Video games are part of life, but blamed for VIOLENCE?
By way2vision
@way2vision (613)
Canada
August 17, 2011 2:13pm CST
I've just read an article, blaming HALO, the science fiction fantasy video game, for a 15 year old boy for allegedly killing his grandmother with a sword.
Here's a link for that article.
http://www.gamefront.com/boy-with-a-history-of-violence-kills-grandmother-with-sword-halo-blamed/
My question for you mylotters is, Is it a video games fault for the influence? Or can it be the guardian's fault for not warning, educating, or briefing their children on what is violence, what is real life etc?
This is indeed a tragic news, and as a person who plays a lot of video games growing up, I can argue that video games never influenced me on doing things, because I am able to recognize what is morally wrong after being educated on the topic.
It is indeed true that every person is different, and how people accept things are different. But I believe the guardians have the responsibility of knowing the games their children are purchasing.
Parents are not ignorant, they know what games are popular and have an idea of what the content of the games are about. I mean, games are advertised and commercialized, and the internet is readily available for minor research about things.
We can even argue that the television holds more adult content and graphic ideas than video games.
9 responses
@2wicelot (2945)
•
17 Aug 11
Excessive playing of video games could alter the reality of the player especially with children. Playing for hours on end without sleeping, eating or resting would eventually suck the player into the reality or should I say fantasy of the game. For a child that is not very mentally balanced this could lead to disaster and the child may act out what it has been playing. The difference I think between video games and TV is that with video games the person is actively participating in it while with TV the person is just sin and watching passively.
@way2vision (613)
• Canada
18 Aug 11
Very very true. That is why I try to emphasize that parents have a key role in this situation. Parents or guardians, set ground rules at home, and if they recognize that there are mental problems with the child, which there may be, they should have recognize that these types of video games should not be proper. If the game was to be blamed, they cannot be held accountable, as it should be the guardians fault for purchasing the game. If I were to blame the situation on someone, it has to be the child's guardians. But then again, this story is still fresh, I still want to learn about the situation.
1 person likes this
@megamatt (14292)
• United States
18 Aug 11
Video games are just an easy way to defer responsibility from the parents or guardians by being unable to properly raise their children knowing right from wrong. As a matter of fact, funnily enough, there are many, many, children who play video games, yet less than one percent of them are going to be prone to the violent acts. Of course the media would tell us about less than one percent, as these incidents stick out in our minds and sew fear and deceit in the eyes of the population.
I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, that the number of parents who raise their children in a matter that would lead to these actions are far greater. Its just that not all of those children are going to play video games and draw influence from them. I think that a bigger issue is missed and people are looking for the most simplistic excuse, not realizing that the true fault lies in their own failure as parents or guardians.
@way2vision (613)
• Canada
18 Aug 11
I agree with everything you said. Games should never be more influential than the parent, it would just be a ridiculous state of matter if it was. Video games can perhaps only have a finger, or even a fingernail to a child's influence in imagination, where parents could have a whole hand. It is very much dependent on the parent on how or what they can offer for their children.
@walking2010 (1009)
• United States
18 Aug 11
First off everyone need to stop blamming the game for the fault how did this boy get this game anyway? second of all what is he doing with a sword sharp enough to kill his grandmother, now who knows how this boy was thinking when he did this, he might have been plotting this for a while, and decided to get up the nerve to do so, I mean he is old enough to know right from wrong, but being that he is under 18 he thinks that he can get off scott free, because you have kids that think this way, but the laws are finally starting to catch on to kids trying to play the system, they better wake up these are not dumb kids anymore, and a video game didn't cause his action that boy been had soemthing going on him, he needs help. And he needs to be held accountable for his actions.
@way2vision (613)
• Canada
18 Aug 11
Yes, your argument is very valid, and is being used with outside discussion. According to the article it seems the child had a history of violence. I've been looking but failed, I want to know where the guardians of this child has been, or the reaction from them.
@AgentGulaman (3546)
• Philippines
18 Aug 11
The game is already there and is always available. The usage of it will depend on anybody who wants to try it out. The responsibility on how the game will affect the life of the user is based solely on the user itself. In this case, the subject is a kid. Having a kid is a responsibility of the parents. Hence, I believe that the guardians are the ones responsible for the kid's actions until the kid realizes and already have his own mind. This is really sad. It is much like technology being blamed due to the misuse and being irresponsible of the user of technology.
@way2vision (613)
• Canada
18 Aug 11
Agreed, one has to take responsibility for their actions. I am also still digging up research or where the parents have been or where their stance is at least on what has occurred. Generally it is still a very early story, so I have failed to find information. And yes this is a very sad situation.
@haopee (493)
• Philippines
18 Aug 11
Contrary to what this article is implying. According to researches video games actually help teenagers ebb out the violence. I've read that people who've played Tekken and Counter Strike have lesser tendencies of acting out on rage and violence because they can always vent it out on games like this.
I think guardians and parents should still be wary of how video games affect their children. Nothing is more influential than a child's interaction towards real world environment. If they are neglected in playing games without parental guidance once in awhile, then reality loses its grip in the child's brain allowing a heavy dose of fantasy to take over.
@way2vision (613)
• Canada
18 Aug 11
That is actually a very good point, and would make sense for people to relieve stress through video games. Yes, overall parents should be more influential, and should be more vigilant of their children.
@scjbxz (139)
• United States
18 Aug 11
I don't think that games can be directly blamed for violence, but can be able to be blamed for contributing to violence. I think the main thing is parenting. If a parent allows a child to immerse themselves too much into the life of a video game at a very young age, they might find that as their preferred reality of living, and base things in their real life off the game.
However, on the other hand, I once read in an article that some games actually enhance various abilities. I think it said something that FPS games, or first person shooter games, helps assist in improving ones reaction time and dexterity, and that can be applied to working in high pressure situations to your favor!
@way2vision (613)
• Canada
18 Aug 11
Yes I agree, it is a very common pattern so far than most mylotters, who are responsible adults, have pointed out that parents should be more keen of their children. I agree with you and all of them.
It is rather true that games like FPS games can enhance ideas as well as abilities, I have been a sole believer than games can develop mind pattern and relieve some ignorance about the world. Games are indeed beneficial, but also with drawbacks, but overall I think games have more advantages than disadvantages, WHEN managed properly.
Thanks for your comment.
@pbbbsra (1214)
• Philippines
17 Aug 11
The guardian plays a big role in the upbringing of a child. Video games can be monitored and guided by parents. We can check on the kinds of CD's that they play. We can explain to them slowly the bad effects of playing video games too much. Tell them video games should not be applied in real life...
On the contrary, psychologically, these video games have a direct and indirect influence in the mind of the child. We cannot control what is running in their minds. Even non violent video games have effects on the psychological development of young kids.
FOr me, video games is not a part of life. Some kids grow up loving other things rather than video games. The big part is in the hands of the parents, to make the kids understand that video games is fun, but is very dangerous if they don't control the effects on them.
I agree that kids who play violent video games too much got the effect from the games itself. Kids are not born violent and without knowing it, they give themselves up thinking that the game is real. Sadly, they think of themselves as their favorite characters coming to life.
@way2vision (613)
• Canada
18 Aug 11
I agree with both of your points. For pbbbsra, The idea of people being born without "evil" or violence has been a discussion in psychology, sociology, or anthropology. People can easily argue that people are born, "good" and learn evil. Vise verse.
But generally I agree, influence is a major factor from video games. With that influence psychological development can be fluxed one way or another.
However, peoples should not let video games to be more influential than they are. Aside from video games, children also experience outside things, in which they can learn violence. Though children fantasy and dreams cannot be capped at a young age, it is just hard for me to believe that video games are that influential. To some extent it has influence.
I would just like to point out, it may seem that the child in the article had previous encounters with violence.
@goggles213 (735)
• Philippines
17 Aug 11
THe upbringing of the child always depends on his/her environment. The child must be guided accordingly by the parent or guardian so that the child may know what right from wrong. No matter how you look at it, if the child's foundation is strong growing up, he/she will not be easily influenced by what he sees or hear.
@way2vision (613)
• Canada
18 Aug 11
I agree, children need to be definitely guided in their path of development.
@RaineLockheart (219)
•
28 Nov 12
Video games do not have the power to control minds. If people want to behave like animals, there is almost nothing we can do about it. All we can do is apprehend them after they have commited the crime and make sure they never do anything like that again...
I play games all the time. I'm a massive gamer but I don't feel the need to go out and slaughter innocent people! Video games shouldn't get a bad name just because of a few evil people. To blame the games is showing that you're ignorant and people like to use it as a 'cop out', so they don't have to accept the fact that there are, quite simply, incredibly messed up people in this world. But sadly, there are.
