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SecretMethod70 · 07-19-2004, 02:53 AM

Does media have a negative impact on people? Sure. Do people have aggressive thoughts WHILE playing aggressive games? Most likely. But do playing video games cause people to be more aggressive - especially to the point of being more capable of killing - in real life, after playing? Undoubtedly, no.

Yes, there is lots of 'evidence' that video games can temporarily bring out aggressive tendancies in people. The first thing to keep in mind when looking at the conclusions based on the 'evidence' is that 100 years ago there was also scientific and medical 'evidence' that blacks were inferior to whites, and that women were less capable than men. Scientific fact can be utilized and twisted for any number of conlusions.

The second thing to keep in mind is the real life evidence, outside of scientific studies. The game DOOM came out in 1994. It is now a decade later, and unless I've missed something the world isn't any crazier of a place because of people who played that game. I played it, and I don't have a rocket launcher sitting around in my room, that's for sure. Nor does anyone I know who played it - and I was 11 years old when I played it! Mortal Kombat came out in 1992. It was a favorite target at the time because of all the blood and gore. I played that one too, as did many people. In the past 12 years, I have not heard of a surge in people attempting to rip the spines out of others. Grand Theft Auto III - a more recent game of controversy - has already been cited. The only spike in people getting hit by cars that I've noticed on the news is from old people and farmer's markets.

No doubt, video games - and more importantly media in general - can have an impact in how desensitized one is to violence. Perhaps people aren't as bothered when they hear about death on the news. Perhaps that's why movies must be more and more graphic to acheive the same "shock" effect.

However, there is a big difference between being desensitized and being capable to do something that is, for all intents and purposes, hard-wired into our brains as wrong. Those who do not have a natural aversion to murder and such did not become that way because they played video games. First off, study after study has shown that the majority of a person's personality - the core of it, where one's respect for life would fit in - is developed by the age of 3. If a person has no natural aversion to real life murder, it is likely because they were denied human love in the early years in some way or another. It could be mental illness as well. It could also be constant real life attacks on self-esteem, harboring self-loathing and anger. One thing it most certainly is not though is video game playing.

Correlation between violent media and desensitization to violence? Yes. Cause and effect between violent video games and violent crime? No.

07-19-2004, 02:53 AM	#39 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	Does media have a negative impact on people? Sure. Do people have aggressive thoughts WHILE playing aggressive games? Most likely. But do playing video games cause people to be more aggressive - especially to the point of being more capable of killing - in real life, after playing? Undoubtedly, no. Yes, there is lots of 'evidence' that video games can temporarily bring out aggressive tendancies in people. The first thing to keep in mind when looking at the conclusions based on the 'evidence' is that 100 years ago there was also scientific and medical 'evidence' that blacks were inferior to whites, and that women were less capable than men. Scientific fact can be utilized and twisted for any number of conlusions. The second thing to keep in mind is the real life evidence, outside of scientific studies. The game DOOM came out in 1994. It is now a decade later, and unless I've missed something the world isn't any crazier of a place because of people who played that game. I played it, and I don't have a rocket launcher sitting around in my room, that's for sure. Nor does anyone I know who played it - and I was 11 years old when I played it! Mortal Kombat came out in 1992. It was a favorite target at the time because of all the blood and gore. I played that one too, as did many people. In the past 12 years, I have not heard of a surge in people attempting to rip the spines out of others. Grand Theft Auto III - a more recent game of controversy - has already been cited. The only spike in people getting hit by cars that I've noticed on the news is from old people and farmer's markets. No doubt, video games - and more importantly media in general - can have an impact in how desensitized one is to violence. Perhaps people aren't as bothered when they hear about death on the news. Perhaps that's why movies must be more and more graphic to acheive the same "shock" effect. However, there is a big difference between being desensitized and being capable to do something that is, for all intents and purposes, hard-wired into our brains as wrong. Those who do not have a natural aversion to murder and such did not become that way because they played video games. First off, study after study has shown that the majority of a person's personality - the core of it, where one's respect for life would fit in - is developed by the age of 3. If a person has no natural aversion to real life murder, it is likely because they were denied human love in the early years in some way or another. It could be mental illness as well. It could also be constant real life attacks on self-esteem, harboring self-loathing and anger. One thing it most certainly is not though is video game playing. Correlation between violent media and desensitization to violence? Yes. Cause and effect between violent video games and violent crime? No. __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling