Video games blamed once again for violence and stupidity

Darryl Linington from ITF Gaming writes: The video game industry has been targeted once again for promoting violence, sexual themes and unhealthy marathon gaming. Let’s be real, allowing children/teenagers to play video games that are not intended for their specific age group can be classed as taking a child to an R rated movie, or even supplying them with alcohol while under-age. These ratings and age limits have been placed on the product for a reason and should not be ignored. We support healthy gaming habits and we do not blame the video game industry for any acts of violence or anti-social behaviour. We do however believe it is up to the parents to monitor and track what their children are exposed to.

[Relientk77]

Seriously? Research has been done that PROVES that video games doesn't lead to violence, it actually relieves stress and calms u down

[ITFGaming]

Sadly people are just looking for something to blame.

[Relientk77]

I know its just ridiclous

[PoSTedUP]

"Let’s be real, allowing children/teenagers to play video games that are not intended for their specific age group can be classed as taking a child to an R rated movie, or even supplying them with alcohol while under-age."

really???? cause i would have probably been totally happier if my "guardian" didn't supply me with alc. at such a young age, that stuff damages health and should not be classified in such a minuscule category. sorry. THAT shit'll fuck your life up, NOT videogames or movies.

[knowyourstuff]

Parents are to blame for their ugly, shit head child from committing acts of stupidity, violence, and whatever other crap they're capable of.

Parents don't want to assume responsibility, they're lazy, stupid and largely incompetent, especially the ones who are looking to blame rap music, comic books, rock and roll music, videogames and movies for their kid's actions (all of which have been scapegoats if you know your history)

[Pekolie]

Who uses facts these days???

This guy ^^ lol!!! Talking about facts; what a loser/s

But lets talk serious for a minute. Lets say video games are the cause of violence in kids (which btw i believe there is some truth to). Then what do we do to prevent it from happening? Age restrictions and preventing minors from buying games. Oh hold on just a minute!!! We already do that! So how are these darn kids getting hold of these violent games? Golly jee i cant figure it out...

Oh thats right the parants buy them the game!!! So that makes it their responsibility to prevent kids from playing these games!!!!!

I mean if i had a 5yo son or daughter they may be able to do some serious injury to themselves if they got hold of a knife but its not my responsibility to prevent them from getting a knife right?

[DFresh]

I would say it depends on the game.
Some games make me calm.
Some games are fun.
Some games frustrate me.
Some games just make you mad.
etc.

[Catoplepas]

Trivia time:

Did you know violence didn't exist before the advent of the Video Game?

In fact, Video Games were one of the major contributing factors to the start of the crusades.

Richard I, after a rather lengthy session playing the classic Call of Duty: Battle for Hastings, triggered the protracted conflict after a 10 year old Arab child called him a "faggot" over Xbox Live.

The more you know...

[ITFGaming]

LOL!

[prototypeknuckles]

its funny how people still blame videogames for everything, but movies dont get blamed for their obsesive violence, or how videogames stereotype women, go listen to a shitty lil wayne song, and youll understand.

[ITFGaming]

Violent content is everywhere, but video games get the blame.

[joab777]

This is a reflection of parenting these days, not video games. How do u let ur kid sit in his room for 4 days? I know, because he probably rules the household with temper tantrums etc. You can't discipline children anymore, so u look for babysitters and video games r wonderful at that. She says no more Xbox. I wish I knew his gamertag, because my guess is that he is back on in a week.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

I cant believe he would stop him from playing Arkham city when batman is all about justice. Stopping a kid from playing batman is villainous.

[Bonerboy]

I love raping, plucking out eyeballs with a spoon, and carving people up straight-razor style.... but it's not my fault...I saw it in the movies.

[kevnb]

People have always done crazy random things, but in the information age it just seems worse. Are video games to blame for all the wars and fighting going on in the world too?

[bigdaddy4247]

I like taking a sword, gun, chainsaw, bat, and killing people, i also like kidnapping little kids going into deeps woods with a fence around it and sneaking up on as they try to collect 8 pages from my doodle book, i also like killing people without dieing hoping after 25 kills i can get a nuke….But at the end of the day i did all these things because i did it in a video game. what wrong with that.

Seriously, someone always want to blame games for someone bing retarded. Instead the parents are mostly to blame. go ahead let your kid play countless video games so he either passes out or gets fat, instead of making them go outside or do family activities.

[omarzy]

Why are these articles still around? Many tests have already proven this stuff. If you do not think that allowing 10 year old kids to play games filled with murder, sex, drugs, and heavy language does nothing then i don't know what to say. Violence covers more actions that killing people. I will never figure out why gamers always defend themselves with " i have been gaming for 10 years and i have never killed anyone" Video game affect you, some more than others. Lots of articles about video game violence. http://www.cleancutmedia.co...

[bbbbbrian]

Theres a difference between tantrums and actual killing BECAUSE of a game. what he did was throw a big tantrum and killed his parents. That, in NO way means the video game told him or influenced him in any way. Remember the article states they didnt let him playing, meaning the video game had no affect on whether or not he should or shouldn't have killed his parents. Put simply, he did it out of anger.

[omarzy]

Well the article states that he was always playing halo at friends houses 7-8 hours. He shot his mother in the head because he could not play a game. He actions reflect those of an addict. As i said before, violence as a result of gaming does not always mean murder. You can look up tests where subjects were tracked after gaming trails and had increases in general anger and frustration which in this case may or may not have resulted in the death of his mother. You could classify this increased anger and frustration as the ability to commit such acts. This ability stems from gaming. http://communications.medic... Long term affects, and behavioral changes. This stuff is real, but of course many of these cases probably had a tendency for rage or whatever. Even the smallest actions or reaction are reactions and actions.

[rpd123]

Except that no test can prove that video games cause violence. There can be correlation, but that does not prove causation and it doesn't take into account all the other input that a child takes in from movies, books, music, comics, tv, and in some cases their life.

And the kid in that article never got to play Halo 3. That's why he killed his mom.

[Smelly1sam]

Movies and books do more harm

[ITFGaming]

So does stress, financial problems and even day to day life.

[Zha1tan]

despite the fact there is millions of non violent gamers who are to the contrary.

[DeecodwawShayne]

Wait so in the stone age not the digital age where people blaming rocks as the main reason people where violent. This makes sense as not all games have violence in them :)

[ITFGaming]

Yip this would be the case.

[greenlantern2814]

rocks don't kill cavemen. cavemen kill cavemen. don't take away my right to bare rocks.

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

Games are the reason turtles are going extinct.

...and If I had a dollar for every time, on the news, I've seen a guy jump off a building, dressed in green clothes, while holding a chicken over his head-

Why do they do it? Cuz video games and R. Kelley tell them to!
Chickens can't even fly or glide! And (all) turtles aren't evil.

[greenlantern2814]

a long time ago when people did stupid sh*T society blamed music, then television, then movies, now they blame video games. Forgetting all the time that art imitates life and not the other way around. For most people it is easier to blame something or some one. i.e. my child gets in trouble at school cause he/she plays them damn video games, not because i am a lousy parent.