Really Sick of Gaming Being a Scapegoat

[stockstar1138]

http://www.xboxaddict.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85454

im really sick of this crap. nobody was around this kid when he shot himself, so how do they know he was trying to be MC.

somebody in the media or washington needs to begin standing up and saying, quit using gaming as a scapegoat for irressponsible parenting and kids being dumb.

the esrb system is a total joke, most parents don't really understand it. online play completely nulls anytype of rating anyway and parents def. don't understand that.

hopefully the up and coming gen. of people will have plenty of gamers that are newsmen, writers, politicians and other leaders and set the record straight that gaming isn't this evil form of entertainment that breeds killers.

[Wingman1977]

That has been going on for almost forever. Any one of the forms of media is to blame (music, movies, video games). I'm surprised books haven't been blamed for violence (that I know of).

[cravnsn]

I used to be right there with you. I have played many “violent” video games and seen my share of violence in movies. I don’t have violent tendencies to speak of, but there have been many times when a simple transgression (like someone cutting me off in traffic) has garnered thoughts of driving the person off the road, dragging them out of their car and either beating them, or worse. I’ve never followed through with these ideas, and I know it would only make matters worse if I did.

Violent content is so pervasive in our society, it does have a negative impact on anyone exposed to it for any length of time. Are the game developers responsible for this boys death? To some degree, but not entirely. They simply cater to what they know will sell. Yes, some people are more susceptible to being influenced by such exposure, but when that exposure is everywhere you look, it doesn’t take much to make the logical connection. Was the boy acting out what he had experienced in the game? Why did he have access to a gun in the first place. Was it an accident, or suicide? Too many unanswered questions there.

It is tragic, but with so many similar stories about kids committing violent acts against others, school shootings, violence for the sake of violence (like we saw locally at the RNC) violence has become the defacto standard for entertainment and of course permeates into the mind set of those exposed to it.

[Forrestandjen07]

i pay no attention to it, as a link between the two is never proven

Just bad parenting

[Forrestandjen07]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

http://www.xboxaddict.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85454

i

the esrb system is a total joke, most parents don't really understand it. online play completely nulls anytype of rating anyway and parents def. don't understand that.

.

its not that they dont understand it, its that they just ignore it, becuase when little billy is screaming and crying in the store becuase he wants that game, its just easier for a parent to get it for them to get them to stop, then try to explain why

[Elandyll]

It's funny because I haven't heard of the story that I will put here in the mainstream media, and I had a hell of a time finding any mention of it on a non pure gaming website:

http://www.switched.com/2008/09/04/g...familys-lives/

'Grand Theft Auto' Credited With Saving Family's Lives

Okay, so this is something we don't see every day: A video game (specifically 'Grand Theft Auto,' of all things) is being credited with helping a teen girl save her family's lives.

The Ottawa Times reports that Audrey Plique, 11, pulled her Streator, Ontario family from the wreckage of their Jeep Grand Cherokee after it went off road, flipped four times, and landed on its side in a ditch. After the Jeep settled, she climbed out through the shatter rear window, and then helped free her family members and escort them to safety. She knew from 'Grand Theft Auto' that the car could catch fire and explode after such a serious accident.

Whether or not the whole car exploding thing was an actual possibility (see 'Mythbusters' exploding gas tank episode) is debatable, but young Audrey is certainly a hero.

This is good news for 'Grand Theft Auto,' given some of the blame the game has received for copycat murders in places like Thailand, which, ironically, announced this week that it was banning five games it considered too violent ('GTA IV' has alrady been pulled from store shelves there). [From: The Times via Shacknews]

[fighthefutureofhd]

Originally Posted by cravnsn

I used to be right there with you. I have played many “violent” video games and seen my share of violence in movies. I don’t have violent tendencies to speak of, but there have been many times when a simple transgression (like someone cutting me off in traffic) has garnered thoughts of driving the person off the road, dragging them out of their car and either beating them, or worse. I’ve never followed through with these ideas, and I know it would only make matters worse if I did.

Violent content is so pervasive in our society, it does have a negative impact on anyone exposed to it for any length of time. Are the game developers responsible for this boys death? To some degree, but not entirely. They simply cater to what they know will sell. Yes, some people are more susceptible to being influenced by such exposure, but when that exposure is everywhere you look, it doesn’t take much to make the logical connection. Was the boy acting out what he had experienced in the game? Why did he have access to a gun in the first place. Was it an accident, or suicide? Too many unanswered questions there.

It is tragic, but with so many similar stories about kids committing violent acts against others, school shootings, violence for the sake of violence (like we saw locally at the RNC) violence has become the defacto standard for entertainment and of course permeates into the mind set of those exposed to it.

reading your post instantly reminded me an old song from the early 90's called candy everybody wants that sums up your post perfectly. in fact this whole thread fits this song perfectly.


if lust and hate is the candy,
if blood and love tastes so sweet,
then we give em what they want.
hey, hey, give em what they want.

so their eyes are growing hazy cos they wanna turn it on,
so their minds are soft and lazy.
well, hey, give em what they want.

if lust and hate is the candy,
if blood and love tastes so sweet,
then we give em what they want.

so their eyes are growing hazy cos they wanna turn it on,
so their minds are soft and lazy.
well... who do you wanna blame?

hey, hey, give em what they want.

if lust and hate is the candy,
if blood and love tastes so sweet,
then we give em what they want.

so their eyes are growing hazy cos they wanna turn it on,
so their minds are soft and lazy.

well... who do you wanna blame?


there's always been violence in the world, but it has never been so readily available to anyone and everyone at the click of the button. i'm torn on the issue myself, as i don't believe in censorship. at the same time though i think we have a real problem on our hands. if we could find some way to meet in the middle i think that would go a long way to solving a lot of the problems. i can remember when video games weren't violent at all. i tend to like a lot of those games the best. not necessarily because i'm against the violence. i just think they're better games and more fun to me.

[mikejet]

More recent studies are beginning to show a trend of violence amoung teens decreasing sicne viloent video games have been available.

I for one feel that games of this nature are an outlet for people's violent tendencies and if they can let out their anger in a game, they won't do it in real lfie.

Here's proof from the US Department of Justice:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/vage.htm

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Wingman1977

That has been going on for almost forever. Any one of the forms of media is to blame (music, movies, video games). I'm surprised books haven't been blamed for violence (that I know of).

All you whipper-snappers, because of your rock and roll, are going to become dope fiends.



Gary

P.S. As we know, only a bare majority do.

[quexos]

Everybody talks about a game and nobody seems to wonder what an 11 years old is doing with a real firearm ?
Bet his parents don't think it's cool anymore to have a gun at home.

Gee I wonder in what country that tragedy took place, hmm a country that allows firearms like it was candy ... hmm ...

[Forrestandjen07]

Originally Posted by quexos

Everybody talks about a game and nobody seems to wonder what an 11 years old is doing with a real firearm ?
Bet his parents don't think it's cool anymore to have a gun at home.

we dont need to wonder becuase we know why

[Deadset]

Stuff like this has always happened and will always happen. It's bound to by the law of averages. Remember the kid that burnt down his house b/c he saw it on beavis and butthead?

Feel sorry for the family.

[Deadset]

Originally Posted by quexos

Everybody talks about a game and nobody seems to wonder what an 11 years old is doing with a real firearm ?
Bet his parents don't think it's cool anymore to have a gun at home.

Gee I wonder in what country that tragedy took place, hmm a country that allows firearms like it was candy ... hmm ...

Tragedies happen all the time no matter the country, and wagging your finger at the rights of one country isn't the answer. Education is.

1. Should he have been playing with a gun in the house? NO
2. Should his parents have taught him to safely handle them? YES
3. Should an 11 yr old play an M rated game? NO
4. Should his parents have taken a more active role in what said child sees/plays? YES

It's obvious this child didn't know the difference between reality and fantasy. It's up to the parents to educate them.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by mikejet

of Justice:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/vage.htm

As we all know, violent crime is at an all time high.

It's amazing how people accept being outright lied to by the media.

Gary

[quexos]

Originally Posted by Deads3t

Tragedies happen all the time no matter the country, and wagging your finger at the rights of one country isn't the answer. Education is.

1. Should he have been playing with a gun in the house? NO
2. Should his parents have taught him to safely handle them? YES
3. Should an 11 yr old play an M rated game? NO
4. Should his parents have taken a more active role in what said child sees/plays? YES

It's obvious this child didn't know the difference between reality and fantasy. It's up to the parents to educate them.

A child has no business around a real gun. Showing a kid how a gun really works even for safety purposes would be criminally irresponsible. Actually owning guns is criminally irresponsible. We cannot prevent all tragedies from happening, true but a good start would be to realizing that having guns sold to civilians is not worthy of a modern democracy.

[Deadset]

Originally Posted by quexos

A child has no business around a real gun. Showing a kid how a gun really works even for safety purposes would be criminally irresponsible. Actually owning guns is criminally irresponsible. We cannot prevent all tragedies from happening, true but a good start would be to realizing that having guns sold to civilians is not worthy of a modern democracy.

I'm not going to try to change your opinion and I'm not trying to jump in your ***t, hope it didn't come off that way, or change the countries laws, fact is stuff happens, sure you can try to prevent it from happening, but it happens. 11 is pretty young to be around a gun ... Alone. Fear of things like this happening doesn't equal taking away rights of protection. Again, education and respect are 2 things missing from this situation.

[Forrestandjen07]

Originally Posted by quexos

A child has no business around a real gun. Showing a kid how a gun really works even for safety purposes would be criminally irresponsible. Actually owning guns is criminally irresponsible. We cannot prevent all tragedies from happening, true but a good start would be to realizing that having guns sold to civilians is not worthy of a modern democracy.

then you take away one of our rights

The right to bare arms

i would not want to be the one that pisses off a nation of hunters when there guns aare taken from them

[Nerdkiller likes BD]

Originally Posted by Forrestandjen07

then you take away one of our rights

The right to bare arms

i would not want to be the one that pisses off a nation of hunters when there guns aare taken from them

No, no, you've got that all mixed up, it just states that you have the right to hang a pair of bear arms on the wall.

Oh, and I too am sick of people blaming on the game. I blame Jack Thompson.

[quexos]

Originally Posted by Deads3t

I'm not going to try to change your opinion and I'm not trying to jump in your ***t, hope it didn't come off that way, or change the countries laws, fact is stuff happens, sure you can try to prevent it from happening, but it happens. 11 is pretty young to be around a gun ... Alone. Fear of things like this happening doesn't equal taking away rights of protection. Again, education and respect are 2 things missing from this situation.

What business do you have around a gun even at 20 or 30 ? it's designed to kill and to hurt. How can you claim a right to such a device ? does it make you feel stronger ? is it the thrill to having one day the chance of pointing it at someone ? maybe the power to decide you can take a life or not ? Do we have to hear of tragedies like this one to realize it is wrong to have real weapons ? I'd be interested in hearing what this kid's parents think now of such a "right". Wisdom certainly coming to them, but at what price ...

PS: I'm a guy so I don't have a ***t

[quexos]

Originally Posted by Forrestandjen07

then you take away one of our rights

The right to bare arms

i would not want to be the one that pisses off a nation of hunters when there guns aare taken from them

What a beautiful and civilized right. May I remind you that "right" was given in a different time with different mentalities and different circumstances ? may I also remind you WHY that right was given ? To drive away the English should they try to invade you again (after your independence) and that does not seem to happen too often these days right ? so what's your excuse now ?