Do video games corrupt our youth?

[The Hidden One]

I read in our city newspaper that the prison had taken uout the game "Hitman" out of the prison because it depicted the guy killing police officers.

 

 

I think that's the only logical scene of taking away a video game from some one.

 

 

I.S.B.W.B

[kipperthefrog]

Originally posted by The Hidden One

I read in our city newspaper that the prison had taken uout the game "Hitman" out of the prison because it depicted the guy killing police officers.

 

 

I think that's the only logical scene of taking away a video game from some one.

 

 

I.S.B.W.B

 

I was surprised to read that. What are Inmates doing with video games anyway? Shouldn't they be under punishment? Or are they getting a "free ride" of leisure and play?

[El Sitherino]

Originally posted by kipperthefrog

I was surprised to read that. What are Inmates doing with video games anyway? Shouldn't they be under punishment? Or are they getting a "free ride" of leisure and play?

They get free food, free education, free entertainment. It's more of a resort that requires a dress code and you have to return objects such as combs and toothbrushes.

 

 

Anyway, it seems to me that only certain types of games are getting this reaction and I think it could actually relate to just the adrenaline pumping and all that. Same as after you play, or even watch, sports.

 

And technically anything in the real world could create these kinds of reactions, it's up to the individual to manage it, and the parents to help teach the kid proper management of emotions.

 

 

PS: Society is all about instant gratification, note American Idol and other "reality" shows. Throw out hard work, just put them on tv and sexy them up. If anything I see it as video games trying to keep up with societal demands.

[Spider AL]

The only answer one can give to the question "Do video games corrupt our youth?" is "no."

 

Why? Because video games do not "corrupt" youth automatically, at least not in any way that's measurable or even tangible. Some kids who play violent video games may go on to commit violent acts or be maladjusted, but most will not. Therefore one could answer "yes" to only one question:

 

"Is it possible that violent video games could have a negative effect on a minority of already psychologically fragile youths?"

 

Sure.

[The Hidden One]

"Is it possible that violent video games could have a negative effect on a minority of already psychologically fragile youths?"

 

 

Big question.

 

 

 

I should of thought of that......

[toms]

Originally posted by InsaneSith

They get free food, free education, free entertainment. It's more of a resort that requires a dress code and you have to return objects such as combs and toothbrushes.

 

Yeah. Its just like a holiday!

Kipper: I'd suspect the reason they give them games and things is because having a load of people sitting around 20 hours a day bored and locked in a small space isn't a very good idea.

Come to think of it, its the same principle as a lot of parents who use tv and games to keep their kids occupied and out of trouble... hmmm...

 

Instead, they are content with making uninformed statements that include assumptions like the participants of the study played "Wolfenstien 3d three times."

 

I did read the article. And it did say they played wolfenstien 3 times and theior reactions were tested after the third time. Unless i completely missed something. So i don't think my statement was uninformed. (well, for me anyway)

 

With computer games you are really talking 5 distinct effects:

 

Desensitisation: I'd agree that long term exposure might cause disensitisation, but this also applies to movies, tv and other art forms.

This also plays into the old "chicken and egg" situation... does art reflect society, or society reflect art?

 

Adrenaline: Many studies show short term aggression rises after playig games. I'd think that the majority of this would be down to the increased adrenaline you get when taking part in or watching something emotive, fast, exciting or competative. I don't see this as being a major long term problem, or any worse with computer games than any other activity.

 

Copycats: Many kids tend to copy the actions of people they see on screen (be it in movies or games or tv or football or music). This is undeniable. However i think most kids do it from a copycat perspective, not beacuse the game has somehow "taught" them to do it. I remember kids running around playing "ninja turtles" when i was a kid... which was hardly a particularly violent series. But they were doning it from a fun, immitation angle, not a "wanting to hurt people" angle.

I guess you could have a "don't try this at home" warning at the start of games like on some tv programs, or ban "dangerously immitable techniques" like the british censors do... but to be honest kids don't usually appreciate the consequences of actions until they have tried them out and learnt from them. And in the end it is up to parents to make sure they understand the difference between fantasy and reality.

 

Over the edge: Do video games trigger dangerous behaviours in unstable individuals? Probably. But i would think that unstable individuals are likely to be triggered by a lot of things. Movies. Music. Road Rage. or even nothing at all. And can we really stop everyone doing something because it might trigger a tiny minority to flip who would probably flip anyway?

 

Playing a role/association: This is the big one. Does playing the role of a violent character on screen make you more likely to associate with them and duplicate their feelings and actions?

 

This is what anti-game advocates would have you believe. And its the hardest to prove. On balance i'd say no. I guess you could argue you associate more with a game than a movie as you are controlling the main character... but i still think that once you stop playing the game, after the adrenaline has worn off, you don't still think you are playing that role, or that things you did in that role are still appropriate or acceptable. This is also the only effect that would IMHO mean the games industry was accountable.

 

---------

 

But, i admit, all that is based on my own feelings, as i have no research to back it up... and it seems to be contradicted by that research skin pointed to. But that research still just doesn't sound credible to me.

[Rogue15]

i didn't read any of the replies.

 

LOOK AT THE ESRB, mom and dad!!!

 

a 12 year old should not be playing Halo.

[lukeiamyourdad]

Well, maybe yes to Halo. Frankly, I don't see how Halo gets a mature rating while Republic Commando gets a teen rating.

 

But games like GTA, Manhunt, etc. should be restricted.

[ShadowTemplar]

The biggest (and - I would personally claim - only) risks associated with computer gaming are addiction and obesity.

 

When it comes to TV and video games, addiction has been a largely overlooked issue for many years. The violence thing is, IMO blown out of proportion compared to the health effects of addiction and inactivity.

[El Sitherino]

Originally posted by toms

Kipper: I'd suspect the reason they give them games and things is because having a load of people sitting around 20 hours a day bored and locked in a small space isn't a very good idea.

Prisoner's rights. Nothing to do with entertaining them.

[lukeiamyourdad]

Originally posted by ShadowTemplar

When it comes to TV and video games, addiction has been a largely overlooked issue for many years. The violence thing is, IMO blown out of proportion compared to the health effects of addiction and inactivity.

 

But banning them would remove the addiction factor too. It's like hitting two birds with one stone for them.

[toms]

Its a fair point though.

 

Though, again, i'd argue it wasn't purely related to video games.

 

Kids (and adults) can get addicted to almost anything (though a lot of it is genetically predetermined)...

 

Browsing the internet, porn, tv, video games, golf, wrestling, etc...

I don't rate video games as any worse than anything else, addiction-wise. ANd, with most of these addictions, they tend to last for a while until you burn yourself out and do somethign else.

I spent the last year or two being completely unmoved by games, and as a consequence have a huge back-list of games to play... partly cos they got a bit lazy in game development.. but mainly cos i'd just played to many and the excitement had worn off.

 

Same happened with TV. I and all my mates used to watch tv from the moment we got home from scholl until we went to bed. These days i probably watch less all week than i would have watched in a night when i was 15.

 

But the risk of obesity and inactivity in kids today is a much huger factor (and will kill far more people) than a few kids going psyhco with shotguns. But like everything in our media... its the big one-off events that make the news (and therefore teh political agenda) not the less exciting larger effects.

[ShadowTemplar]

Originally posted by lukeiamyourdad

But banning them would remove the addiction factor too. It's like hitting two birds with one stone for them.

 

"There is no such thing as 'overkill', only 'undertargetting'."

 

\end{stinging sarcasm}

 

But the risk of obesity and inactivity in kids today is a much huger factor (and will kill far more people) than a few kids going psyhco with shotguns.

 

Which is a gun control issue rather than a video-game issue anyway.

[toms]

well, i was playing a game last night that had me swearing like a sailor, getting incredibly violent and throwing things.

 

Trying to beat the 50second lap time in Ocarina of Time. Not sure if that proves that games don't have to be filled with blood and gore to make people agressive, or if that is a provably different effect to the one they are talking about.

 

 

Beat it in the end though

[EnderWiggin]

No, I dont think It corrupts the mind. Some games actually teach, such as influence and currency systems etc.

 

_EW_

[RevanA4]

ok my opion is that yes it is possible for them to corrupt certian people but in general no

 

well I'm not a youth any more but when I was working in a grocery store I and I had a particular person working with me who just happened to annoy the crap out of me I used to go home pop in halo put it on easy and bash all the covanent with my gun.

 

I ask you does that make me a bad person? no it doesn't I have seen studies done that indicate that violent games actually calm down kids also though where i saw it I can't remember

[Writer]

Games never calmed me down. I went to them when I wanted to destroy things (because my parents would be mad if I just destroyed the house:D ) and I came out just as irritated about whatever it was.

 

I also found myself getting rather depressed because I really wasn't doing anything with my life. Now, I don't have any games on my PC and am doing much better for it.

 

 

 

So I guess everybody has a different story.

[Kurgan]

What do you think? I think mature games shoudn't be played by children younger than 12. But older children have enough thought process to know what's good or wrong unless they were raised in a dysfunctional family and didn't know better.

 

But generaly I say no.

 

There's been some studies on attention spans being affected by television viewing in very young children. And considering the general level of crap on TV, it's probably a bad idea to let kids watch much TV at all at that age (and then when you do let them, watch with them and inform them, etc).

 

Kids do imitate what they see and they do do stupid things, but then we often don't give them much credit either. And adults do stupid things as well.

 

I agree "violent" entertainment media can't be blamed for the acts of already crazy people who claim inspiration, and "think of the children" isn't a blanket excuse for censorship, but parents need to be more responsible with their kids.

 

If think I have kids I won't let them play video games or watch tv when they're toddlers. But I won't be a jerk about it either (promoting the "oooh it's naughty so I better sneak around behind dad's back!" temptation). I would want to be aware of and discuss with them their media choices. I remember when I was in elementary school a lot of the kids in my class would brag about the "slasher movies" they watched at home on video or on tv. I don't know if any of those kids were "scarred for life" and my parents didn't let me watch that stuff when I was that age. When I got older I watched the stuff and saw it was really no big deal. Most of it was pretty crappy (although the NOTLD series was great, not in the slasher genre of course) and mind-numbing. Kids, especially boys at that age are too easily impressed by gore and profanity.

[TK-8252]

Games never calmed me down. I went to them when I wanted to destroy things (because my parents would be mad if I just destroyed the house:D ) and I came out just as irritated about whatever it was.

 

I also found myself getting rather depressed because I really wasn't doing anything with my life. Now, I don't have any games on my PC and am doing much better for it.

 

 

 

So I guess everybody has a different story.

 

They didn't calm you down but they stopped you from destroying the house. Therefore the games did you well, because they diverted your aggression where it can't do any harm.

[riceplant]

This is just my opinion, I don't have any evidence to back it up, but I believe that the skater games my brother plays are much more dangerous than 'violent games' such as GTA. As an example, recently he fell off of a tall building and landed on his head, then just stood up as if nothing had happened. Just speculation, but isn't that more dangerous than, as in GTA, you kill someone and they stay dead. The point here being that games like the skater games teach a reality far more removed from our own than GTA.

[lukeiamyourdad]

I don't think he needs Tony Hawk Pro Skater to try out any of those tricks.

[riceplant]

And I don't think people need GTA to shoot people. This does not change the fact that skating games, if played by young children, can provide a misleading example of reality. This is also the case with games like GTA, but GTA does not teach that people are invulnerable. However, I agree that parents should moderate what their children play/watch, without being oppresive. This may seem like a fine line, but being a parent is, and always has been, a position of responcibility.

[lukeiamyourdad]

That's not really my point. He could've been watching skater videos or maybe the Lords of Dogtown and started down the skater path. Those things also provide a misleading example of reality.

 

But I agree that it could be Tony Hawk Pro Skater.

[toms]

I used to fall off tall things a lot when i was a kid... never did me any harm. *twitch*

 

Kids are pretty invunerable, and recover from injuries much quicker than grown-ups. Seeing what hurts is part of the way they learn their limits. I know there are loads of kids at the skate park who try things i'd NEVER have the guts to try. Fall on their faces. Get up. Try again. Sigh. I'm getting to old for this...

 

I would mention that driving a car immediately after playing midtown madness is a very bad idea though. I remember doing that a few years ago, and about 10 minutes later i realised i was still driving like i was in the game, and had to conciously relax, pay attention and slow down. Ooops.

[riceplant]

I'm sorry, but I fail to see how a minor childhood accident relates to falling 50' onto your head. Few children I know would be able to walk away after something like that. Do you know any who could? It wouldn't be so bad if the characters made some attempt to break their falls, as is in the real world.