Why Video Games Do Not Cause Violence (Though Some Think Otherwise)

On Friday, in what is perhaps the most violent crime committed in a US school in recent memory, a gunman entered a Connecticut elementary school and opened fire. Out of the 26 people brutally massacred, 20 of these were children ranging from the ages of 6-7.

While details are still sparse, the gunman (whose name I feel should not have been released and should fade in anonymity) has been painted as a previously quite and intelligent individual with no criminal record. What could possibly drive an otherwise sane man to commit the unthinkable?

[Jinkies]

Video Games are nothing but something to point and blame when something like happens in the world...it takes the heat of the gunlaws so they don't have to explain why they havent changed them yet or why nothing was done sooner to prevent the event that happened.

It's basicaly just something to blame so no one else gets the finger pointed at them.

[Welshy]

Judging by the title and random site that posted it, i'm going to make a not-so-wild guess that this is just a troll attention seeking article where the content and title are complete opposites.

We KNOW that video games are not directly to blame for any crime, not just shootings.

The only people who believe that are the media and paranoid moms who are going to sell their kids PS3's out of terror.

Maybe these shootings are to blame on the media? After all they do plaster these killers faces and there sick atrocities worldwide for all to see, perhaps just maybe, there are other people of weak mental state who think "Oh FOX thinks THAT is bad? Just wait til i shoot up a hospital ward!".

The media does more harm than good and video games shouldn't even be part of the equation, it's just silly.

[TripC50]

Yes video games cause violence. Especially now with the most popular genera in gaming being shooters. Just look at the past. Were there mass shortings and violence when the only games being played were arcade games? nah. Video games now have an affect.

[SolidStoner]

Video games can only effect stupid people... you need to be insane if you link video games with reality... even if you like simulators or shooters, and play them like you would do in real world.. still only retard could think that he can manage everything what he saw in video game.. I can say that news on TV and Movies can really mess your mind since they show real fotage or very good quality fake horror :) since movies look so realistic...

[Enemy]

Why did the mother have so many assault weapons readily available? With her being dead now, how will we ever know that she didn't have some metal illnesses of her own, which then transferred on to her 20 y/o anti-social son?

You have to question why a substitute teacher even had so many weapons to begin with, with the area they lived in being so nice and all.

[LOGICWINS]

Because apparently she was a gun enthusiast. It's a hobby. Being a fan of firearms doesn't indicate that you live in a "bad" area or have a mental illness.

Teaching kids how to shoot back in the day was the equivalent of a parent teaching their kid how to ride a bike in 2012.

[Welshy]

How dare you examine legit possabilities and use common sense!

IT WAS TEH VIDYA GAMEZZZ!!!111!!!111

Sensationalist, knee jerk journalism scape goating stuff that suits them as usual.

Edit @LOGIC I see you jumped the potential weak mental health either the gunman or his mother may have had and jump straight to the gun bit.

While i'm here i may post a blog about how forks make me fat and alcohol made me an alcoholic... because mental state and free choice doesn't govern people anymore right?

[LOGICWINS]

I never denied the possibility that weak mental health was at play here. It CLEARLY played a factor with the shooter. You don't kill dozens of people, mostly 5-10 year olds, if your thinking rationally.

I'm just stating that the fact that the mother owned several guns ALONE doesn't indicate anything negative.

Liking guns doesn't automatically mean there is something wrong with you mentally.

[Enemy]

@ LOGIC: Interesting. Would you raise anti-social children around assault weaponry and honestly not blame yourself when the day comes that they walk into a school and slaughter innocent children?

It's bad parenting when you don't know that your own son is mad at the world and you do nothing to make him feel better. Instead, you let your obsession with guns rub off on him and expect him to be alright. Like my gun collection, depressed child? Here you go, feel better.

If a mother has no good reason to keep weapons around the house like they're toys or furniture, then she shouldn't. It's quite simple. Who's more at fault here is the problem.

[Reverent]

@Enemy, I don't think that's what LOGIC means. In this instance, I think the mother is at blame for it. However, that one example shouldn't dictate how that subject is spread globally. For example, I consider MYSELF a gun enthusiast. I grew up around guns, and my father and grandfather constantly took me out shooting, buying me guns, etc. I've lived my entire life around guns, yet I have never felt any sort of urge to take the life of another human being.

[Enemy]

@ Reverent: There's a difference. From everything that I've been reading and hearing, no one ever saw the kid. He was always alone, completely disconnected from the outside world, including his family. I don't want to generalize here but I can't see how that could ever be a good thing, especially if you're also living with a mother that seemingly doesn't care about you either. She took him out of school and it's possible that he was bullied and had no real friends. You don't leave someone like that by themselves. All they want is attention, and even if they aren't asking for it, you don't just give up on them by leaving them around your assault weapons.

Sounds like the kid had a rough life, and some people handle it better than others. I'll agree with you on blaming the mother.

[irepbtown]

Anders Breivik killed close to 80 people. He was ''rationally'' thinking, he knew exactly what he was doing, he had no mental illness.

Now this is slightly different, these were kids, however some people have no hearts. We cannot rule out the possibility that he was perfectly sane. I personally think there's more to the story than what the media are saying (just youtube some of the initial reports by the media and Police radios).

[CobraUnit]

So we can blame everything else but not video games? what kind of childish logic is that? We have absolutely no idea what kind of effects video games are having on children, teens or adults so to rule out video games is just absurd.

Just because you have a passion for video games doesn't mean it's not harmful.

Our brains are literally like sponges, it is effected by everything you see, hear, feel, taste and touch and what it dose with all that information and the changes it makes to a persons behavior is mostly unknown but there is also a lot we do know.

You can't just rule it out just because you feel offended.

[Patrick]

Really? your gonna try and blame games? Oh please, we had murder before we had games. Games are not real, there is no do over in real life, I don't walk around seeing my health bar in the top of my vision and I have been playing games since Atari. There always has been and there always will be violence against the innocent. That is why people must be able to and be ready to protect themselves and others. Those that don't believe in owning guns will look to us that do, when something bad happens...and don't worry, most of us, have the decency, honesty and integrity to protect you as well.

[Jinkies]

Mate if you think like that why are you even here

Hell why are you even a gamer....

[AzaziL]

I never had a problem pointing my finger at the shooter to blame, I don't need excuses for that behavior. He was a lunatic, plain and simple, no need to beat around the bush.

[chadboban]

I wonder how many people are going to read the article and not just the headline.

[Nitrowolf2]

I'm not gonna even bother because I know this is one of those story where their opinion is completely opposite of the title.

Of course gaming isn't to blame tough.

[LOGICWINS]

I figured it was a satirical article when I read the title.

"Why videogames, NOT the gunmen.." pretty much gave it away.

[bronxsta]

Anyone read it?
What a stupid title, the article is actually against using games and other media as scapegoats

[morganfell]

Then the guy ought to be slapped for using that title. I don't want to hear any such nonsense about "counterpoint to invoke a realization..." The title was hitmongering and as far as I am concerned such titles define the article. And since that is the case I will treat it accordingly... as another idiotic article seeking to absolve people of responsibility. I do not care what the article says in the body. The site made it's choice they can live with the consequences.

This situation is already a mess because people won't face the problem head on and admit the cause. Not in this touchy feeley world where no one got the hug they needed and are therefore free to act like a maniac without blame.

Aren't rich? Not your fault.

Failed school? Not your fault.

Lack of initiative preventing success in life? Not your fault.

Suck at video games? Not your fault.

Ran a red light and T-boned an innocent driver? Not your fault.

Have no friends because you are a creep? Not your fault.

Killed 26 people in a rage? Not your fault.

[SilentNegotiator]

We've become a society that ALWAYS places the blame elsewhere.

[liquidhalos]

How long have you been working in the mental health profession? Your deep understanding of the mind and its chemical imbalances have moved me. But you left one point out

Writing a stupid reply with a bunch of weird random pointless examples to buffer the relevant ones while finishing them all off with Not your fault. Completely abandoning all intelligent facts and arguments. Not your fault.

[Nes_Daze]

I heard the media was to blame, then I heard not having "God in our lives" was to blame, then I heard some other random BS. Only thing I can say is that we're all scrambling to find who/what to blame, when we're missing the big picture. I'm tired of people telling me I can't have somebody in my prayers or say something in their memory because I'm not blaming someone/ or something. BTW, I liked the article.

[Drazz]

Mental Illness, and a parent who wasn't prepared are to blame.

[BanBrother]

Exactly. Mental Illness. Anyone who believes otherwise ask yourself this; What kind of sane, happy person goes on a shooting spree and kills innocent children, many who were 6 and 7 years old??

The shooter is obviously at fault, not denying that, but the bigger issue is that there are people out there that need help with mental illness, but aren't getting it. I think it teachers need better training, so they are able to pick out these signs at school, where a lot of it originates from.

I feel very sad for the victims and their families. And my anger towards the shooter aside, I feel sad for him. To feel so bad that you would do something like that is truly saddening.

[liquidhalos]

This is exactly what i put in thread yesterday. A former teacher of his has said that he displayed signs of mental illness and depression while he was a student.

I think a very important question needs to be asked by victims families and concerned citizens alike. Why if mental illness was identified years ago was nothing done about it? Is there no children in need and children at risk register in the states?

Many people are saying where was the mother? Why didnt she do anything about him? Simple fact is some parents cant cope, arent prepared or are utterly selfish and just plain shit parents. Thats when its societies job to step in, but without a robust mental health system in place that just cannot be done. Emphasis and resources should be taken away from all scapegoat activities and purely focused on helping people with problems before they snap and do something like this. Debating games and poor parenting wont fix the problem only decisive well funded action will. The mental health system is in desperate need of reform

[BlaqMagiq24]

Bad parenting and utter stupidity are to blame

[WitWolfy]

Thats like saying internet porn is the cause of teenage pregancy

[BanBrother]

No it's like saying cute pictures of puppies are for teenage pregnancy....or ice-cream.

EDIT: Is that Ice-cream guy gonna show up now? (WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!!??)

[Starbucks_Fan]

God bless those kids and adults who were killed that day

[playnextgames]

The U.S. government does not want video games or guns to talking point of violence. Hence, the America's Army video game. Instead mainstream media is focusing on news laws and medication which keeps the taxpayers tranquil.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

The title is an unexcusable spin to get site hits. As for the article itself the author makes a few decent points but fails horribly on his point #1. He claims we need to stop trying to figure out why these things happen and get tougher on the consequences of such acts. That all sounds fine but the reality is 99% of the time these shooters take their own lives so his "get tougher" thought does nothing to help the situation. If we can figure out what the triggers are, learn how to better see the warning signs then maybe we can avoid more of these horrifying incidents. We absolutely need to be focused on prevention of future incidents rather thinking stiffer penalties will help curb the problem.

[crinale]

Just stop putting flame-bait title and say "come on read the article before you comment, please".
I wonder how much do contributors get paid for this...

[iNFAMOUZ1]

as stated before above, bad parenting and mental illness are to blame, my son will have full attention as to not grow up that way, the kid was probably feeling without anybody around him, sad that it all turned out like this.

[Bk7894]

I agree with piers Morgan, "I'm not 'blaming' violent video games. But to pretend they can't contribute to, or stimulate, an insane person's bloodlust is ridiculous".

[crackforgangstas]

How the fuck did this even get through approvals? Seriously? This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen on this website. This guy was sick in the fucking head and now 20 children are dead. Video games had nothing to do with this you fucking heartless prick. Wrong time, wrong place friend.

[SnakeCQC]

japan has lots of gamers and guns are illegal yet gun related murders seldom reach anywhere near 30 a year and in america where most people can relatively easily get guns its well over a thousand. Anyone see a correlation between gun laws???!!!

[Oschino1907]

I def see someone who lacks clear logical thinking and jumps on a conclusion without even fully understanding what he is saying...

Guessing you just take things at face value and never delve deeper into the actual causes/effects of things.

Oh and btw your numbers are way way off and have absolutely no perspective placed behind them. It's as if you just made up some numbers that sounded right in your head and just threw them out there with no additional info to back up your point.

[SnakeCQC]

http://www. washingtonpost. com/blogs /worldviews/wp/2012/12/14/the- japan-lesson-can-americans-lear n-from-the-country-that-has-alm ost-zero-gun-deaths/

[Oschino1907]

Wow I must question if you even read the article?

Your numbers don't even match what the article stated, you can't even reference the article info without just half guessing the info. And no where are video games even mentioned.

Regardless the article was written as a question w/some informational backing to help open up some perspective and discussion surrounding the topic.

Not any single place does the author state anything that would lead to the conclusion you came up with in your comment. They simply ended it by saying (in paraphrase)
"the usa and japan are at extreme opposites in terms of laws, and can we learn anything from them while retaining our american way and is culture more the reason for these differences in laws imposed or not imposed on people while questioning if it really is for the better or not"

He doesn't come to any conclusion but simply just wrote an interesting and relevant article opening up some insight into how different things are depeneding where you are from. It's more an article to open up and expand thinking on the topic and not to provide any sort of concrete facts regarding stricter gun laws directly being related to equaling a better society.

[mastershredder]

Bait. Clicky. Wants hits. No real meat. Not anything gamers need to focus on anyway.
This whole ordeal has nothing to do with video games. The air the guy breathed had more relevance to his life shattering episode. So let's blame the air for going into his lungs allowing him to breath.

The anti-gameing victorian-age thinking obsessive ignorant nuts will stop at nothing until games are nothing more than supper fluffy kid-like everyone wins type games where you do chores, volunteer at the old folks home and worship your deity.

[xyxzor]

This article is so absurd it should be reported.

[Genuine-User]

Misleading title.

[League_of_Draven]

And this game is the main culprit.

[Cam977]

Just think of all of the trees with an abundance of presents but no child due to this hellbound scumbag. It's awful. I hope this disgusting excuse for a person rots in hell and no, video games were not the culprit. Did they tell him to commit the inhumane slaying? No. He made the decision himself, his psychopathic mind somehow saw good in it.

[UnholyLight]

The fact that anyone can make the claim that video games are EVER to blame is bullshit. Seriously get a life, you're just ruining a great entertainment medium with your bullshit

[RETLAWx10]

I'm 35. And love video games specially Nintendo games.
I also have ps360. I stop playing "COD" because all the hate on xboxlive towards blacks,hispanics,homosexuals. I could not play a single match without someone insulting me or my friends.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

There is an intense culture of hatred that surrounds our hobby, but I still don't agree with this ridiculous premise.

[Tzuno]

Bobby Kotick you weasel.

[googergieger]

Even if the article is trying to pull "a modest proposal" on us, it is still very much in poor taste. As a rule of thumb I avoid these types of conversations on the internet because one isn't obliged to do what should be done with topics such as these and use tact. Because they aren't obliged, they go about sharing their opinions in quite the rude and inappropriate way. No filter. No logic. No empathy. Personally I see both sides of the arguments where guns are concerned and do agree something should be done, but really time and place. Which clearly isn't the site N4G, where apparently cursing and "insulting" others is not only frowned upon but a banable offense, but using a mortifying tragedy for site hits(no matter if done to "defend" video games") is beyond insulting and personally I can't believe it was approved. In any case, I hope no one clicks on the site. I didn't. But tis a free country after all...

[Sidewinder-]

"For those who are upset with with the title of this story, the hosting site has changed the article title to better reflect the contents."

Is this supposed to make me click the link to read the title, then everything will be all right?

This fish won't bite.

Will not read.

[Guitardr85]

No it was changed because everyone was ticked off at the title which is misleading in hindsight. Quit thinking changes are made just to 'one up' you. This was an honest mistake that was corrected.

[whatRU]

You truly believe it was an "honest" mistake that they titled their article on such a sensitive subject with such a rage-baiting and controversial title? I'm not saying you're wrong...... but you're definitely wrong.

[gcolley]

poor judgement that was corrected. is it really a big deal?

[CYBERHATER]

So throughout history I guess the game came before the gun. And psychotic people only started killing kids yesterday! Stupid article and stupid idiot that posted it. I'm gonna use up my last bubble on this piece of @#$&!!

[Guitardr85]

Did you even read the article?

[Holeran]

It's the nut holding the controller, not the video games fault.

[BLAKHOODe]

Gun laws need to change. I know a guy that suffers from PTSD. He has outbursts, gets a disability check every month, sees a shrink.. has a concealed weapons permit and carries a gun every where he goes. This guy and others like him are a DANGER to society, but we legally allow him to walk to streets ARMED, waiting for something to happen.. and when it does, we'll blame video games, which he does in fact play and has played for as long as I've known him.

[jonli76]

I live in CT i My friend from high school lost her daughter in the Newtown CT shooting. the root of the problem start form the killer home. Games are just games hello is not real for god sake> Now with this is Grand theft auto V will be affected probably not should the goverment get stricter laws on gun control YESSSS but will stop the problem?.

[kma2k]

video games are the latest in a long line of scapegoats. Years ago it was "kids rock music" thats what most of the aby boomers parents said, now that they are older & realised that was a bunch of BS they want something to blame & they are point at video games. In 20 years or so when this generation is old enough to realise its BS we will be blamming whatever else is popular amongst kids/teens. Its just history repeating itself!

[Max-Zorin]

Jack Thompson strikes again.

[V0LT]

Funny how there were shootings WELL BEFORE video games.

[JTX]

^^^this. Like getting rid of violent video games and movies would magically stop insane people from killing others.

[dcortz2027]

Violence has always been around since the beginning of time, it's human nature. Video Games and other sources of entertainment are NOT to blame! The Kid wasn't right in the head, the irresponsible parents made it easy for the kid to have access to guns.

[Adolph Fitler]

Actually, the gunman is obviously to blame 1st & foremost, but comon, abysmal gun laws that allow any psycho to buy guns is partially to blame as well.
I mean, a gun law where you can buy guns for another member of the family, a friend is a joke. In Australia, YOU the wanter of the guns has to be the one who goes in & applies for a license.....& unless your a farmowner that has needs for certain weapons, then you can't get access to that style of gun.
The problem is, that there really is NO NEED for U.S. citizens to own guns at all in city areas, especially the no holds barred all-sorts of fully auto & semi auto hardware readily available on near every street corner over there.
I mean, otherwise the alternative is to train teachers to be crack commando operatives that are armed to the teeth & ready for these situations, as well as do the same for universities, staff at movie cinema's, shopkeepers at shopping centres, etc, etc......not a very realistic approach, considering most people really don't want to carry a gun 24/7.

Of course if guns were made impossible to get legally, you would still be able to get them somehow illegally.....but, that means they could & probably would demand a much higher price due to lack of competition, as well as risk factor for seller & buyer if caught, due to much steeper sentencing that should go with such dealings.

And, anyone who thinks this cat was alright in the head, & then just went poco loco one day after too many COD kills, should go & have themselves comitted, as they are obviously as unstable as the turds that do these crimes. He was a f$#king fruitloop from birth, I mean, he was quiet......that is the 1st thing said about serial killers, mass killers of this sort EVERY time there character is brought up after the event.......he was smart, hello, does anyone else see a pattern here, as most of these fruitcakes have incredibly high IQ's......next you'll be telling us that his normalcy also equates to white male, 19-35yrs old, single, still living at home with mother.......and that would complete the circle of a mass shooters profile.......if this guy had of waited until he was 35 or older to start killing, he would have instead become a serial killer.
He's had fantasies about blowing away a bunch of people & kids for a long time now.....this is not just a sudden Friday morning brainsnap.

Americans need to wake up, but they never will.......Most yanks are just dumb enough to believe that they have a right to bare arms, a 200yr old outdated amendment.
Wonder if that tosser Charlton Heston will turn up & hold a NCAA rally on the roof of that school this Wednesday.....Charlton Heston, a man that has several LOADED weapons in his heavily fortified, security guarded, hollywood hills home.......a man that when questioned in Bowling For Columbine, whether he has ever been threatened, had problems or cause for a weapon in his home, answered "no", on all counts.
Change your weapons laws America, you have the loosest weapon laws in the world, & you have BY FAR, the worst gun based crimes of all countries (including war torn countries), yet you keep harping on about a shortsighted amendment thought of when guns took about 2-3mins to load in one shot.

[Adolph Fitler]

In more news, It is believed that playing The Condemned is what inspired Jack The Ripper to kill. Also, to further solidify the proof that videogames make killers, Hitler apparently had an all night bender on Call Of Duty: World At War, then due to videogame insanity syndrome & lack of sleep, decided to kill all Jews & take over all of Europe.

[bozebo]

Blurb for this article: "What could possibly drive an otherwise sane man to commit the unthinkable?"

News: "Lanza was believed to suffer from a personality disorder"

...

[slaton24]

why must people try to blame games when its the parents....great example on why not to blame stuff on the things we love....You guys remember the guy who dressed as batman and killed them people in the movies....well i do and i sure dont remember those people wanting to but a ban or blame that horrific action on batman games movies and comics....so why must games always be blammed...its the parents not raising their kids right andthe kid is already sick in the head

[ShaunCameron]

Right now the government and special-interest groups are the parents. The real parents, thanks to government intervention, are longer allowed to parent out of fear of getting a child-abuse case and/or getting their kids taken away from them.

[ferelinstincts]

We were looking for hits on our site so we came up with a controversial title in order to bring in traffic. We do NOT apologise for any inconvenience or misunderstanding as drawing you in with a misleading title was our intention all along...

[Adolph Fitler]

V.I.S. The new buzzword that I Adolph Fitler thought of, Videogame Insanity Syndrome. F$#k I'm clever....Oh, crap, I'm clever/smart & I play videogames avidly....I gotta go people, the doors of my local gunshop open soon, & I gotta get in & get all my guns & ammo, before "Schools out forever".

[dreamoner]

I blame water. Gunman has been drinking it regularly.

[Ashunderfire86]

I read the edited pink note, so I get what the article is saying. Just to let you guys know I am on the same page. Now here is my take on this murder.

It is not the video games or the guns to be blame, it's psychiatric drugs to blame for this!!! we need No Gun control, but psychiatric drugs control. I see a pattern here with all these shootings, including the ones without school shootings.Columbine, Virginia Tech, Shooting in Arizona, Colorado Aurora movie theater schooling, and now the Connecticut shooting. All these shooting has something in common, these guys where all on drugs!!!! No offense, but most of these shooters are young white men and just one asian!!! And the worst ones are those post dramatic stress ones from the war. Just look at what that war veteran did to the people of that Indian temple. These drugs are causing these men to go insane!!! I say we need to go after these pharmaceutical companies and put it on the news. That is the main source of the problem , and it's the reason why this guys go off on a killing spree. Sure anybody can use a gun to kill people, but these drugs take you to the next level!!! And then you just kill yourself.

[Orionsangel]

People who use guns are responsible for shootings. I've played video games my whole life. I'm almost 40. I never used a gun in my life. You first have to show in interest in guns to shoot a gun. You don't play a video game and all of sudden buy a gun and use it. Using a gamepad vs using a real gun are two totally different things.

What's interesting to me or rather wrong here is what links all these mass shootings together. They all used guns before. They were familiar with firearms. Why are mentally disturbed people using guns? The media says movies and games are to blame. That's ridiculous. It's bad parenting. It's parents teaching their kids to use guns when they're 3 years old.

The mother of adam lanza was a fanatic of guns. She had a whole arsenal of guns. Her son was used to being around guns and used to shooting them. So when he snapped. He obviously used his skill with a weapon to do this horrible tragedy.

Stop breeding gun lovers. It's a vicious cycle. That's not to say someone shouldn't have the right to like guns though and hunting and going to the shooting range, but let it happen if they show interest in it. Don't put a rifle in your sons hands when he's 2 years old. Just because you love guns. Doesn't mean you have to force your interest on your child. Especially when that child hasn't even fully developed his mind.

[Ashunderfire86]

its the drugs take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

It is so easy to blame the parents, but what about the schools force you to take these drugs? These drugs are mind altering drugs very similar to the LSD drug from the CIA mind control, except now Big Pharma is doing it for them this time. We need drug control!!! Not gun control. With these drugs altering the mind, these kids will take anything as serious even games and movies!!! And none of those forms of entertainment has anything to do with it.

[Ashunderfire86]

Funny how people disagree with me when it's the freakin drugs that causes this in the first place. How else would many of these kids commit such an act? Couldn't be video games,cause that is no drug. It couldn't be the guns, cause a gun can't kill a person without a person using it. It's not always the parents to blame, its big pharma!!! Those criminals that still live today. Yet no one gives a shit about step up to them!!! History will always repeat itself, as along as people stick with the status quo. People you need to wake up. This is a growing issue that people outright refuse to discuss. How more kids will fall victim to drugs like Prozac, before anybody realize the truth? Heck the stupid governor of Colorado thinks it's still video games!!!

[vlonjati77]

Nerdkiller,i was in same situation as you.ive been beaten many times lol,to say the truth i,ve been a bad hyped kid had 2 older brothers .I never felt bad. i turned out good.they tought me respect dignity etc.even at 35 i dont dare to talk back to my parents or brothers because i respect them.kids of this days even say f off to their parents.I have to kids ,I have fun every day but at the same time i get stressed every day cause i try to teach them about anything I thing its right thay should lear,dont go here dont go there,dont do that and many things like this.theres a saying in my country-" if you plant a tree crooked it will grow crooked" or " you will harvest what you saw(plant).

[silvacrest]

as soon as i heard that POS gunman played violent video games i knew something like this article would pop up

[Rivitur]

And I suppose videogames are the main reason for people being killed in third world countries that can't even afford them.

[MeatAbstract]

So you changed the title on the article but left the one on N4G untouched? Kind of just asking for hits, right?

[Bathyj]

Morgan Freeman's brilliant take on what happened yesterday

"You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here's why.
...

It's because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single *victim* of Columbine? Disturbed
people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.

CNN's article says that if the body count "holds up", this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer's face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer's identity? None that I've seen yet. Because they don't sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you've just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.

You can help by forgetting you ever read this man's name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news."

All the more convincing, because when you read it, you read it in your head with the voice of Morgan Freeman.

[HonestDragon]

That is the awesomeness of Morgan Freeman shining through. And yes, when I was reading the quotes, I was reading it like I could hear the voice of Morgan Freeman.

[HonestDragon]

To save any potential readers time, the title is meant to anger you to point of drawing you to the site for hits, while the actual article defends video games from being scapegoats by society. How did this get approved with a false/flamebait title like that?

[vork77]

videogames dont kill people people kill people *place video game on table* well go on kill

[jack who]

fuck you.

[TotalHitman]

Why don't they blame rape on porn?

[Bathyj]

If you rape someone and they find porn in your house, I think they will.

[taijutsu363]

I wish I could do some of the things videogames allows you to do on SOME people but thats as far as my violent tendencies gets.

[level 360]

Seriously a lot of people just shouldn't carry or even own a gun or an armory of them. And if they have more than 1, cops/authorities really need to ask that individual why/what's the purpose for building an army of weapons?

Typically they will again blame the usual suspects - gaming, movies, television.

Why not do a proper background check on individuals that is certified by most probably the military or even the FBI every 6 to 12 months if you can't stop the proliferation of guns/ballistics.
Solution I think is just being absolutely strict in the issuing of these deadly weapons.

[Phil32]

No, they don't cause violence. Video games just cause juvenile console wars between manchildren on message boards and comment sections.

[Main_Street_Saint]

As sad as it is, you're right on that point.

[Main_Street_Saint]

This debate is no different than when they painted comic books as a source of juvenile delinquency or certain types of music as an inspiration for teenage suicide. It is passing the buck onto popular culture and the more they do so, the more transparent are their attempts at avoiding the real issue.

[Zieben]

So your telling me Jack the Ripper and Charles Manson were gamers?

[-Gespenst-]

Regarding point 1: How can you hold someone accountable who didn't have a choice? Who lost their mind? You can't really offload all responsibility onto them, that's pretty insensitive and intolerant. Even depression can mess with your head- trap you in a pathological feedback loop that drives you a little bit (or very) crazy.

Regarding point 2: I agree that the news is a source of violence, but the news never tries to dress up that violence as "cool". Whenever I see violence on the news, it disturbs me and it depresses me. Violence in video games and other entertainment media is a whole different kettle of fish. Violence is fetishized in those things, made to look awesome and to somehow satisfy the viewer or player. This, in the long run, is not good for a culture's understanding of violence. People need to not forget the awful reality of violence, because there's really nothing good about it despite what your movies and videogames might say.

Now, I'm not saying videogames cause violence, but in the mentally unstable and perhaps more impressionable, the illusion of videogames can be hard to snap out of. It's a gradual process I'd imagine. One doesn't just play a violent videogame and say, "oh that was easy and fun and didn't have any real consequences, I think I'll go out and kill people now." The mentally unstable (or whatever you want to call them) become immersed in this escapist fantasy and can be mesmerized by the illusion- mesmerized by the violence which is portrayed as fun and without consequence. Most violent videogames fetishize violence in this way.

Not only this, but reinforcing the illusion, is the tactile experience of a videogame. There can be no doubt that their is an illusion of actually DOING the things you see on screen. You press the button, the virtual gun fires, the guy dies. Now obviously it's not real, but I'd imagine for some, the line between the illusion and the reality is blurred. The representation comes to be the reality. Firing the gun with your controller and seeing a visual representation of the consequences comes to represent quite closely what happens in real life. It is of course completely different, but some can't see that. Now I don't mean to say that these people hallucinate a realism in videogames (the graphics of which are obviously computer generated, and they know this) but they could still kind of take basic structural ideas from the game that they incorporate into their understanding of humanity and reality, not to mention subliminal cues (and I don't mean subliminal in the sense that the game is flashing images of Jesus at you are something, I mean it in a more mundane sense) that strongly suggest realism or mimic reality quite convincingly.

Videogames / films etc therefore act as a VERY potent catalyst if you ask me, and they can't really be ignored.

Also, I know people have been killing children throughout history, but those were in different contexts. What causes a person to massacre children in a relatively secure civilized society? What catalyzes them? There are always different catalysts for these things. Many which existed before no longer exist today.