Violence is spawned by gaming,and kids are exposed a lot; should we be more vigi

1. 52

   whonunuwhoposted 12 years ago

   Violence is spawned by gaming,and kids are exposed a lot; should we be more vigilant, or supervise?
   
   Should we allow our kids to play on games into the wee hours and not supervise what they are playing?.
   
   

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2. 61

   DeanSextonposted 12 years ago

   People who suggest that violence is spawned by video games are avoiding the real issue which is a lack proper parenting and an instability that rests within the people who commit the crimes. Parents should supervise everything their child does and should teach them the difference between right and wrong from the start.
   
   Video games have become the modern scapegoat for social violence as horror movies and heavy metal music were in the past, when the problem exists solely within the person committing the violent acts. It's easier to blame something else than it is to accept that some people are just violent. Hitler didn't play violent video games and he was responsible for the death of almost twenty million people.
   
   A fun fact, according to sociologist Karen Sternheimer from the University of Southern California, homicide arrests among teens are down 77% since 1993. That's the year Doom was introduced: gamers fell in love with the new and aggressively named 'first-person shooter' genre, and parents feared it and similar games would teach kids how to kill. Depending on how accurate Sternheimers figures are, that clearly didn't happen."

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3. 66

   Slices of Lifeposted 12 years ago

   I agree with everything you said, DeanSexton. I would just like to add onto what you've already started.
   
   About Video Games being a modern spacegoat. Example: Years ago, a crime spree was committed in one afternoon by a late teenage boy from a poor-middle class family. The reason to why he did such a thing was as reported, he played GTA: San Andreas, twelve hours straight. The media swarmed all over the game and its designers instead of the boy who was truly reasonable.
   
   As generally accepted by the Gamer Community, any gameplay session that lasts more than two hours is defined as "Excessive Gameplaying". The reason I bring this up is because the media said that due to the twelve hours of exposure to this violence and criminal activity was the only reason the boy did such things and the game is solely to blame. This would be true...If every gamer who played GTA: San Andreas for twelve hours committed crime sprees.
   
   A very possible reason the blame wasn't placed on the boy is because the Video Game Industry makes money...a lot of money every year. The media and whoever is fingering the blame wants a piece of that pie. How much money does the boy have?...Not Millions, I can tell you for certain.
   
   But to truly answer the person's question, it's fine to allow children to play violent video games as long as the parents do their job to teach their kids right from wrong and reality from fantasy. Parents should also learn about the ESRB Ratings System and what it means as well as knowing what you're child is playing.
   
   Even a small amount of proper guidance in the beginning prevents a lot of havoc from occurring further down the road.

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4. 74

   JohnGreasyGamerposted 12 years ago

   I'm a life long gamer that's never really had any limitations other than my own body clock. My parents never told me to go to bed early nor get up early unless it was a school night. I was disciplined by being shouted at, and I was scared witless of it. If I were to pick up a gun or rob a bank, my first fear wouldn't be prison: it'd be my dad's eyes bulging with his index finger shaking. Parents didn't hit me, but I knew they would've wanted to with the things I did. Did they play video games? No.
   
   If you honestly believe that video games cause violence then I pity you. To actually believe this modern scapegoat and completely ignore other worldwide problems entitles me to laugh at you. While I'm playing DooM listening to Judas Priest's "Ram it Down!" wearing my black shirt with a bleeding skull on it, I'm thinking "Should I play Croc next, or Banjo Kazooie?" Not thinking I should go out and massacre thousands of innocent civilians.
   
   Video games didn't make me a sadomasochist - curiosity on adult sites did. Anyone who does become violent with video games is a stupid child with terrible parents. However parents MUST be educated of the risks versus any kind of rewards from venting out frustration in video games.
   
   Hope this answers your question. Now stop stereotyping me.

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5. 61

   sm825posted 12 years ago

   In my opinion Video games are not responsible, because where did the violence come from when we did not have technology? Is there more violence now days? probably due to there are more people on the earth, and the times are tough. Which makes it so people are desperate enough to either try to rob people or snap at others for the littlest of things.
   
   Many people always have to blame others or something for certain events that happen. If someone robs, kills someone, and gets caught they more then likely will say it was due to video games like GTA in the hopes they get less time. If someones kids goes out and does something bad the parents will try to place the blame on someone other then themselves, whether it be video games or movies.
   
   So in reality if the kids themselves seem mature enough to play games like GTA, let them. If they do not seem mature enough to play video games, then do not. Because people mature differently then others 1 person may be very mature by the time they are 15. But some may still act like a kid and be immature when they are even in there 20ies. That will lead you back to how good of a parent you are or guardian.

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6. 60

   Grab a Controllerposted 11 years ago

   Saying ''video games cause violence" is a very common misconception. I'm a daughter of gamers, and a huge gamer myself, and I watched my parents play violent/gory games such as "Resident Evil 2" and the "Mortal Kombat" series. They did not make me violent at all, but rather they made me scared to play both series until I was older.
   
   Now I am 19, and I play "Gears of War," "Grand Theft Auto," and other various fighting and shooting games (but not all of them are rated Mature). I grew up just fine. I am not a violent person; I am actually quite sensitive. I am a big sister now as well, and I feel it is my responsibility to not play violent or graphic games unless he is napping, but I usually just wait until weekends to play anyway.
   
   As a lifelong gamer, I know that having kids will not stop me from playing; I just know I would have to invest in more child-friendly games. I believe that when a child is at least fifteen, they should be able to own a M-rated game, so long the parent knows what to expect from the game. As many people have said in their answers, it is not the game's fault, but rather the parents, for not doing their research beforehand.

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