Games Don’t Desensitize Us To Violence - The SuperNanny Talks Out Her Fanny

RipTen: My love of pixel on pixel violence began with the 1993 Commodore Amiga hit Cannon Fodder. Pouring out grenades and bullets in a frenzy of 16-bit death I soon sought more and more ways in which to satiate my frenzied appetite for carnage.

[KingNintendoFanboy]

I'm not very violent, I just jump on every turtle I see.

[BrianG]

Lol, good one.

I can virtually punch people in the face in The Fight, slice people to pieces in God of War, blow off heads in Left for Dead, etc....

But that doesn't make it easier for me to do those things in real life. It also doesn't make it easier for me to witness, or experience those things in real life.

[xPhearR3dx]

I think you're secretly crazy...

[hiredhelp]

yeh being from the uk myself. What shes saying is wrong she can be abit up herself she likes being on telly.
However when i read this by whome wrote this article stating this

I know, I know, I want to smash her in the face with a hammer as well. But I’m not going to because that would be awfully painful for her, psychologically damaging to her family and friends and I just cannot live with those consequences.

Makes me think your basicly acting a right ass hole.

[jaredhart]

It's important to note the word "fanny" has different meaning in the UK than is does in the US and Canada.

US and CAN - Ass
UK - a woman's genitals

[_Aarix_]

wtf?

[CrzyFooL]

I agree with both parts of this headline

[Hitman0769]

okay and tv doesnt desensitize me to EVERYTHING? Case Closed STFU ppl.

[RockmanII7]

I love that show.

[Pozzle]

Oh my god. Did she seriously just compare playing war games to BEING IN A REAL-LIFE WAR SITUATION?!

No amount of shooting nameless fictional characters could ever desensitize a person to the horrors of real-life violence and death. It's easy to watch fictional violence and gore like Hostel or the Saw series and claim you could handle seeing it irl, but until you are actually IN such a situation, you have no idea how you'd really respond. I'd guarantee the average person wouldn't look at a real person being shot or stabbed and respond with a "meh."

I don't even know what point she's trying to make with "young men become highly aggressive and lack empathy in normal situations".
Um...what is the context here? Were they aggressive because they lost the game? Were they aggressive because they wanted to win? Or were they aggressive towards other people in a violent/abusive way? She doesn't really say which one it is, but I can't help but think it was probably the former two. I know I become aggressive when I play games...BECAUSE I WANT TO WIN. But that doesn't mean I'm going to go out and bash/punch/shoot a real person in the face! It just means I'm a competitive person.

And if someone DOES become violent and abusive after playing a video game, then it isn't the game that's the problem - it's the person playing it. And maybe that person shouldn't be allowed to play video games if they can't handle them! Jeez, common sense people!

/rant

[Tru_Blu]

Honestly I cringe watching those types of movies(Hostel/Saw). To real for me. Animated gore I have no problem with.

[kingdoms]

If games don't effect "some people" why are there reports of gamers killing somebody(in their own family) when they're in game mode every couple of weeks?

And I'm also one of those people that firmly believe games don't effect people and the loons saying so are out of their minds for saying games do effect people negatively.

Despite all that...

Some people must be susceptible to a primal awakening. IMO from experience, it's not so much the violence that desensitizes gamers(or some gamers) its that games seem to awaken heightened and amplified emotions that are knowingly and unknowingly unleashed.

(IF frustrated in *game mode* you may yell at your wife or get upset she wants you to turn off the game to watch a movie or take out the trash, when any other time you wouldn't treat here like that)

Gamers use these emotions to become immersed in games to compete or get into the story etc. This heightened state can turn ugly if frustrated or angry. The rabid kids on this site being hostile towards the competition and its fans shows you it gets harder to snap out of this state if your energy(state of mind) is poisoned by anger/frustration.

There are people on this site that hunt for the competition's articles to troll with rabid, vindictive, belligerent malice 24/7 because they are effected by this state, most of them doing this inbetween game sessions.

[Jack_DangerousIy]

Word.

[Why o why]

Now i KNOW you troll for kicks. You probably have a ps3 but just like to take the piss out of us. I agree with what you're saying. well put

[death2smoochie]

And why do people listen to this overweight tart?

[_Aarix_]

Because she can talk out her fanny

[Bathyj]

Games dont make people violent.

Unreasonable people, make people violent.

What do you expect from kids when you're not allowed to hit them anymore?

[Inception]

lol, nanny just...go back to you're kitchen, prepare the meal for that starfing kids, and clean the house
just...do you're job as a nanny
capice?

[Optical_Matrix]

Yes and no. Videogames have desensitised me in as much as violent games don't bother me anymore. Through playing stuff like God of War and such, violent fantasy violence or on screen violence in films, TV and games. But, not to real life violence. I would still squirm if I saw someone getting butchered in the street in front of me. Super Nanny's claims can only go so far I'm afraid. A popular parenting programme and a few books don't give her arguments any more credibility than ours, considering she's probably never played even 15 minutes of videogames in her life.

[KingPin]

whose this bitch to tell me i cant play violent games. shes not my nanny and she shouldn't be speaking about something she knows nothing about.

did she see a video game cover? it has ratings on it on which ages are suitable to play that said game. if parents/nanny are buying these games, why aren't they looking at the ratings.

and if they see there kid playing games that may seem to violent, the parents have every right to take that game away and trade it it/burn it/ break it or whatever else they feel needs to be done so their child is not exposed to it.

[Why o why]

You watch or do something a high number of times then yes. Being desensitised to something doesnt make you a killer or rapist. Think of it like this. The more you see the easier it beomes to accept things. Its human nature. I would never watch anal porn when i was younger now almost everybody girl wants it up the jacks. I actually think over 50% of porn is anal nowadays. You keep seeing it and the IDEA of doing it doesnt seem so bad. Music, Film, Games will all desensitise us to certain things. Why do so many of us jump to the defense of gaming like its a newborn. most people use rationale and common sense when under the influence of media so we dont go out and do x y and z but to think it doesnt desensitise us is a little naive and shortsighted.

[KingPin]

you sir, may have a porn addiction. :P

[Why o why]

You sir....are correct

@ tudors two comments...well said

[Hicken]

The last line says it all:

"Moreover, to avoid further looting and rioting, I kindly ask that you discipline your fucking children."

Perfect.

[tudors]

The parents have to play a major role no doubt, if you neglect your children, don't spend time with them having little chats abaout life and basically leave them to do whatever they want then they may not evolve as well as they would have had the parents spent more time with them, kids need to know someone has their best interests at heart, they respond very well to a parent who takes a proper interest and role with them.

[tudors]

Actually one thing I have learnt is that school plays a major role, because one minute your kid id being taught by you the next they enter a place full of different adults and kids who have all been brought up by parents with different ideologies e.g. some kids parents are racist, so your kid can end up friends with a kids who's parents do not like blacks, this is why good parents are so important so that we can learn them about people like that and what to avoid and not to avoid etc etc. Also the message politicians send out does not help at all, in america's case you have hope with Ron Paul yet the world rulers clearly don't want a president that actually has a humanitarian ideology so work that one out.