But do they actually do that? Do we have any hard evidence that kids who play violent video games are actually less upset by real violence?
If this is true, it’s not being reflected in the rate of violent crime in the US. That’s been going down since the early 90’s, and there have been no shortage of violent video games since then.
Alternatively, violent video games might be teaching a difference between fantasy and reality. If kids don’t get upset by fantasy violence because they know it is not the same as real violence, is that a good thing, or a bad thing? Which one is violence on TV that might be real, but doesn’t affect those kids’ daily lives?
Or they might be providing an outlet for violent impulses that doesn’t actually hurt anyone or damage anything in the physical world. I’ve used violent video games (pretty mild, in my case, since any kind of gore makes me want to vomit) for this purpose.
Is this any different from The Catcher in the Rye’s role in the murder of John Lennon, or Lennon’s own Helter Skelter’s role in the murder of Sharon Tate?
In fact, various studies have indicated that more video games (including violent ones) has a close connection to lower crime rates. A quick google found a mention of one here, for example. The belief that violent video games causes real violence seems more faith based than anything; people just know that it’s true.
Just do I’m sure we’re on the same page here, the category we’re describing here includes such works as “the alphabet,” right? You’re not actually suggesting that we should place any sort of limitations on the distribution of creative works which might potentially inspire psychotics to commit acts of violence, right? You recognize that this is an infinite set?
Though Catcher in the Rye might have driven Chapman to kill the ‘phony’, if the book didn’t exist, it would just be another thing driving the obsession.
If Dragon Age didn’t exist, then it would be another random thing pushing Breivik.
Assuming that dragon age was even a factor.
Among the many cultural references in Breivik’s 1,500 page manifesto was a brief mention of the dragon age series. That’s it. Nowhere does he say it was his inspiration.
Yeah, no doubt true. Be better if he were crusading against Warrio, or running around abandoned theaters to destroy Nazi zombies.
Incidentally, the OP has an axe to grind, and this appears to be a part of his larger loathsome thesis. It’s not clear that he actually believes what he says. Check out his other threads, notably [thread=649773] Do you think Anders Behring Breivik is different than Muslim terrorists? [/thread], if you want to see where his head is at. Save time for a hot shower afterwards.
I will admit that more than once, after a marathon GTA session, I’d be behind the wheel and I see, say, a break in the trees by the side of the road, and for a half-second a thought would pop into my brain along the lines of “Hmmm, wonder if there’s a hidden ramp over there? This is pretty long straightaway, so if I really punch it I could probably get some good speed going. That might be a Unique Jump, which…whoops, never mind…reality”.
I’ve played violent video games such as FPS games for a long time now.
If anything, I find that they give me a release for violent or angry energy. They are more of an outlet than something that encourages me to become more violent. I’m saying this as someone who is 14, around the age that many critics think would be targeted to become more violet due to these games.