Violence & Video Games

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Violence & Video Games

Last week we posted the poll on Violence and Video games. We have heard a lot of discussion lately about the correlation between teen violence and the video games they are playing. I think the incident at Colombine made us as a nation have to take a serious look at what was causing teens to act out so violently and today's video games were always in the conversation. Since Colombine there have been several more cases of teenagers going on shooting rampages with a Salt Lake City mall being the most recent target.

The results of our poll (which can be seen by voting) show that there are still a large percentage that believe that video games are not the cause. I would be interested to here some more in-depth conversation about your opinions one way or the other.

Violence and Video Games
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I agree Reply to this Comment

Some people just want to ignore the facts. Teens were not as violent in the past until we started showing them how to act out violence in video games.

By: wildman Posted: Mar 07 2007

I'm not completely convinced Reply to this Comment

You have to remember that the media is all over the place now and there are a lot more people in the world. The percentages may not have increased. It would be interesting to see some stats on teen violence in the past compared to today.

By: stew Posted: Mar 07 2007

I Disagree Reply to this Comment

I feel that what's more important than how violent a video game is, is how impressionable the child playing it is. Also, parents should heed the ratings system of the video games. An M rated game is similar in content to an R rated movie. M rated games aren't targeted towards kids. I think parents need to establish some rules when it comes to this, and know how impressionable their child is BEFORE buying a video game for them.

By: ttrboy182 Posted: Mar 07 2007

teen violence Reply to this Comment

Yes it's true that violence is all over the television, but why need stats when the statistics are right here in our every day life.We don't need statistics to show our bad or good our world or invirment is doing. Look around you!

By: tierra hopkins Posted: Mar 15 2007

More evidence of video game violence Reply to this Comment

So is the VA tech shooting more evidence of violence from video games?

By: ttrboy182 Posted: Apr 19 2007

Right Reply to this Comment

ttrboy182 wrote:
"I feel that what's more important than how violent a video game is, is how impressionable the child playing it is. Also, parents should heed the ratings system of the video games. An M rated game is similar in content to an R rated movie. M rated games aren't targeted towards kids. I think parents need to establish some rules when it comes to this, and know how impressionable their child is BEFORE buying a video game for them."

Ratings are there for a reason, and parents should pay attention to what their children buy, borrow from friends, or what they thmeselves buy for them. If your child is twelve years old, you should not allow them to play something like GTA, and find something for a younger age group.

By: Ookami_Kage Posted: May 15 2007

Violent video games Reply to this Comment

ttrboy182 wrote:
"So is the VA tech shooting more evidence of violence from video games?"

As a person who like both video games and kids. I believe that video games aren't the reason why our youth is so violent, but the maturity of our youth. Parents should be more involved in their children's activities. Parents should not allow their kids to participate in such violent activities if they believe that it promotes ill morals.

By: cdoughty611@msn.com Posted: Mar 27 2008

poll Reply to this Comment

well it depends because there are some kids like myself that just watch others play

By: angel_of_death Posted: Apr 03 2008

yes Reply to this Comment

tierra hopkins wrote:
"Yes it's true that violence is all over the television, but why need stats when the statistics are right here in our every day life.We don't need statistics to show our bad or good our world or invirment is doing. Look around you!"

that may be true but look at the kids that are doing good in the world

By: angel_of_death Posted: Apr 03 2008

Video Games Don't Cause Violence Reply to this Comment

Video games causing teens, and i put the emphasis on teens not little kids, is a load of crap. I have played video games since i was 5 and so has almost all of my friends, but not one of us has ever committed crimes because the game showed it. Games dont teach teens they are more a way of relieving stress because you know that you would never do that in real life because it is wrong.I have five main points to make about this and im not hear to argue that one way is right or wrong, but that it is a matter of the parent who makes the difference as to the effect of games and that earlier childhood experiences can have a greater effect than slaying an orc with an arrow or being able to run around a city with an AK and shoot ppl. i will agree that this is not something that a child should be playing at lower ages, but if the parent allows it then it is not the games fault, but the parents for not keeping their kid from playing it or teaching their kids the morals they need. 1. Games don't teach teens to pick up and fire a weapon. 2. Games don't teach teens to have no feeling about aiming a gun at people and firing it without remorse. 3. The amount of how much the games actually affect a child are not caused by the game, but by the parents who need teach their children right and wrong, fiction and reality. 4. Do you let your kids play cowboys and indians or some similar game. If so that is worse than letting them play games because it teaches them how to aim a gun and they are learning to fire with the intent on killing the other. I know you say its innocent and i agree but look at the similarity to the shootings and you can see if a child was not taught the morals he needed then he could have very well just saw it as the same thing. 5. If you want to see the truth about how teens are actually less violent than what they used to be read this website and it shows that the crime rate of teens has decreased for several years now when violent games are more available now than ever before. ' http://www.gamerevolution.com/features/violence_and_videogames

By: LJJ7 Posted: Apr 15 2008

puh-lease Reply to this Comment

fifty percent of you say it is related to violence? dude, violence and abuse have been around way longer than video games. back in industrialization children were beaten in cotton mills back during civil rights movements blacks were lynched. and god knows how long women have been beaten. war? manly the world war 2 variety? six million dead jews? most of the nazi recruites right out of high school? aren't they teens? go ahead, blame video games

By: aingoia Posted: Apr 27 2008

Wow Reply to this Comment

why do people sit back and blame video games for violence. Violence is unprovoked behavior and this should be titled violence & parents who do not show enough love to their children. Showering children in love and spending time with them goes a long way. People sit back and point fingers when they are working 50 hour weeks and business trips on weekends. THE KIDS WANT ATTENTION. Enough said

By: atheron Posted: May 06 2008

Blame the little guy Reply to this Comment

Im not a parent Im just a teen who was looking up teen substance abuse for a school project and came across this poll. This has got to be one of the Most moronic things iv ever heard of. How could you single out videos games for causeing violence. There are films out there tv shows all alot more violent then any game out there. This is just what parents who realy think they care about there kids but just like to be controling idiots who want take any fun out of their kids lifes would gock about. So you have one bad thing happen, a bunch of idiots go on a killing spree and say they did it because of a game. Well how about we get rid of every other violent movie, Show or music Anything rated M. Just burn it because something happened. Worse things have happened because of movies and supposably rap fuels hatred and crime. How about we get rid of religion since all it does is cause war. Im a teen and im not troubled and i was parented fine, Average marks, Drinks occasionaly, Have lots of friends, Tryed some drugs never addicted, Have had run in with the law. Im like every other half decent teen. My opinion is not tainted. But this topic and the people who take it serious and people who try to ban video games and people who voted yes are all morons and just want to find an easy thing to blame for teen violence.

By: Ipwnall Posted: Jun 01 2008

Definately not!!!! Reply to this Comment

I am a teen so my opinion may not mean much but i play these violent games and they have not in any way influenced me. Video games may have a little influence on easily influenced people but for the majority it has to do with what goes on in their families and lives that causes anger to be instilled in them, and causes them to resort to the things they do. Its things like not having a father, mother or both... things like parents who pay there teens no attention...things like abuse and neglect that causes the teens pain, anger and depression... things like their peers picking on them or people always putting them down... NOT VIDEO GAMES which teens know are fiction plus if video games do it then so does T.V. have you seen the things on the news... teens figure its no big deal because it happens everyday

By: paladingirl Posted: Jun 06 2008

Violence and Video Games Reply to this Comment

I think that video games show kids horrible violence, illegal acts, all in the comfort of their own homes. The producers of these video games know what is going to hook kids, get them to wanting more.. I will use the word "addicted" There is a new book out called "Video Games & Your Kids: How Parents Stay in Control, it shows how to set limits for kids of all ages,and when to introduce video games to young children. Parents need to remember that they are the parents set boundaries, even if the kids get mad!

By: dawn Posted: Jun 26 2008

Playing the blame game... Reply to this Comment

Violence in teens isn't about the games they play or the movies or media. Who is responsible for raising the teen? Who does the child look to for support? Friends? Parent? TV, Video games, computers... all these things limit a child growth when used too much and video games are often allowed as much as a child wants. This is taking away from the time, their most precious resource, to be playing with other kids (if very young) and developing with social skills. Older kids, that have become dependent on things like this need to gently pushes into spending more time in social situations that focus on more relaxing types of fun. Video games promote being an excitement junky. Stop using this tool as a baby sitter or a way to keep your child occupied. If you don't have the time to give, buy other option. Music, art, creative outlets are important here. I met a child once that played video games a lot... so did his dad... they didn't even do it together. It hurt to watch, so I started taking the child to the park when I could. He had good fun there and was put into situations that promoted his growth socially. If you kids want to play video games I think the parent should sit down with them and play with them. Not just watch, actually play and have the fun together, and strengthen the bonds that are important. I think it will make going out together to do different things easier and like not cause as much drama or fighting because the kids want to play more video games. The base of enjoying time together is there already. No more blaming. Take responsibility for the situation and if you cant see how to deal with it is seems like the internet can be a good resource as well as more professional guidance.

By: JohnFarmer Posted: Jul 12 2008

Come on Reply to this Comment

I have been playing video games since i was three and im not 15 and the only time im ever violent is when i'm playing games to relieve the stresses of being a lonely outcast at school. I play video games pretty much all day yet im not violent. The only time i have ever been in a fight was a time where the other person started it (he dosn't play games). In fact i have never tried drugs, alcohol, or even commited a crime. Contrary to the fact i have done all of those in a game. Me and all the other gamers are actuallythe best behave kids at school. Even though we go home and kill a thousand people a night on our games. Also even though sales of violent games have increased violence among youth has decrased. in fact it is at a 30 year low (about the same amount of years video games have been out). That i'm guessing is due to fact that in video games we do the things we know we shouldn't do in real life instead of actually doing them. Next studies are completely inconclusive and are usually performed in environments that are unlike the usuall gaming environments. The most violent people i have met do not play video games. Plus some people say just because video games are used for training soldiers to kill it means that its means that video games are teachings kids to kill. The problem this theory only works if we have no ability to distinguish between fact and fiction and if we had no mindset while playing. Plus most shooting are not even related to video games. If they were the people were already mentally unstable. Also a real gamer would never due this stuff because it requires us to get off the couch. I mean really i am so lazy i dont like leaning forward to get my drink off the table (no i'm not fat just really lazy) and i know people the exact same way. Last if this were true then since millions of people buy these games shouldn't millions of youths be committing crime instead of just over 1 million.

By: dacling Posted: Jul 21 2008

Pros and Cons Reply to this Comment

I agree that video games in certain ways influence people to become aggressive. However, video games are not solely to be blame. There are always other external influences such as friends and other media. Overall, I think parents should play their part in controlling their children on what games they are playing.

By: Hibaki Posted: Jul 23 2008

Video versus non Reply to this Comment

wildman wrote:
"Some people just want to ignore the facts. Teens were not as violent in the past until we started showing them how to act out violence in video games."

I think games and computers period have taking away the natural games we used to play as kids.. i remember when making a fort was so much fun.. and catching tadpoles in the local ditch only to watch them hopefully turn into frogs.. and climbing trees and getting dirty.. and making mud holes fun filled with water.. what the hell happened to good ole fashioned fun..? its called to many readily available home sitters called videos computers ipods and anything eles electronic

By: Bought the Socks Posted: Sep 20 2008

adding on Reply to this Comment

Bought the Socks wrote:
"I think games and computers period have taking away the natural games we used to play as kids.. i remember when making a fort was so much fun.. and catching tadpoles in the local ditch only to watch them hopefully turn into frogs.. and climbing trees and getting dirty.. and making mud holes fun filled with water.. what the hell happened to good ole fashioned fun..? its called to many readily available home sitters called videos computers ipods and anything eles electronic"

aswell the FAMILY unit has all but become extinct.. and family values.. because money and the rising cost of living has deemed it almost impossible to run a normal functioning happy complete family unit.. its really sad.. that we no longer do much as a family anymore...

By: Bought the Socks Posted: Sep 20 2008

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