The Debate Thread: Violent Video Games, Society & You

Because lighter people can outrun the police. Just ask them heroine or crack addicts.

Lower health care costs, remember he wants everyone to pay for everyone else's health care through the government.

Even if there was no proven connection between violence caused by video games and violent video games (which there is, study the research instead of the corporate propaganda) they would still be harmful things that should be banned. They promote a lazy sit around and be fat lifestyle and do nothing to advance children's education. If instead of sitting around playing games these kids were exercising and doing more studying they and all of us would be better off.

Please provide the research you speak of, please. I wrote a paper on this subject for a psychology class years ago and most studies say there is no direct evidence that violent video games cause violence any more than a game of football. Don't get me wrong, there is supporting evidence suggesting that there might be a link, but as I said, all competitive activities increase aggression. I would argue that British football matches cause more violence and deaths than video games...but I highly doubt football matches will be banned anytime soon.

Ah, Koberulz, at least check out the video...I guess that's in game (haven't talked to Jared recently b/c of the time difference...he's in London) video.

That was basically Penn & Teller's closing argument as it pertained to American football.

Video games won't MAKE anyone do anything they didn't already have somewhere inside of them.

A few weeks ago, some MMA guy took mushrooms and killed his friend because he thought he was satan, then he ate his heart.
This doesn't mean mushrooms made him do it and are responsible completely, they just took away his inhibitions - he was obviously fucked beforehand anyway. Everyone else who takes mushrooms just sits around relaxed as shit.

Same goes for video games. A guy might be fucked in the head, which means he is going to love GTA because he can do things that he wants to do so much in real life, like shoot the bully at school or beat up the uncle who raped him when he was 11. As with all serial killers, imagining just isn't enough after a while - so they have to go out and do the real thing.

Who is to say that playing video games didn't put off the violence? Maybe playing them stopped the guy from acting out as early as he might have otherwise done so.

If a video game can hold more influence over someone's mom and dad at an early age, then I'd like to think that someone has failed at parenting.

Agreed. That's what bugs me about the whole "video games are evil/destroying our youth" scapegoating, it lets parents off the hook for not keeping tabs on what their kids are playing and teaching them the difference between right and wrong, or for that matter reality and fiction. When a troubled kid shoots his classmates in cold blood, it's easier to blame Rockstar than wonder where you went wrong, what signs you missed and what could've been done to help the kid deal with their problems

Adam Carolla makes a good argument in one of his rants that the parents of the kids who shoot up schools should be locked up.
They have obviously completely failed at raising a kid by not paying any attention to them. Only this way would they not notice their kid is a fucking psychopath. Shit, it was probably their mental abuse that put them in that state to begin with.
Lock up the parents for shit kids and stop blaming society. Put the blame on the people who have the opportunity to actually change something.

Even if there was no proven connection between violence caused by video games and violent video games (which there is, study the research instead of the corporate propaganda) they would still be harmful things that should be banned. They promote a lazy sit around and be fat lifestyle and do nothing to advance children's education. If instead of sitting around playing games these kids were exercising and doing more studying they and all of us would be better off.

You sir, are a dick. Please stop posting here with your retarded ideas.
http://www.google.com.au/#hl=en&source= ... 5aaac6ec7d
Apparently the entire internet is overrun by 'corporate propaganda'
But hey, at least thats better than religious propaganda, which is probably the only reason there's even an issue here.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Adam Carolla makes a good argument in one of his rants that the parents of the kids who shoot up schools should be locked up.
They have obviously completely failed at raising a kid by not paying any attention to them. Only this way would they not notice their kid is a fucking psychopath. Shit, it was probably their mental abuse that put them in that state to begin with.
Lock up the parents for shit kids and stop blaming society. Put the blame on the people who have the opportunity to actually change something.

Locking them up might be going too far but I can't entirely disagree with the sentiment. In a way it's understandable that they'd look to blame outside factors and influences because it must be terrible to be the parents of someone who has committed such a terrible act and I think deep down you'd have that feeling of guilt and a sense of "I messed up as a parent". But no doubt it's hard to look in the mirror and actually admit that, when you can easily pass the buck and absolve yourself of all responsibility because it's all due to those evil, mind-controlling and mind-altering video games.

I don't think the parents of these psychopaths ever consider the fact they messed up as a parent. To let the situation get that far out of their control, they must just have no fucking idea about their children at all, or their abilities as a parent.
They wouldn't have a clue what they did wrong...

Some probably don't, others I think would. And then there are those who know it deep down but scapegoat along with the first group who truly believe they aren't in any way responsible.

Some probably don't, others I think would. And then there are those who know it deep down but scapegoat along with the first group who truly believe they aren't in any way responsible.

"We must blame them and cause a fuss before somebody thinks of blaming us."

-Blame Canada (South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut)