Mods, feel free to move this if you find it more suitable for the video game section. I just wanted to get other peoples thoughts on this topic. TOPIC: Should video games be blamed for underage crime? My personal view on this is both yes, and no. I think that the violence in todays games do pose somewhat of a threat to the children, but I think above all, the childrens parents are to blame. Take games like the Socom series for instance. The box clearly has a warning label which stated that the game is rated Mature because it may have content that is suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and/or strong language. Yet, almost every time I go online, I come across yet another 12 or 13 yr. old screaming F*** this or F*** that. Are parents these days really that naive that they think games such as this do not have an impact on their children? The most widely used "positive" impact video games are said to have on children is that they may improve a player's manual dexterity and computer literacy. Ever-improving technology also provides players with better graphics that give a more "realistic" virtual playing experience. This quality makes the video game industry a powerful force in many adolescent lives. However, numerous studies show that video games, especially ones with violent content, adversely affect a teen's aggressive behavior. Part of the increase in aggressive behavior is linked to the amount of time children are allowed to play video games. In one study by Walsh (2000), a majority of teens admitted that their parents do not impose a time limit on the number of hours they are allowed to play video games. The study also showed that most parents are unaware of the content or the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating (see below) of the video games their children play. In another study conducted by Gentile, Lynch, Linder & Walsh (2004, p.6) "adolescent girls played video games for an average of 5 hours a week whereas boys averaged 13 hours a week". The authors also stated that teens who play violent video games for extended periods of time show the following behaviors: 1. Tend to be more aggressive 2. Are more prone to confrontation with their teachers 3. May engage in fights with their peers 4. See a decline in school achievements. (Gentile et al, 2004). Another negative impact is that players are rewarded for their violent acts. The interactive quality of video games differs from passively viewing television or movies because it allows players to become active participants in the game's script. Players benefit from engaging in acts of violence and are then able to move to the game's next level. I think that above all, parents need to pay better attention to the ESRB ratings. I'm not saying to limit children to Dora the Explorer or Spongebob Squarepants games, but they should take a more active role in deciding what is appropriate for their children. I shouldn't be hearing adolescent teenagers screamin racial obscenities on a game that is clearly not designated for their age group. If the parents can't take a more active role, or if they can't seem to pay attention to the ESRB ratings, maybe the ESRB needs to make it painfully obvious what the rating of the game is. Whether this be by requiring companies to put an insert over the cover art explaining why the game is rated that way, or by requiring the vendors who carry these games to keep any that are rated M or above locked up (and provide a sort of age verification for purchase). All in all, I don't think that the sales of video games will ever be the way it was designed to be. The ESRB will never be able to control whether a parent buys an M rated game for their child. I believe that parents need to have a more "hands-on" philosohpy when it somes the the media that their children are allowed to view. Just my 2¢. **Portions of this article were taken from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation**
MAYBE... I said "MAYBE" games should be a little blamed..for those things CaptainPeanut said. But.. for teens, like.. 13, 14 years or more..I think it's their problem with their parents. You know.. someone with this age should, at least, have some idea of what's right and what's wrong.. from what he/she should be influenced or not. And if he/she has problems with their family, friends, school and stuff.. this isn't games fault
I dont believe that the video games themselfs are to blame for underagecrime. Theres lots of diffrent factors to put into it such as the parents,attitude of player and type of game. If children aged 12 are playing games rated 17 which has sex/violence and such then the video game will most likly have an effect on them but its the problem of how they are able to recieve the game in the first place thats worrying. Parents will have a huge part to play in this as its usually them who buy there children these game, and yet they complain about it effect there childrens life. Parents have to take at least some responsibility for there childrens behavior if they are playing a game that is unsuitable for there age. The game will only effect those who either take it too far or are underage. Those usually go together as its usually younger people who have the imagation that they can be jsut like characters in games. I dont think its right to blame just video games for underage crime but they will have a certain effect on children, but if the age restriuctions were kept then there wouldnt be this type of problem. There are other factors as well but i need to go to school. Anyways thats my thoughts on that subject.
Gimmie a break... Thats like saying certain music influences the way you act. Yes for example hip hop has changed the way i dress... But, if the up bringing in the home is good and the conditions at home is then hell no, games are not to blame. My mother knows i can play all the violent games i want... listen to music glamorising gang culture and i wont get f**ked up, simply because my conditions at home are good and i have had a proper up bringing.
Society craves on these now. There's just no way to stop them, they'll eventually make a 'sex game' which we all know is very inappropriate. But this is society we're talking about, they want the newer than new. The 'thang' like 'ohsnap' or 'gang violence' or 'porn on WoW' -_- Society is ccorruppttedd!!
Well first it doesn't matter if you actually realize that the game you are playing is a game... If one does not confuse gaming with real life, then it doesn't really matter... But if the player is stupid enough to believe that real life is a game, then you're really stupid...
My what a, deep post. Anyways. Yes they are, well not completely. Every little thing we see does influence our actions in someways, whether we actually realise it or not. Ergo, any videogame you play will stick in your mind. It just takes a certain type of person to make it real.
Yeh but it does happen. Kids can just get so caught up on it and decided to act like them. I still think that its there fault and hardly any fault of the game.
I agree with Broken, but I believe the main reason for the problems with kids these days is the parents.
well, i dont think so. although kids like doing alot of the violence they see on video games, the main reason is probably their parents,and how they teach them to react on violence :lol:
As I've said before, and will say again. Video Games are a break from reality, we use them to get away from the real world stresses. The game doesn't excell your violent behaviour, and it sure as hell doesn't create it (You'd need some sort of interest in it to even start playing it.) If anything, it slows it down, it feeds that need to do what ever the hell you want to do. When I'm pissed off, I go onto my lvl 34 Defiler on EverQuest II and I own some kids from Qeynos. When I'm done, i barely have the feel to hurt someone anymore. All I'm saying is, if anything, video games are helping us, not hurting us. And if the game is too much for a younger child, its that child's parents to know that it isn't suitible. Let us grow a conscience before it builds a dependancy on virtual violence.
Its not the video games. Kid realise and are raised (the ones with decent parents) know whats right and wrong. Those kids who do stupid stuff, should solely reflect on the parents. Its also the group of people the kids hang out with.
I am 13. He is a list of games I play: Warcraft 3 Starcraft Diablo 2 America's Army CounterStrike and CSS Quake 4 Far Cry' GTA 3 and newer vesions. People I want to Kill: None Thx but video games aren't the problem. It's the parents who aren't willing to accept the fact that it's on their sholder's, not the Video Game industry. Also, At the extreme there is gonna be some gay policy where minors can't buy M rated games. Now this is where piracy helps the world. I am just gonna download them... Just like porn, piracy is helping thousands of teens have access to many sexual materials. Yey Piracy. O yeah, and if I spelled anything wrong, that is because I can't actually spell for my life, thx
well here in holland we have the same discussion and its like monsterlishis said anyone with common sence doesn't kill or commit a crime because a character in a game does that hence to gta games. When some one does that they all blame a particular videogame. thats my 2 € on that
