle puppies to pit bulls. Like I said...again Zakaria is clueless and lazy in his research.
Grand Theft Auto isnt a FPS. You just lost any credibility to knowing what you are talking about.
TedT, Grand Theft Auto San Andreas can easily be made FPS by adding the CLEO mod with the cheat "FPS".
Try to keep up. Poser.
You can make mario brothers into a FPS with a mod if you wanted to but that doesnt make it a FPS so whats your point.
Anything else smart guy?
Please feel free to tell us what mod package does that for Mario Bros. and you may actually have a point.
Its a parenting problem, not the games or TV shows!
Video games with rocket launchers, grenades and guns of all sorts should not be accessed by children under the age of 13 unless supervised by an adult. Same goes for adult shows or television that is meant for adults. I'm not talking conservative here;however, its a obvious that today's young adults who were children in the late 90's (with irresponsible parents) are a bit desensitized compared to children from the 80s, 70s and times before. IF YOU ARE A PARENT, QUIT LETTING YOUR KIDS PLAY THESE GAMES! BE A PARENT, LAY DOWN THE LAW!
What are you talking about? Of course video gamea are the problem. Just look at a parallel example:
Not too long ago the Christian Evangelist movement and the 700 Club warned us about the dangers of letting people play Dungeons & Dragons. Then they told us that if we kept watching and reading Harry Potter then there will be magic spells and witchcraft and satanic cult worship all over the place.
And they were absolutely right, of course. Just a month ago some kid walkes into a school in Connecticut and sacrificed a goat to Baal in the name of the Lord Harry Potter. Holy crap as I write this I can hear my neighbor trying to evoke Shaitan so that his character can cast the spell to level up. Clearly Selena Gomez st be he spawn of Satan – after all she plays a wizard on TV. That sucks b/c shes hot I think. I can totally see hee naked with an apple in one hand while a snake covera up her private parts. No no what am I thinking? These are evil thoughts must not think them. DAMN Harry Potter if it werent for those books My mind would be clean. Everybody knows that when you have fun playing make-believe its because you are going to grow up and realize your vision. That' s why we have such a disproportionate number of firemen, doctors, and presidents running around.
Lets get real people. Shooting somebody in a video game is not shooting someonein real life any more than casting a spell in fantasy counts as sorcery. If you cast it on your opponents turn it wouldnt be a sorcery anyway it would be an instant.
You're one of those hateful atheists I know. I know because I'm also a non-believer but I don't distract from the issues with nonesense like this.
The other part of the parent debate is that many fathers are absent in many childrens lives, specially in America when compared to other countries. Fathers have a huge role to play in teaching children social norms.
Facts matter people. Get your facts straight or you will sound just like fox news that makes it up as they report it
Video games may contribute. It's a great cop out to the extreme violence and glorification of criminal acts on television. Do an experiment. Count the dead bodies, guns and immoral behavior on broadcast television tonight. Your CSI, newscast, and other programming has more blood and guts than most video games.
The media will never touch the story of the media contributing to the problem. There are several factors to consider. Gun control and magazine capacity should be the last thing on the list. Hitler disarmed my relatives. He then killed them. We need to protect ourselves and be the first responders in this society. If you call 911, they simply show up to report what happened. You are the first line of defense.
The feel good politics of banning magazines will do nothing. Did they not learn this during the last ban? Crime has declined and the weapons they are gunning for are used in less than 3% of gun crimes.
I believe the biggest contribution to our society would be better education. If we properly educate our kids they will have self respect and find their place in society. It's really sad what they are doing to the youth in the city. They deserve better. They need to have pride in themselves. If the school is not working, the parents need to step in and teach them.
If you want to ban something, please ban televisions. It will make our society smarter, healthier and more aware of what's really going on. They call it programming for a reason.
Well said, very thoughtful.
I'd add the that the problem is cultural. IN the USA, the problem of gangs is sub-cultural traditions being passed on. Its not poverty, its not racism. Its self oppression via a misplaced pride in what they think is what they should do. And part of that cultural problem is music and how a certain kind of "oldies" genre fuels the drama and culture.
Only lazy people who don't see the details laugh off or discount the influence of a violence and disregard for life in cultures and sub cultures.
You are right, this is a crazy white people problem, perhaps a national data-base of white people could end the slaughter.
Seriously.
Root cause to these shooting is cultural based. The reason more geeks haven't shot anyone is because by nature, they are cowards. Its a cowardly culture.
This culture and its members, again, geeks, have infiltrated mass culture in the last 30 or so years. The more geeks hav become content creators, the more the violence has become explicit, the more even criminal sub culture acceptance has been pushed on in mainstream mass cultures.
Again, Zakaria, the problem we are facing is a cultural problem. WE cannot be comparing our selves to other cultures. You are comparing our cultures via numbers. Thats not accurate.
Truly appalled that such a well respected and intelligent individual would be trying to deflect root cause responsibility from an irresponsible video gaming industry which also extends to the movie industry and its movie makers that love gore and hyper violence and pushing it onto bored outcast suburban kids. You can use Tarantino's [one serious geek] Kill Bill film as a reference or starting point.
And let us not forget a music industry that starting with the last 20 or 25 years has made thug gang criminal culture so much a part of popular music that its become normal and widely accepted to glorify, praise ignorant street culture onto the masses. Thus bringing song writing, music making down to the lowest common denominator.
And you don't think these things influence or give rise to a violent culture? C'mon. People are influenced by art all the time, whether positive or irresponsibly by the negative.
Look at Batman violent realistic movies influencing that COSPLAY-ing geek that shot up that theater.
Such a foolish thing not to look at these root causes.
Don't be part of the washing of the hands Mr. Zakaria, we already have too many in too many culture maker industries.
Of course. It's COWARDLINESS that's the reason geeks don't shoot people. Move along folks, it's over. Good night. This omni-expert just solved the riddle if violence.
Except the few that do step over the line and live out their twisted fantasies. Geeks have a messed up mind filled with fantasy violent because they feel they are outcasts. Look to Columbine, the theater cosplaying shooter, the geeky little video gamer child killer.
Once they cross the line, those are the results. Cowardice isn't just something that STOPS you, its part of the fuel. A coward based culture does it quietly, thats why they sliver away from responsibilty when they are told they are responsible for influencing such violence.
Geek cowards are everywhere, they dont overtly show their cowardliness, they work behind your back, in schools, work places, you name it. Its another form of criminality thats now rearing its ugly head.
BUT – they have people like YOU to defend them and discredit those that call them out. They are so lucky. Coddled may be the key word right Andy... short for Poncio.
Yea, an angry geek who ran out of SSRI's as well as not being able to get a date!
Oh Poncio, if your reasoning were a type of food, it would be a moldy pretzel.
So tell us...What video games was Charles Whitman playing in 1966 when he killed 14 people at the University of Texas?
With your Dim Witted Logic how come people aren't jumping off roofs tops with umbrellas . You know like in Mary Poppins . I guess us geeks can tell the difference between some make believe but not all MAKE BELIEVE !!! THE LAWS U ARE FIGHTING TO PROTECT WERE ENACTED WHEN U ALL HAD MUSKETS THAT FIRED 1 BULLET ! I GUESS YOUR RIGHT IT'S AN AMERICAN THING a COUNTRY FULL OF HATING DIMWITTED GEEKS !!!!!
Based on the article it would suggest that we should spend more time playing violent video games.
It is easy to lash out at violent video games because they portray, to some extent, the bad things that people are doing to each other. However, we have heard this argument before. In the past, it was violent movies and before that, it was heavy metal music. Naively, before all of that, people never killed other people, right?
It is not the fact we have guns and it is not the fact we play violent video games it is the fact that some people do not respect other people. And, like several other posts have alluded to, we should be teaching our children to have more respect for each other.
Don't blame video games???
The cigarette industry was forced to change a number of advertising campaigns because it was proven that young children can be influenced to become smokers later in life.
In 1999, there was a law passed in several states (California being one) that toy guns had to have a warning printed on their labeling, telling parents that children can be influenced by the toys they play with.
In every instance, we recognize how impressionable and malleable our youth are... except in this case. Now... because this IS a political issue and not one founded on anything else, violence in TV shows, movies and video games, is not being questioned.
How delightful.
How exactly is seeing violence– or cigarette smoking for that matter– influence children to partake in those acts?
When I saw someone smoking down the street as a youth and went 'blech.' I saw a man bungee jumping on television and though it looked fun, I knew it wasn't for me. Point is, the values that I was taught (smoking is bad for you) and knowing what is right from wrong, i.e. having some sense, determines what I do, not superficial things in my environment.
Andy, if you have to ask, you will never understand now matter how much someone tries to explain it to you.
JimJam my good man, it was only a rhetorical question designed to question the person's fallible reasoning. Now if you could please rephrase your response to me– as the syntax gives me a headache– that would be great.
Have a nice day and be wary of wily highwaymen.
almost all terrorist in Pakistan and in and around middles east never use gun, Gun is only a tool, you remove that , criminal will use Big Semi Truck or something more devastating. Change the Culture, Don't change the gun laws. Gun in the Hand of American people is the reason we don't have someone like Saddam Hussein running the country.And that is why we American should never disarm ourselves.
Video games, guns, hunting, abuse, war, TV, bullying, etc. are all just excuses to compensate for the real problem which is that we are systematically removing accountability from our society.
We are all responsible for that as parents, as leaders, as voters, as educators, etc. But we can't accept that the result of our growing warm fuzziness is actually a harsher world. So we have to find something inanimate to blame.
No more corporal punishment. No more trips to the wood shed. Our courts have become jokes for reality TV. Our police have been neutered. Our political leaders have become pawns of the press and panderers for buying votes with tax money (taking or giving). Our prisons provide a sense of belonging instead of punishment. Our soldiers have to fight on TV so we can judge if they are being nice and fair.
So.... Video Games? Really?
Don't worry, there is always Peng.
The study cited uses a premise that does help to determine whether these video games have a detrimental effect on some young males or not. A correlation between Homicides and spending on Violent Video Games for an entire society may or may not exist but many other factors affect those statistics. It only takes one in a million kids to be adversely affected by the violent images permeating our entertainment industry to have a shooting like Newtown be a regular occurrence.
Wow, is anybody at CNN.com monitoring these articles? I'm sorry Mr. Zakaria but as @Jim Ash indicated in his comment you can't just go into Dad's gun cabinet in China, the Netherlands or South Korea and pull out a gun, some ammo and go on a shooting rampage. It is either impossible or very difficult to legally own a firearm in these countries. We live in a country (in the US) where extremely high levels of violence in society are the norm. This is a brutal country and we've got the prison population to prove it – 25% of the world's prisoners are incarcerated in the US. It's no big deal to start wars and decimate tens of thousands of non-combatants and refer to them as "collateral damage". We don't treat mental health issues seriously, schools tolerate shocking levels of bullying, etc. etc. I don't think video games can be linked directly as the sole cause of violence but they certainly could be a contributing factor. It's a complex problem and as other comments have indicated to say that because there is a high level of violent video game ownership in other countries but not the corresponding numbers of mass shootings is a ridiculous oversimplification of the problem.
http://www.ign.com/videos/2013/01/11/game-scoop-why-the-game-violence-conversation-is-important
Here's some games journalist that discuss some of the same ideas in this article.
The guy that wrote this column sounds like a paid pr man for the video game industry clowns. Perhaps he can write a follow-up article giving us "facts" on how video games are a purely religious experience for children. Video games are an inspiration to these lunatics killing all these people. In an earlier age cowboy movies inspired bang bang thoughts with kids but they didn't at the time have access to AK-47s. Video games are an integral part of the nasty kill scenario and have to be addressed. But, don't look for the current administration to go there because the Hollywood crowd behind the video games is one of their biggest financial supporters.
"Pubic," really? Fareed, I am so disappointed. It was in the first sentence of the article. That's sad. Do you take as much care with fact checking?
... the only "fact" he needs to check is if what he writes supports the CNN agenda or not. will it increase viewership or not? will it draw more advertisers or not? that's all he needs to check.
There is really no one group to blame. The whole American ethos is to blame. We come from a society that loathes and loves guns and weapons. You could put the blame on Media, Games, Parenting etc. but it is our whole mind set that has to change, and I don't see that happening anytime soon. No laws or rule are going to change the American mind.
Its the parenting Jack, THE PARENTING! DADS AND MOMS MUST BE INVOLVED AND STEER THE MIND IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION.
I have two children, they both recieved the same parenting and they turned out completely different.
We have a cultural problem. Its a mass culture thats allowed criminal culture as part of its mainstream culture, irresponsibly letting it fuel almost all kinds of content. Content creators are now cowardly geeks, but its big business geek culture.
The sad truth thats being laid out before our eyes is that now GEEKs are the new terrorists.
This just in, Poncio Pilatosesess, the thing you're using to reply to me is made by geeks. I believe the term you are sadly not using are "introverts-who-need-assistance-by-psychologists". Geeks are smart, creative and good people who use their intelligence to others' benefit.
Live long and prosper, sir.
ANdy the Poncio Pilato – No they are not creative. They are cowardly little geeks, who glorify violence and violent cultures and then wash their hands of their part in the glorification of violence in our culture. Geek culture is becoming as dangerous as gang and thug criminal cultures.
But they have you fooled into thinking they are harmless little awkward social outcasts. Far from it. How do I know? I've WORKED with them in the entertainment world. Geeks pretend to be harmless but in truth, work behind the scenes in sinister ways.
For those that look in from the outside these cultures, even entertainment based ones like hip hop thug gangsta rap ones may seem benign to you, but behind your back, far from your eyes, its a whole other thing.
In order to post on this forum you should be required to prove that you are not ignorant about games and gamers.
You should be able to use "1337" and "ggwp" in a sentence.
You should know classic examples of the fps rts and rpg genres
If you can't display basic knowledge of a hobby you wish to blame for life's problems then you're no better than Cooper Lawrence.
Thank you for coming up with a solution for all of our problems. From here on out we will just call all the decay in our society a "hobby". Don't worry be happy or come on man just go play a violent video game.
Gaming IS a hobby of mine just as posting misdirected anger on the web seems to be a hobby of yours.
Hobby is absolutely the correct term for gaming by the way. Webster definition: "a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation".
In all seriousness I suspect CNN message boards cause more rage and violence than video games.
It is indeed a sign of decay when a society views an entertainment medium as a sign of said decay. One needs only to look at how some gamers and a large number of 'outsiders' come to the startlingly brilliant conclusion that violence is the main message and feature of these "violent video games". To look at a thing, a plaything that contains stories like books do, artwork like paintings and movies do and conclude that it is cause for fear because: a. it is popular b. it features violence and c. it is easy to show snippets unrepresentative of it is sure sign of a decayed society indeed.
Most of all, to point at a thing that is a product of creative minds (whether trite, tasteless and base, or beautiful and imaginative) and say "There is the problem," without first looking at the vileness and folly of their own behavior is the prime example of a decayed and closed mind.
Live long and prosper.
@ANdy Short for Poncio... GEEKS use their creativity irresponsibly. They glorify gang and criminal culture safe from their cubicles or from their directors chair and sliver out the backdoor when as a result of their work influence a geek dressing up like a comic book character villain and shoots up a theater or CHILDREN.
But they are lucky. They have people like you that are their to defend them. In inadvertently, you support it all from content creation to tragic result. You're part of the problem. You suffer fools gladly and go as far as to defend them.
You've played the stubborn, closed-minded card very well, sir. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trolling.
I must say– in case you are not a troll– that I am a "geek", and I geek responsibly.
Lastly, if it is an idiot I am bantering with, I'd like to wish you well in your future endeavors and ask you to please be wary of sharp corners on tables and such. Those things can hurt you.
Scuba Steve, I am not angry at anyone and seldom post messages on these sites. Fact of the matter is that you come across as an intelligent person and I appreciate our message exchange. Have a happy and prosperous new year.
I think it's sickening that the American public will debate whether video games encourage violence (I think they do) but continue to blame mentally ill people for the outrageous amount of gun violence in this country. They seem to buy whole cloth that it is the mentally ill we should fear when the fact is it is criminals, thugs, the selfish and people under the influence of drugs/alcohol who are shooting up the nation, People all across the political/economic spectrum will not acknowlege that the mentally ill are FAR more likely to be the victims of rather than perpetrators of gun violence. Have your debate about video games and guns...in the meantime you've absolutely failed the people of this nation that need help the most.
Totally with you on that. Mental illness as an excuse is easy, and it gets cases won by the criminals.
But there are people as you can see my the many posts above that will DEFEND other more violent cultures and sub cultures of gangs, terrorist gangs mind you, thugs, and ignorant cultures that as part of their culture is a high disregard for life.
Why doesn't the Obama adminstration go after the Movie industry.
We have had a steady diet of violence for the last 30 years.
Oh that's right, they helped get Obama elected.
The correlation of video game sales per capita and the instances of gun violence per capita is irrelevant. No one is going to pubLic places flinging chickens at people other than maybe Peta. The fact is that there are many aspects of our connected world that reinforce bad behavior or negative thoughts. If you are borderline crazy, just go on the internet, look around for a while, and you will find many people to reinforce your dangerous perspective.
It is similar with violent video games. Personally I log on, pretend to run around blowing people to bloody chunks and I feel pretty good about things. I have no intention of doing anything more, however there are a lot of people with microphones directly insulting others by race or nationality or anything else they can imagine. Then there is the constant undertone of violence and war. Its fun, but I really do think it could result in some pretty nasty side-effects.
You can't make a statement such as this author to conclude what he did with such flimsy information. The comment by Chris Carson better explained what the real story is about in South Korea and the Netherlands. I've nejver seen the media being mre influenced by an industry or industries.
We have become a banana republic since our poliiticians and the media continuously give out false information.
Interesting to compare but the article does not tease out what type of games are bought in US and overseas. I suspect there really is not a strong correlation in the US between watching violent games (especially first person shooter games) and committing violent first person shooter crimes with guns.
Do not get me started on the SSRI's, another mind altering drug. Those that are truly depressed is one thing, being a spoiled brat is another. The majority of the kids and adults out there do not need them.
I am a gamer. I am thankful for having games especially violent ones in my life. Violent games help me relieve my stress after a long day of dealing with the world in which we live.
Per capita, huh?
You mean, not including Honduras, Guatemala, Swaziland, Colombia, Brazil, Panama, and Mexico.
It's a shame "journalists" aren't licensed.
Nice job, buddy. Very credible.
It's obviously a combination, Zakaria. If you don't have guns then self-programing to kill won't cause you to shoot people. So both have to be addressed.
Has anyone seen the movie " A clockwork Orange"?
Who did Fareed Zakaria steal this article from????
Does the US military still produce video games? Kind of hypocritical don't you think? In those other countries it is probably very difficult to get a gun too, here you just walk into a Walmart.
The truth Bee Told these countries don't have the gun manufactories that we do and they can't get the guns as we can on any corner.So yes their rates would Bee very low compare to the US.
So I'm curious what was the cause back in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's? Before video games existed and in the case of the 80's and 90's, were nothing like they are today, perhaps it was the movies? Or maybe music? Think about Compton in the 80's and early 90's, why was it such a violent place? New York back then? New Orleans? Miami?! Just because it's 2013 doesn't mean the the underlying issues of the last 40 years have changed.
People need to take a step back, think about it and stop blaming sources of entertainment and guns for the cause of violence. You need to understand that violence is going to happen, no matter what we do as a society. How our children are raised is only a small factor, add the element of drugs, poverty, lack of mental health care, and the environment we are raised in. These are the issues we must face, these are the issues that force us to face being human. It is not up to our Government to change this, nor can they. There are no laws that can be past to prevent violence and mass murder.
If you really want to do something, then start at home, with yourself and your family. Stop pointing fingers and blaming things that will not address the real issues.
please turn your brain on...China does not even have guns to kill with....besides homicide is completely different phenomenon from mass killing of strangers....wow, this was really high school level analysis
That's why Lib's are also known as 'Pseudo Intellectuals'
I believe name calling is also a trait psuedo-intellectuals and petty people share.
Nevertheless, I don't think maintaining an us-versus-them mentality isn't going to get you anywhere, sir. Understanding that each side have opinions that are merited will, however.
The problems in summary: War/gun culture, horrifically bad parenting, breakdown of classic family structure, lack of support for the mentally ill. Unloved children who grow up in a such a culture without any support will likely end up damaging society in any number of ways.
Bradley, my man, you should be in the CliffsNotes business. Laser.
It's amazing there are any turtles left in the world, what with the 20+ year popularity of Super Mario Bros. and all.
I suggest Fareed read "Stop Teaching our Kids to Kill" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman who it probably one of the most well-known and respected researchers on mass-shootings and deadly force in general. As a police officer and use of force instructor some of the points raised by Grossman are absolutely chilling.
Haven't we as human beings always been violent. Our brains have evolved from the caveman days to act properly. Well at least some of us have evolved properly.
Hey FZ
Thanks for this article...It proves what a QUACK 'journalist' you are
Uh, ahem... the "data" in this discussion came from the video game manufacturers who were at the meeting. They make BILLIONS of dollars off of this trash. What did you expect them to say, "oh, no, please don't buy our games, they cause violence!" You might note that other, independent studies have CONSISTENTLY shown strong correlations with video games and violent behavior. I really somewhat surprised that Biden invited video game manufacturers to this meeting in the first place.
Kids have these things called Parents. Its these Parents job to check the ratings of the videos games there kids play to ensure there kid isn't playing games that are for an older age group. The parents should also be making sure the content of said game meets there standards. These things called parents should also be monitoring there child to make sure everything in there child's life is going good and if something is bothering them, its the parents job to fix this issue, no matter what it takes. It is also the job of a parent to ensure there are NO unsecured firearms in the house and a stockpile of ammunition. If the child has any mental issues the parent should make sure there child is receiving proper care they need. If Adam Lanza mother was doing her job as a parent the Sandy Hook shooting would have never happened. Stop running to the first convenient scapegoat the mainstream media gives you and start looking at the facts.
Video games are a form of cultural education. For example, when you play a military first person shooter, you are being educated to idealize the military and at the same time presented a justified reason for military violence. You become conditioned to think the world in terms of black and white, good guys and bad guys. This type of thinking is associated with anger and aggression. When you play a game like Grand Theft Auto, you are being educated that laws don't matter if you don't get caught. This type of thinking falls into the category of psychopathic deviant.
Of course there are no direct links between playing video games to aggression, just like there are no direct links between for example learning about ww2 and aggression. However, there is probably mediational variables that bridge that link, such as how much one follows the law.
Here is a simple experiment to be conducted. Recruit a sample of adolescents that have never played Grand Theft Auto before. Administer the MMPI-A, and take note of scale 4, the psychopathic deviant scale. Have them play Grand Theft Auto and beat the game. Readminister the MMPI-A, compare scores on scale 4. I would bet that their scores on scale 4 have increased.
Its obviously the video games, movies, rock and roll, rap music, television and magazines. Certainly the parents of these kids are not responsible at all!
Problem is everybody says "It's not my fault." Media people say "Not my Fault". Gun people say "Not my fault" News peolle say "not my fault". Fact is its all their faults. They all contribute to the gun obsessed society that we have come to live in. Is it any wonder that a slightly deranged individual might come to the concludion that a solution to his problem would be to go someplace and shoot everybody in sight?
We have so much gun violence due in part to allowing people to breed, totally out of control, that would never, EVER be allowed to adopt a child! We are seriously overpopulated. It's time to make it illegal to have children if you can't afford to feed and raise them in a reasonable manner without government assistance $$. People need to treat the reproductive act with more respect. There is plenty of birth control available.
All the games defense is, is an excuse anyways. Wish we would focus on the real issues for a change http://patrioticvoices.com
Now Zarkaria is an expert on the relationship between hours a day that some kids (and adults) spend playing horrifically violent video games and violent crime.
He says there is none whatsoever.
Zarkaria's next column will completely absolver Hollywood of any responsibility too.
It's easy. Zarkaria is a card carrying left winger. The media companies that push violent video games and the Hoillywood morons that churn out movies filled with gun violence left and right.....are
Obama donors and supporters.
Hey Fareed – while you and other morons like CNN'sd token British moron think nothing of trampling Second Amendment rights, you would squeal like a stuck pig if Obama was going to use the royal eddict to take away violent Hollywood =movies and video games. Just like Obama plans to use royal edict to trample on the Second Amendment – maybe he opught to use it to trample on free speech.
Actually the Obama thought police already trample on free speech – try making speech critical of Radical Muslims or perverted Islam – the Feds will be on you like white on rice.
Meanwhile Democrats, unable to competently govern from a majority in the Senate (they couldn't when they controleld both houses) want Obama to use royal edict to bypass Congress on the debt ceiling.
I hope you see where this is going with Obama – the Great Deceiver.
The left wing will always blame the gun – and not the person. No one is reponsible for his or her actions according to the political left.
Where is the absolution for Hollywood Fareed.
You moron.
"the United States – which has far and away the highest levels of gun-related murders per capita" According to the U.N., the U.S. had 3.0 firearm homicides per 100,000 in population in 2009. But there were 14 other nations that had higher rates in 2009, primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean: Honduras (57.6), Jamaica (47.2), St. Kitts and Nevis (44.4), Venezuela (39.0), Guatemala (38.5), Colombia (28.1), Trinidad & Tobago (27.3), Panama (19.3), Dominican Republic (16.9), Bahamas (15.4), Belize (15.4), Mexico (7.9), Paraguay (7.3) and Nicaragua (5.9). Three other nations had higher rates in 2008: El Salvador (39.9), Brazil (18.1) and Ecuador (12.7).
Thank you Fareed for exposing the lie in the conventional wisdom that the playing of violent video games accounts for deaths by shooting.
While contemplating recent school shootings and the various demands for preventative actions I discovered the same lie myself. Is occurred to me that many of us in our youths, possibly including those wishing to ban these games and well before the advent of video games, happily played cowboys and indians or cops and robbers with toy guns or pointed fingers and with no deleterious effects.
The case has long been made that violent movies and TV shows are psychologically useful because they give us opportunities to safely come to terms with and emotionally express the dark sides we all have in ways that are harmless to others, unless or course those feelings are suppressed and provide the fuel for violence. Quite possibly the same can be said for youthful cowboys and indians and cops and robbers, and also the 'offending' video games.
I hope those correctly preparing to legislate with the objective of reducing the extraordinarily high rate of gun deaths in America first reflect upon their own childhoods and movie watching habits. The playing of violent video games is a matter of family cultural preference and the education of children by parents, in their responsible use.
(In full disclosure, I do not play and have no financial interest in video games of any kind.)
Not to shift blame from actual criminals disrespecting the lives and rights of others BUT I don't think we can ignore the fact that television and movies, for decades, have depicted characters firing away at each other for minutes at a time without anyone getting hit, except for the token minor character who either gets hit in the arm or dies from a lucky shot.. STOP GLORIFYING GUN FIRE IN ENTERTAINMENT!!!
These very same movies are watched around the globe, is there something specific to American DNA that causes a mental defect that is "triggered" by playing these games?
Many countries have much stronger restrictions on violent games or movies for young people..–Look it up.
Once again we are in TOTAL denial that gun permissiveness is responsible for gun violence. But, we will say anything to stave off any weapons restrictions. We keep looking for solutions everywhere but with the obvious. Guns just can't be responsible for gun violence. In fact, we argue that more guns translates to less gun violence. Yes, we are that stupid.
If violent video games CAUSED murder, there would be MILLIONS more murders in this country every year. And the predominance of gun murders in poor urban areas, where most kids are not playing violent video games speaks volumes as to this line of thought. Pure BS.
If we are going to blame video games, we have to blame music, TV, movies, books and the culture of nihilism that is prevalent in the USA..
Biden's committee stated yesterday that the result of their discussion with people from the video game and movie industries was that these things shouldn't be blamed. Violence in entertainment has been around for thousands of years and therefore it isn't the problem, according to David Horowitz (Coalition to Stop Gun Violence [actually its a very political anti-gun group]). Note that the assertion came from someone invested in blaming guns for problems rather than societal causes.
The Biden committee isn't going to blame the movie industry or video game manufacturers for this. Those people are by and large loyal democrats. What he really wants is to use political tactics to exclude all other factors besides guns, so that the focus can be solely on the weapon instead of the root cause behind violence, which is the person.
It irritates me when people always blame the parents. I tried like crazy to keep my son off Xbox MA games when he was in grade school about five years back. I would not buy them for him or have them in the house. After my son kept bringing the games home I found out the local library lets kids check the mature games out unless the parents call and state the child does not have permission. Should it not be the other way around? What good is the 17+ law for purchase when they can freely check them out at the library. I know I had no idea until I called and complained. Furthermore, whenever my child went to a friend's house everyone of them had the mature games even in grade school. There are parents who do not do their jobs, but the problem is societal.
Again Fareed tries to sway people with nothing more than half truths. Fact is the Netherlands focus' far more on serious games (thats games used for education, health care, defense, science, etc.) than they do on casual or core games. While South Korea has a booming gaming industry, they also have a very restrictive rating system that's ran by the government to ensure inappropriate video games do not get in the hands of children or teenagers.
His article is sketchy indeed, Steve. But the fact still remains that these so-called violent video games are not the underlying cause of gun violence in this country. The causes for this problem are many but it seems it is easier for people to target an easily scapegoated entertainment medium than to address their societal shortcomings.
From your response it seems you are not familiar with much of the gaming public, or at least have been exposed to a section that is unrepresentative of the whole. Video games are played, at least for the majority of gamers, for their story, interactivity, and in the case of online games, for their ability to compete and experience a game with others all around the world. Just as one would when watching a movie with their friends or participating in a book club, video games are merely a medium from which creators share their stories and ideas with consumers. The content of these games vary just as other forms of entertainment do. A "violent" video game– the unacquainted almost always seem to only see the background violence and neglect ninety-percent of the game that is nonviolent, imaginative and fun– can be as trite as a B-movie rip-off or as poignant and imaginative as a Sundance indie film.
Equipping a child with the proper mental tools and helping in the development of their judgement is key to having them properly deal with the 'outside world.' Various influences, not just video games, will be exposed to them– as you very well know, as it appears you are born in '59– before they even have a chance to grow and become an 'adult'. I am not saying a child should be able to see extreme violence as soon as they can talk, I am pointing out the need for their guardian to be responsible enough to talk to them, counsel them and teach them good moral values, as one would when talking to a child about the 'birds and the bees.' Instead of pointing to outside stimuli as the source of the supposed 'corruption' of their children, it is better to teach them what is right and what is wrong as influences–good and bad– will not go away.
Of all the conversation about this subject–one question is still not answered. Rather than arguing what harm the violent games may cause-what GOOD are they? There are millions of situations that can be used for video games. Why is violence the one most used? No one can deny that visual violence has many harmful effects on its viewers–so why offer it when there are games that don't have any harmful effects? Don't take the chance of inflaming negative thoughts if you don't have to.
Because law-abiding individuals should have the right to choose to consume any media they please as long as production of that media didn't involve actual harm to others. When the government starts telling us what we can watch, what we can play, what we can read, what we can eat, and what substances we can ingest because they "know better," what happens to individual autonomy and personal responsibility?
I blame the parents. Whether they want to believe it or not. The sit their kids down in front of these games and never spend any time with them. The parents should be the first ones to know if children need mental help or not. And then when they hear it from friends neighbors or school officials its " Not my child, s/he is too good for that." Through in the fact that everyone has to be treated equal, no one gets the help they need. They are given drugs and set free to roam the world to do what ever with little to no consequence. If parents started to be parents again a lot right there would change. After that get them the professional help they need would also only improve things. And if none of that works lock them up, hospital or prison.
Even liberals recognize the connection between behavior and what we watch, read, hear. Funny how they seem to dismiss this connection when it comes to exposure to spiritually moral messages on tv, books and radio.
That explains why the vast majority of American prison inmates are Christians.
Oh aallen333 I love the way you say 'liberals' like McCarthy says 'communist'.
The video games are not the fundamental thing. Philosophy is. Pragmatism, postmodernism, Kantianism, Nietzscheanism and, generally, all of the 'the mind creates reality' philosophies are mainly to blame. They are fundamentally nihilistic and deny objectivity, reality and clean cognition. Confused by the intellectuals, more and more people lash out indulgently with fear-ridden expectations of fame or plain death.
Right, because I'm sure some 16-year-old kid who shot up his school was an avid reader of Nietzsche and Kant.
LOL!!!
Tomb Raider is most likely the reason for all this; those bouncing digital mammaries are hypnotic.
No, don't "blame the violent video games by themselves" but when you have a culture that reinforces violence (which gaming does reinforce you for being violent in the game" and you have guns readily available and you have a society that is becoming increasingly fragmented and alienated through political discourse, more isolation,etc. then "violent video games" have to be considered as "part of the problem" and part of the solution. The recent study by the Post is only one of many which have shown otherwise. It's kind like saying cigarettes don't cause cancer because countries with higher cigarette smoking are healthier then the US (this is also true) but that only take one behavior and looks for correlation not causation thus is an incomplete picture. I would expect a "seasoned journalist" to do a little more digging then base an opinion peace off of one article in the Washington Post. – LOL
Tell it like it is, Fareed. Anti-video game crusaders are no different from the goons who set up the Comics Code Authority in the 1950s... Just a bunch of giddy old schoolmarms who are jealous that certain human beings are capable of imagination.
Paranoia and desperate, ignorant scapegoating also seems to permeate through that group.
I am now going to watch a funny family movie with my kids instead of wasting time on the internet...especially this useless blog.
The government does not care about us protesting until it becomes a financially unfit situation (boycott)...or that other type of protesting...
CHANGE..remember Obama?
Why did the liberals demand the closing of mental health facilities decades ago? To let the nutcases run free
Have you been drinking castor oil, Castro? You know you're not allowed to drink that. I put it on the top shelf for a reason.
All I hear when Zakaria Speaks is "quack quack quack quack quack"
Video games DO cause violence!!! When I was playing FROGGER on my Atari in the '70, there was nothing that I'd like doing better that jumping on frogs 'till their guts came out!
The NRA will defend your second amendment right but is more than ready to take away your 1st amendment right
Have we really enough history/time for any true evaluation of how violent games affect children? Won't we need to wait a while before we can do studies as to how kids who played these games and watched these movies grow and relate to their peers and family and spouses and children from their relationships before we can really make a judgement? How long have there been "M" rated games around...surely not long enough to produce enough material for an intelligent study.
Put the blame where it belongs and that is on the makers of these violent video games. These companies bear some of the blame after the failures of the parents and the rest of society.
Blame humanity, not video games, there is NO proven facts thats backed up by higher courts saying video games leads to killings, if thats the case..what made hitler that had him murdering millions and millions of jews? lets not forget past killings thats in history books thats BEFORE there was video games.
Blaming video games for violence is no different than saying "guns dont kill, people do." The difference is, its a lot harder to kill someone with a DVD than it is with a gun.
Bath Michigan, OK City, WTC 1, columbine, Aurora. Bombs are equally easy. Even banning everything on airplanes has failed. Underwear bomber, people caught with knives etc. What has had the most success in working is early identification of threats. Old school intel, and old school community policing to things that went by the wayside for a while.
FLETC and the military use games to help condition people to shoot who might freeze otherwise. Great book every cop and soldier has read is called "On Killing." David Grossman talks about how conditioning to kill is very essential.
Couple that with Dr. OZ on pesticides and other toxins are found in kids brain and blood work at 8-12 years old during really formative years. Is essential.
even that is flawed, why? because if you take onto a account that in the past that there was NO video games there was still killing & murders by people, you say (the military use games to help condition people to shoot) once again..you need to look in the past our history..to see that statement is flawed.
Thank you Fareed!
As a 63 year old nerd who was past his prime when video games first came out, but also as someone who embraced the new meme, including a lot of time with my son when he was growing up, I find it to be a misguided diversion to blame video games for gun violence.
It is not games or movies that cause violence, but rather wide open accessibility to the implements of violence.
I consider myself to be almost the epitome of non-violence. I would NEVER own a gun and the reason that I would not is that I can still recognize within me the potential to violence inherited from our simian past (well, not from the Bononos, anyway).
I suspect in the countries noted with higher per-cap game spending, there's more police, easier convictions, harsher sentencing, more health care, or less concern for civil liberties of those perceived to need treatment.
CHRIST:
"My Child, many a sinful thought and desire was brought in your soul by your curiosity to see things. This fault draws you toward the dangerous attractions of the world. The memory stores up pictures of what is scene, and in a sense makes these pictures a part of you."
As a corollary to Mr. Christ's statement I will say:
"But what you do with these pictures that are now part of you is up to you. If you have not the heart and the mind to deal with them, consult a mental health professional or the closest responsible adult."
hmmm nice name there, did you know the cross* is Paganism*? right? just wanna let you know this, the way you type you're comments tells me you are a christian.
Yes, America has a high gun violence rate. Because, we the people HAVE GUNS. No one seems to be looking at other statistics for countries which ban guns. Sure, they may have a low gun violence rate, but I'm sure that other sorts of violence are even higher then our own. If everyone owned a knife instead of a gun, I'm sure there would be a lot more stabbings in the statistics. Take away the guns, people will stab each other. Take away the knives, and people will beat each other with baseball bats. Take away those, and they will throw rocks at each other. The violence won't change, till we learn to change as a society. The overly simplistic logic of monkey see, monkey do, is not the reason for the violence. Video games or movies. I think a large piece of the puzzle comes from other forms of media, such as the news. In the days before the internet and high speed media, crimes and events stayed local, or at least took time to circulate across the country. Now days, people are too paranoid to let their kids be kids. They can't play outside or develop healthy relationships with friends. Schools are being turned into prisons with armed guards, barred hallways, metal detectors, security cameras and class room lock downs. kids fight, they rough house and get hurt. That is part of growing up and developing. Kids can't do that anymore without being kicked out of school and arrested. We lower the standards in schools for all kids, so that the failing students can keep up. Kids are left to spend more time in front of a TV or computer then they do with their families and friends. I don't think it's the things they see on the tv, more so the arrested social development from it. Our kids are growing up with stunted social skills, because of how paranoid we have become as a society. Kids with developing hormones have no output for stress and anxiety that comes from growing up. Everyone goes looking for simple answers to very complex issues.
The media has uncorked the bottle. The idea of a mass shootings has entered the mind of society through being put in our faces constantly. Unspeakable tragedy is the most talked about thing around. The seeds are planted. Now, we reap what we have sewn. Till the time when we learn to change as a whole, I don't suspect the violence will decrease in the least. Only worsen.
You mean in a country that allows the possession of a TOOL whose main purpose is to kill things (from far away!) experiences a lot of violence in which said deadly tool is used?
And you mean the people in that country are BLAMING MOVING IMAGES THAT DEPICT THE USE OF THAT TOOL– WHICH IN ITSELF IS VIOLENCE?!
I am so incredulous and horrified that I almost exclaimed the same thing Herbert Morrison said when seeing footage of the Hindenburg.
Reblogged this on World Chaos.
I'm sorry I don't speak Trombone
You don't have to apologize, Trudy. You can learn. I imagine you have a lot of free time as an empress.
And, as almost everyone with an education that includes the information on China, we know that the Chinese have not had access to those videos until very recently, and even today, the number who can afford to access those games is limited severely. So..
As with almost everything relating to this conversation on gun violence, it is extremely helpful to start with facts.
The problem is with the broadcast and print media. They sensationalize the violence. They give the next person a base line of what to do to get famous. The entertainment media in Hollywood glorifies gun violence and the hypocrites out there get rich while whining about others who own guns.
The print and broadcast media should be BANNED from writing or reporting anything to do with mass violence. It's like yelling "fire" in a crowded theater and should not be allowed.
Hey Zakaria, do you think that the worst of the video games, not just first person shooter games, but the psychopathic video games. Where life and morals mean nothing, could cause a person to cross a line where they could embrace an abandonment of conscience where they would then be primed to make the mistakes that a disabled conscience makes possible? Is it more about mentality or means. My life experience is that a person being dangerous is more about mentality than means. A really big guy can be quite docile, and also a really little person can be murderous (and can plot a means). I mean from bombs to a shove in front of a train, people can be dangerous. Or a nuclear powered nation can show restraint and use them to prevent violence.
It doesn't matter what the actual percentage of game users in the US is compared to other nations - it only takes a relative handful of unhinged gun-obsessed males to pull off mass murders. If violent video games are a factor in these murders, then they need to examined as something requiring serious alteration. To try and "prove" that they couldn't possibly be an influence by citing sales vs. murder statistics is a ruse to deflect interest from the tremendous influence of these inflammatory hard core games on male pre-teens and teenagers (to say nothing of fully grown male players who grew up on these games). It's not so much the sales figures of games sold that counts, although that is certainly a valid point of consideration, but whether they are in fact a significant contributing factor to the increasing incidence of mass murder in the U.S. Violent games, like violent weapons, can become an obsession that deserves much more serious study.
Why don't these posts, post most recent at the top? Are people really going to go to the bottom to read the most recent?
GIGO - Garbage IN, Garbage OUT .. this is an obviously ridiculously poorly designed study.
Firstly, the US has 88.8 guns per 100 people. The Netherlands has 3.9 guns per 100 people and South Korea has 1.1 guns per 100 people. While children in those countries may spend more time playing violent video games, they don't have anywhere near the opportunity to act out aggressive fantasy delusions.
How about if you conduct a study comparing time spent playing violent video games across countries with similar access to weapons?
Jeez ... has America completely lost its capacity for critical thought ?!
Same stuff. different day.
Gary Owen
Wait a sec! No one owns guns in South Korea or the Netherlands. This post is completely BS. Nice crap study there guys..
Possessing a firearm does not make you 'possessed'. Knives, baseball bats, hammers, sticks and guns don't make people violent. Objects don't make violence. Men make violence.
We need to pay attention to no just the video games, but also the violent and R stuff they watch on TV and language they are exposed to on an everyday basis. Sometimes just listening to some of the commentary on the music channels makes me shrink knowing an impressionable 10 year old could be listening to what is being said. I definitely agree that we need to pay more attention to media and what the children are exposed to.
Plus, we need to make it safe for children play outside in the park or outside their homes... actually PLAY and become SOCIAL creatures like we are meant to be. It's the anti social people who are prone to mental disturbances and violence.
Someone pointed to Koreans being exposed to a lot more violent games, but by nature the Koreans are a very social, emotionally and socially connected lot... in general, everyone feels cared for or feels connected. In an individualistic society where some people don't connect, I think violent video games are a no no.
I was watching an English Zombie movie, and until the end, they were throwing toasters at the Zombies. In our movies, every person alive is armed to the teeth.
Hey Joe, go ahead, leave out the big money making corporations who propagate this crap on our children. Your a shill for them anyway. Go bow to your corporate masters.
Sorry about the typos in the previous comment.
We need to pay attention to not just the video games, but also the violent and R stuff they watch on TV, the language they are exposed to on an everyday basis. Sometimes just listening to some of the commentary on the music channels makes me shrink knowing an impressionable 10 year old could be listening to what is being said. I definitely agree that we need to pay more attention to media and what the children are exposed to.
Plus, we need to make it safe for children play outside in the park or outside their homes... actually PLAY and become SOCIAL creatures like we are meant to be. It's the anti social people who are prone to mental disturbances and violence.
Someone pointed to Koreans being exposed to a lot more violent games, but by nature the Koreans are a very social, emotionally and socially connected lot... in general, everyone feels cared for or feels connected. In an individualistic society where some people don't connect, I think violent video games are a no no.
It is really a case-by-case with these things, usha. Some people who play violent video games are good people, very social and do well in school. It is a question of how they were raised– knowing right from wrong, etc.– and their personal disposition.
If you think video games aren't for your children, that's fine. But know that people playing them are just as good as folks who don't. Some people actually foster friendships and create a friendly environment while playing online.
Honestly, being respectful is a huge part of it. Some really bad gaming environments are created with raucous, rude people joining a game. Their OUTSIDE life affects gaming environment too.
This article is over simplified and perhaps hides or alters the reality. They did not state WHICH video games were popular in those other countries and which were popular here. While our children are playing Black Ops, and Grand Theft Auto, perhaps their children are playing Mario Brothers.
I think education is a big part of the problem for modern violence. We as a nation push you must be successful and that an education or fame is the only way to be successful. Not all of us were meant to go to school, and in a lot of cases can actually do better on the job than someone who has a college education. Some of us already know how to do certain things without going to school. Some of us can figure a lot of things out by just doing it. I think people are so stressed out that they are not good collage material they go crazy. It is time to stop pushing college and start evaluating what people can do without collage.
Propaganda Half Truths ... Why am I not surprised
"But widening the comparison to all nations, not just the richest ones, there are at least 17 other countries with higher per capita rates of gun homicides, most of them with rates astronomically higher than the U.S. rate"
It's because you always know what to expect, Nick. Say, are you perchance related to Nostradamus?
In the 60's 70's and 80's Music was blamed for violent behavior. Mainly Rock Music. If it were not for music or video games my old behind would have a lot of pent up aggression. That would be more of a reason for me to be violent than having them.
zakaria.. dont be a complete liberal D#*&che. Of course it has an impact.
right along with the glorification of guns and violence in movies and music.
along with the countless list of SSRI's our youth are gobbling down like gum drops.
ALL of those are heavily contributing factors. To deny it.. simply indcates you have no mental thought capacity what so ever..and are only pushing a liberal view of converting the country to a socialist dictatorial state.
of course.. we dont see Diane feinstien rallying against the movie or game industry..
cause they are the ones that fill her coffers.
and we rarely see doctors and psychologists talking about SSRIs.. cause they prescribe them
Everyone wants to blame an inanimate object...
instead of placing the blame where it belongs. on us. On society as a whole and what it has become.
nobody wants to take responsibility for anything anymore.
oh..and do a little more research. you'll find out, that the vast majority of gun deaths.. are suicides.
chew on that for a bit.
The net force in the media ultimately will be "it's the guns". That's because it's an agenda, not a debate.
Gun crime is not "more prevalent in America". In fact even though we are number 1 in gun ownership, we are number 28 in gun crimes. Only 0.00003% of the population will be a victim of gun killing and 75% of those will be suicides who chose to take their own life.
Nor do we have " far and away the highest levels of gun-related murders per capita", in fact our per capita gun murder rate is nearly identical to Canada. Again, we come in number 28 for gun deaths.
"As with almost everything relating to this conversation on gun violence, it is extremely helpful to start with facts."
If this is true then the author can feel free to update the article and cite sources for his claimed statistics that I've pointed out. Because so far the author has made themselves look like a lying gun hater with fake facts.
I grew up even before Pong and Asteroids but playing "army", cowboys & Indians etc were neighborhood favorites and in my mind's eye I was quite the annihilator of all manner of living creatures. Then I ended up being a scrawny little wuss who got picked on by the jocks all the way through high school. All the dads, including my own, in the neighborhood were WW2 vets with guns around that were never locked up.
Despite my "violent" pastimes, external provocations and easy access to weapons, it never entered my mind to go to school and shoot the place up (although I deeply regret not putting at least one sock on the snoot of a certain all-district point guard).
The people who commit these crimes are deeply disturbed and although some of these games may excite them, the idea of carrying out violence is already there.
It is not a gun issue
It is a morality issue
Take God out of the classroom
Love of money – why care about our children when there are billions of dollars to be made
How about a special cnn show on that?
GPS is the best!!!!!
Oh, Lloyd. Jesus Christ is never our of the classroom. Since he is present in everyone's heart, there would be at least 26 JCs in a typical classroom*. Twenty-five students per classroom, yeesh. Class sizes are becoming really large these days, huh?
*That figure is from 2010, btw
I'm totally with you on this, Fareed. The entire world has access to violent American video games, but you don't see too many mass shootings outside of the US. Blaming entertainment and gaming is just a feeble attempt at distracting us from the real culprit - ridiculously easy access to firearms. And, firearms way beyond those needed for hunting and self-defense.
We are very much a fame driven society – is it coincidental that these events happen consecutively? Instead of showing pictures and the names of the assailants why not just report the event, not use the assailants name or picture and see what happens. Cut the fame potential to zero and maybe the maniac will seek another adventure. A close friend went one step future and suggested that those assailants who die during the event be buried in an unmarked grave.
So true the APA has a good thing on copycat crimes based on the media worship from CNN to Fox of giving attention to these criminals.
We use fancy versions of games in the military and law enforcement to desensitize us to killing. Billions of tax payer dollars are spent to use these games to mentally prepare us to kill.
So obviously it has some impact. However there are dozens of reasons going on here and if you want expert testimony repeal the Hatch Act.
To those who say we can do nothing, YOU'RE part of the problem. In 1996 after a shooting spree, Australia reformed its gun laws and hasn't had a single one since. Gun-related homicides there are down 59%. Are Australians able to fix large-scale problems while Americans can't?
One issue I'd like to see raised is anger management. When I was a teenager I could have done something stupid, but fortunately we didn't have guns in the house, I found a good counselor, and I learned that the best form of "revenge" against bullies/the narrow-minded is to channel that anger in positive ways and be the interesting, creative, and independent-minded person they choose not to be!
Games we not made to baby sit your children. This is the problem. Children sit and play games everyday for hours. Their parents are doing their thing. Where is the parenting? Parents need to parent and limit the time their children play game to a hour or less per day.
Also could not comment on this video "Piers accused of standing on graves " His guest pointed out that people die everyday. I want to say that the day that Newtown had their shooting there were plenty of deaths carried out that same day with knives, handguns, cars and a host of other things. But their deaths did not become headline news. What we should be doing is set up a page and ask everyone that lost a child, brother sister, mom or dad, etc to come forward and let us know whom you lost and where that same day.
No I am not for a total ban on guns. I believe if they make it more difficult to get them, close the loopholes at gun shows, and if a gun changes hand their should be a place to report it. I also believe if you own a gun you should show some responsibility for owning it, reporting it missing or stolen and possibly give leads, and keeping it locked in an approved box or safe.
If you want to help the mental health problem in America then separate the drug addicts from the honest mentally impaired, the people who really need help with mental problems cant get help because the hospitals are full of addicts. most people with a mental problem did not cause their situation, on the other hand addicts almost always suffer from a self inflicted wound.
This is a silly conversation Fareed!!! You Liberals won't responsibly acknowledge and address the mentally ill and CRIMINALs, as they are a majority of the problem.
Until you honestly address these two issues in a meaningful way, you are wasting everyone's time!!!
Two mass murderers last year, Holmes and Goh, both bought their guns legally (and specifically for the purpose of killing innocent people) and both were being treated for severe mental problems. Aside from the fact that the two aforementioned killers (plus Jared Loughner) were not from impoverished familes, there is no law preventing anyone from getting treatment for being mentally ill and in many cases free treatment is available. Mental illness alone is not the problem–allowing mentally ill people access to guns IS, however.
You name calling ninnymuggins! Please, have a drink of water, stretch your legs and hug your family.
Unless we start addressing the root cause of violence in our schools we will never see an end to this sort of thing. When we allow children to be bullied and ridiculed everyday of their lives it should be no surprise when they act out in a violent manner. It is something that has to be addressed at school as well as at home by the parents. It needs to be made clear bullying is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Like it or not this applies to adults and the workplace also. Gun control will do very little to stop gun violence not to mention other types of violence. Did outlawing drugs keep people from using them? No. Did outlawing prositution stop it? Ask the CIA that one. Did prohibition stop alcohol? No. This list could continue for pages but I thhink my point is clear.
WHEN WILL WE CHANGE OUR MINDSET FROM REACTIVE TO PROACTIVE?
One more point I would like to make. Most if not all of the high profile individuals that are calling for gun control have armed security guarding them and their families. Most Americans do not have that luxury. So until the Government decides to actually do something about the fact that violence has over run this country I will keep my right to protect me and my family since I cannot count on any Government Agency coming to save me in a time a need.
An armed population cannot be controled by the Government. Ask Hitler.
We of the video game industry have spent millions on studies to show that video games do not promote violence and killing by adolescent youth. You the American public must believe what you are being told by corporate America. Go back to watching reality TV. We spends billions on media images to get you to buy soap and stuff you don't even really need. Video games like commercials never influence anybody and we've paid good money on science to prove to you that it doesn't. No go buy our products, watch our shows and go back to sleep. Everything will be fine. We promise.
First off, the amount of spending for video games must be correlated to the type of game its spent on. In countries like Korea, China, etc. they spend large amounts of money on non gun type video games so that correlation is flawed.
Blaming video games is both accurate and a cop out all at the same time. You cannot blame a created object for doing something because the object did not do anything, its an inanimate object.
If a child is raised by parents who are racial biased that child will be racially biased. Children learn what they are taught. So yes parents allowing their children to grow up playing violent video games does teach the child such behavior patterns, but again you cannot blame the video game because the video game did not do anything. It had to be purchased, it had to have some parent allow their children endless hours playing it.
At one point in time there were cigarette commercials on TV, but they took them off because they found that it caused people to smoke. So if just watching something does not make you do it, then why remove the cigarette commercials?
Those that hate guns and those who love guns, as with any other group that is at odds with one another will twist, distort and slant the facts and figures to further their agenda no matter the cause they fight for.
It is obvious that we have a problem with violence in this country but knee jerk, over emotional legislation will not help solve the problem.
NRA: "Guns aren't the problem."
Video-game industry: "Violent video games aren't the problem."
Assault-rifle enthusiasts: "I'm not the problem."
And so the problem metastasized.
Ah, but it is the hive mind of idiocy linked together by irresponsible groups in the media and the Internet that is the catalyst for the problem.
The study as maybe the article as well was financed by video companies. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure our that violence breeds violence. Any psycaiatrist should be able to tell you that ,unless his pockets are stuffed to tell you otherwise.People kill people because they are nuts or desensetized to human suffering . Violent video games accomplish desensetization process.
Should I ask my psychologist if something's wrong with me because while I play violent video games, I am disgusted by violent acts in the real world– great or miniscule. Most don't play them for the violence, but for the story and interactivity. It just so happens that violence is involved.
As for consulting a 'psycaiatrist', though, you'd better not. All a PSYCHIATRIST can do is prescribe medical remedies and conduct tests as they only deal with the physiological aspect of the mind (that means just the physical brain). What you need is a PSYCHOLOGIST. They assess the mental state of a person, offer counseling and other treatments.
Live long and prosper, sir or madam.
Video games do not make a person Violent people, stop blaming video games they do not have or play a role never have & never will, us as human beings always searching for something to blame that life throw at us.
if you want to blame something blame Humanity itself, Humans *we* as in the past was barbaric animals but not as bad as the future *today*, blaming video games for all the worlds Illnesses does not make any sense..when something dont make sense..it's nor true..so blame humanity..not video games itself.
Hey Zakaria, do you think that the worst of the video games, not just first person shooter games, but the psychopathic video games. Where life and morals mean nothing, could cause a person to cross a line where they could embrace an abandonment of conscience where they would then be primed to make the mistakes that a disabled conscience makes possible? Is it more about mentality or means. My life experience is that a person being dangerous is more about mentality than means. A really big guy can be quite docile, and also a really little person can be murderous (and can plot a means). I mean from bombs to a shove in front of a train, people can be dangerous. Or a nuclear powered nation can show restraint and use them to prevent violence.
When I was in school they claimed that there were studies in which children were studied: Group A watched very mild television and Group B were exposed to highly aggressive television. Both groups were released onto a playground and GUESS WHAT: the Group B that was exposed to highly aggressive television tended to be aggressive and to mistreat the Group A that were exposed to mild television. Could there possibly be a connection to exposure and learned behavior?????
no, because 1, there was NO parent or parents to teach them thats not real and so on, the studies is bs and does not prove anything. you must think about this more clearly, i mean it makes sense to me if they did this than where are the parents in this? sooooo there you have it....shot down faster then i suspected it.
How will taking away legal guns stop mass violence? Were there no incidents of mass violence before the age of firearms? While weapons certainly empower aggression, do weapons tend to create a defenders advantage? Have you forgotten Rawanda (mass murder with machete's)? There couldn't possibly be an agenda somewhere to disarm the public to remove the defenders advantage so that changes so horrible can be in society that the risk to those forcing those changes won't have to worry about it? Just look around....bye bye freedom.
Are you suggesting that we are divided along tribal lines like Rwanda? And what freedom does having a semi-automatic weapon get you except the freedom to feel like a bigger putz?
Do you actually think for one second having a couple semi-automatic rifles in the house would protect you from a government takeover? More likely it would lead you to join something like the SA. They were exterminated.
But if you don't blame video games, how can you exculpate our completely incoherent, anarchic and insane gun laws while portraying Guns and Gun Nuts as the real victims here?
I lived in ecuador for a couple years. there was a rope swing there. two kids 13 and 14 decided to go off the rope swing they landed in the water. they went off despite knowing they could not swim. they subsequently drowned. A sign was placed the following day to be cautious the water is deep. I thought to myself if this was in the USA... the rope swing would be cut down, a ten foot wall would be built, and no one would be allowed to enjoy the rope swing. This whole thing is over a handful of idiots ruining our rope swing. why should i give up my rights for awesome guns or sweet video games?(amendment 1 and amendment 2) I know lets cater to the weak, stupid and insane! I love the Media. Even more I love a good old fashion witch hunt.
btw I forgot to mention that anyone in WASHINGTON talking about a culture of violence is a total hypocrite if they don't *start* by looking at the military-industrial complex. The US has been making war on the rest of the world since the middle of the twentieth century, and continues on a "war without end." I don't see how you can surpass that for "glorifying violence." And the war-based video games wouldn't have half the popularity they do if it weren't for that history. This is beyond hypocrisy, it's just plain disgusting.
It's an interesting observation that folks that tend to lay the blame squarely on video games tend to LACK ANY EXPERIENCE ON THEM.
Have I stressed that enough? Many of my real life and online friends are gamers, they're all decent people.
If violent movies, TV shoes, video games, etc. have no influence, why in the world do we need rating systems then? Seems a monumental waste of time and resources to review all these types of entertainment and market them with an "R" or an "M" if they really have no influence. Anyone over the age of about 35 who remembers a time before violent video games should inherently know (unless they are just arguing to protect their ego and a stance they have already publicly proclaimed)... violent video games do have an influence (notice I didn't say cause) and comparing South Korea's per capita spending on video games with that of the USA is completely illogical and unrelated to the issue at hand.
And I love how the slanted media like to cherry pick a statistic and then frame the rest of the article as if it actually means something significant. This article implies that violent video games do not have an influence on "gun-related" homicides. Right from the beginning there are a number of lapses in comparative logic.
1. Do South Koreans spend more per capita on "violent" video games on non-violent ones? They have all the data...what with the rating system an all
2. Why use only "gun related" homicides in this comparison? Actually that's a rhetorical question...Only The Washington Post and CNN can answer to their agenda. That's analogous to saying something like "The NBA has more points score by throwing a ball through a round hoop than all other professional sports combined." In other words...NO Crap, Einstein!
Guns Per Capita
USA ............ 88.8
S. Korea ...... 1.1
If all else were equal then S. Korea would have a "gun-related" homicide rate about 81x lower than the USA. Guess what... it is just over 82x lower! Imagine that?
Gun Related Homicides Per Capita
USA ......... 3.7
S. Korea .... .045
Yet this article states that the USA has far and away a higher per capita rate of gun-related murder (which is true, just like the ridiculous NBA analogy I made above) without pointing out that we also have far and away more guns per capita than any other nation as well.
So does the data "suggest something quite different" as the author tries to spin in this article?
Since this is really about gun control and who the powers that be want to blame, lets add this data to the argument... something they always want to leave out as they try to hypnotize the masses into giving up their freedoms:
TOTAL Homicides Per Capita
USA ........... 4.8
S. Korea .... 2.6
USA has 80x more guns per capita than S. Korea but only 1.84x higher TOTAL homicide rate per capita! That's right, Americans have 80x more access to guns and only commit murder 1.84x as often.
To put that into perspective, Americans have 18.5 guns for every 1 murder (of any type) that takes place. Yet South Koreans commit a murder for every 2.6 guns in circulation. In other words, based on guns per capita, South Koreans are 7x more murderous than Americans!
Why the big discrepancy? Maybe it's those silly video games they're buying at twice the rate as Americans
Video games has nothing to do with violence. Its just a game and we are well aware of it. Visit http://www.gameoz.com.au/ if you want to order puzzle games online.
I was raised with "LOADED" guns in my home. My friends were raised with "LOADED" guns in their homes. My family all 50+ of them were raised with "LOADED" guns in their homes. NONE OF THESE LOADED GUNS WERE LOCKED!!!! The included HAND GUNS, SHOT GUNS, DEER RIFLES, 22 RIFLES, M1 GRANDS, M1 CARBINES, and a TOMPSON 45 SMG.
NOT ONE OF MY FREINDS OR FAIMLY HAS SHOT AND KILLED ANOTHER PERSON.
We were told not to touch the guns and we did not do so. If my farther ever caught me playing with the gun I received for my 11th birthday I would have lost it. We were told the rules and those rules were enforced with a belt if necessary.
Today my farther would be brought up on charges for child abuse and endangerment. For not having the guns locked up and ror applying the board of education to my rear end where it was needed.
Why that young man did is going to be debated for years to come, I feel it comes down to he was not properly discipline. That’s disciplined with love, affection and strength. Parents need to be the strong ones in the house not their children. Which is not the case in most homes today.
Video games, baseball bats, lead pipes, knifes and guns DO NOT KILL living humans. Only people no matter the weapon of choice kill people. Weak minds may allow video games, music and a relationship take them to the point where they are ready to kill will do so with what ever is at hand.
"Television and even violence in the news have been found to have a similar impact." I'm surprised the media even printed this. The world we live in is a violent one and blaming video games, or music is just nonsense. 99% of people don't do this, it's the small percent with a mental issue. It's not their fault but that is where we need to put the time and effort.
what were losers like these state run peps at cnn pointing fingers at for why bad things happen befor there was videogames? i know in the 80s and 90s is was music befor that? its allways the same stroy to get money to lobbyists to ban something. i hate democrats and republicins you are both useless.
This my life video games destroy my life I am very good person and very good at sports like in cricket and football when I start playing video game I notice that I become violent and I am destroying my currier one day I gift my all video game to my brother from that day my life become good please stop playing stupid video game and step into real world
So basically, the millions of law-abiding people in this country who enjoy video games that have a violent element must suffer bans and censorship just because there's losers who kill people and happen to have played a violent video game? Real great use of logic. Oh well, I guess I'll go play Black Ops now until the useless folks in Washington decide to try and ban something else I enjoy.
completly agreed why would the ban it because of murderers there has been video games for a long time and now that some one who killed some people who played these violent games they blam the game were is the logis in that
☺
I feel that it isn't the game's fault. I've been exposed to some very, VERY violent, bloody, gory and downright regrettable images while growing up, along with games. Yes, I do enjoy a violent game on occasion, but not as thoroughly as the next guy. Nor do I have the impulse or urge to go out and shoot a bunch of people because a game gives me a rush. It's the mental health of the person, and the parent. A child should not be playing a game that's specifically rated based on it's content to be 17+/Adults Only. There's a reason the ESRB exists, and it's to protect people from these types of things. There are parents that beat their kids, curse at them, let the child do what they like because the parent doesn't care/doesn't want to deal with the problem. They're irresponsible CHILDREN, not adults. If they had any brains (which they don't), they wouldn't have had a kid. If they had any sense, they would guide their children, keep them away from the things they should NOT be exposed to and be a parent. I grew up with strong guidelines and a good sense of myself and a knowledge of right and wrong, and in my early childhood/teen years I did play a LOT of violent video games, but I did not obsess on them because it wasn't a focus of mine. It was not a getaway from life. There are children (mind you, 3 years old) that grow up in ghetto and poverty ridden communities that have knowledge of the topics 15 to 20 year olds have. They curse because their parents let them and because they think it makes them grown. If anything, games are not the problem, it's the person playing it, and it's the parent that is allowing content that should not be exposed to the child to be interacted with.