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Violent Video Games and Physical Violence |
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Re: Violent Video Games and Physical Violence (Score: 1) by dmoynihan on Friday, January 03 @ 03:41:52 EST (User Info | Send a Message) http://www.blackmask.com | From article: [reuters.com]
Much of the violence at Orange County cybercafes has been blamed on Asian gang disputes. The Northridge brawl is also being investigated by a Los Angeles police unit that investigates Asian gang-related crimes.
"Gang violence can occur anywhere but what gang members do is they identify locations where people congregate and then they want to put a stranglehold on and take over," Zine, a former LAPD officer, told Reuters.
Nothing to bold here. |
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Re: Violent Video Games and Physical Violence (Score: 1) by paul szynol on Friday, January 03 @ 04:06:41 EST (User Info | Send a Message) | You wanted proof that violent games induce violent behavior. "I have not seen any conclusive evidence that video games kill people, harm people, or even cause individuals to indulge in innapropriate behavior." You have your evidence--in an ugly, ugly version. You're blatantly ignoring facts now. |
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Re: Violent Video Games and Physical Violence (Score: 1) by stevenwu on Friday, January 03 @ 04:25:44 EST (User Info | Send a Message) | Violent people can be violent almost anywhere: at bars, in schoolyards, even at youth hockey games [www.townonline.com]. The problem with saying, in this case, that "violent video games can lead to physical violence" is that here, too many other factors could more plausibly be the cause of the outbreak: the competitive nature of the event (which causes even nonviolent games like pool to incite brawls), already tense gang rivalries (as dmoynihan points out), and so on. This suggests that violence might still have broken out if the tournament had featured a game as innocuous as Bust-a-Move [www.wikipedia.org].
In fact, although there may be other good reasons to regulate the distribution of violent video games, I've never understood the justification that violent video games cause violence. The mere fact that millions of people play and enjoy extremely violent games (including myself) without the vast majority of those players becoming violent would seem to effectively refute this justification. Insisting on this justification is a little like arguing that Tylenol kills people because a few Tylenol takers died due to mysteriously altered body chemistry--although most Tylenol takers weren't harmed at all. |
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Re: Violent Video Games and Physical Violence (Score: 0) by Anonymous on Friday, January 03 @ 09:48:28 EST | Paul,
When I was in high school in 1978 two boys had a dispute over a candy bar. One ended up stabbing the other over 37 times killing him. Does that mean we should regulate candy bars because they lead to violence? I work for a military base and some of the members of the military here play counter strike. If they deploy within the upcoming months and end up killing people is that a result of their having played violent video games?
Regards
Note: My views do not represtent those of my employer and any forward looking statements are pure speculation on my part solely for sake of argument |
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Re: Violent Video Games and Physical Violence (Score: 1) by paul szynol on Friday, January 03 @ 08:11:57 EST (User Info | Send a Message) | Steven, you're at school with me, so I'm assuming you're over 18. I've read D. Moynihan's bio on his web site, and he, too, is over 18. You're not part of the inappropriate audience that I think should not be exposed to these games, so I don't consider either of you a relevant test case.
I agree that it's hard to prove that video games *cause* violence. But if a given personality is prone to violence, violent games will without a doubt encourage a natural proclivity--and isn't that just as bad?
In the *very least*, in this case, these games, if not downright induced gang members toward violence, provided a context (and most likely incentive) for violence. Is it OK to create outlets for violence just because the kids who use them are kids who will be violent anyway? Don't you want to minimize violence-prone kids' exposure to violence inducing stimuli?
Incidentally, I did a search for studies. Invariably, statements to the effect that video games have no effect on behavior came from video game executives. I found only two studies, and they both concluded otherwise.
http://www.apa.org/journals/psp/psp784772.html
http://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/conf2001/papers/walsh.html
This Harvard article is relevant, too: Study Finds Significant Amounts of Violence in Video Games Rated as Suitable for All Ages [www.hsph.harvard.edu].
Paul |
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Re: Violent Video Games and Physical Violence (Score: 0) by Anonymous on Friday, January 03 @ 14:27:19 EST | Paul,
Statistical sample size for this study is small. Results are "weak" at best. 2/3 of the sample produced less significant results than the other third (female/male). If video games induced (caused) violent behavior as you suggest, the effect should be similar across the board. But considering some Ph.D. said it, I guess it has to be so. Of course, if I saw it on TV that would clinche it.
And to your other comment, if video games were such an important tool in turning people into killers, what is boot camp all about? Not to mention the extensive training after boot camp to keep skills sharp? Why have them go to the rifle range repeatedly if they can just use doom? Couldn't Army Ops replace all the manpower intensive training that currently goes into the modern soldier? Now, giving the devil his due, it does train reaction time. It does help in training the "mind set" of being able to rapidly distinguish between friend and foe. It does not however turn lambs into lions. In the military that is accomplished by breaking down an individuals self esteem and rebuilding it into a group identity.
Finally, as indicated in the article you pointed to, the same can be said for TV and movies. If video games "cause" violence, that is true regardless of the age of the individual. How does restricting video games to adults help? If your goal is to reduce violence, an outright ban is the only effective course. If on the other hand your goal is to reduce "teen violence" then your regulation would have limited effect assuming all claims are correct. I say that because your regulations would not affect the 18 - 25 demographic. One other thing I found interesting from the first study listed, 80% of the video games contained violence and 21% of that contained violence against women. Why was violence to men not addressed? Is that saying that violence against women was under represented? Shouldn't that have been 50% or even 60% (if my recollection of population is correct)? Is there some sort of stigma in the video game industry about representing women equally?
Regards
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Re: Violent Video Games and Physical Violence (Score: 1) by paul szynol on Friday, January 03 @ 14:48:40 EST (User Info | Send a Message) | I hate to check out of this conversation, but it is taking up *way* too much time. Your criticisms of the article may be right on--I havent even had time to read it (I'm in the middle of exams).
I'm going to leave you with this question, though -- if you think games are so harmless, why do you not allow your kids to play the "mature" ones?
Paul |
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Re: Violent Video Games and Physical Violence (Score: 0) by Anonymous on Friday, January 03 @ 14:58:57 EST | Paul,
Just because I determine something is not appropriate for my minor children does not mean I consider it harmfull. I don't let them stay out until 3:00 a.m. either but that doesn't mean that they would come to harm by doing so. I am "imposing" my view of morale behavior on them because that's my duty as a parent. That does not mean that other views are wrong, only different (and less valueable of course).
Regards |
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Re: Violent Video Games and Physical Violence (Score: 1) by paul szynol on Friday, January 03 @ 15:00:38 EST (User Info | Send a Message) | Then why do you impose them? |
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Re: Violent Video Games and Physical Violence (Score: 0) by Anonymous on Friday, January 03 @ 16:46:37 EST | I guess I'm not as smart the rest of you; please explain why it is obvious that violent video games "encourage a natural proclivity?" If I read Lolita, does that encourage me to become a pedophile? What if I like attractive girls already? If I read about bulimia, does that make me into a bulimic? What if I like food already? What if I think I'm fat already?
I'm trying to point out that people are taking this relationship as established and obvious when in fact it is neither. It might be obvious to some people that living under power lines causes cancer, or that terorrists are less than human and deserve no rights at all, but in fact these are things that can and are debated by rational people. Maybe you think that a violent kid playing video games becomes more violent. Personally, I've found that violent kids playing video games become less violent. I'd explain this by saying that they act out their violence in fantasy and therefore have no compulsion to do so in real life. You may disagree with that. Let's talk about it instead of effortlessly brushing it aside as "video game manufacturer" propaganda. |
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The same story of the movies (Score: 0) by Anonymous on Saturday, January 04 @ 16:28:55 EST | Once upon a time, in a far, far gala....
The violence of the videogames, It's the same song we have heared with the violent movies and TV shows.
Hey, Did anyone remember Texas Ranger Cordel Walker? No, let me refresh your memory. It was one of the most succesful TV shows of the 90s. Now, Do you remember a beat'em-up called "Final Fight"? No, It was a succesful game of the early 90s.
Well, If you think about both things, you will arrive to this conclusion. Both are the same thing, some guys walking through the streets beating up all the bad guys.
If you wanted to have real facts of the effect of violent TV shows/movies/videogames, you could begin to look after the children who grow up with both things. Other analogies, Mortal Kombat and Jean Claud Van Damme, both mortal material. |
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