What are your views on 'violent video games' increasing aggression and violence in the people playing them

Question

What are your views on 'violent video games' increasing aggression and violence in the people playing them

Answer 1

Complete and utter bullcrap.

I've been gaming since I was seven- I'm twenty-five now- and I've played/am playing fairly violent games for a while now- the Halo series, Gears of War, even some RPGs that involve assasination and the like.

I'll be the first to admit that I blow off steam by chainsawing someone into itty-bitty pieces in the game, but I have yet to pick up a chainsaw and apply to an actual living being. I have not robbed banks, run over hookers, killed the Flood with plasma guns, set someone on fire, and so on and so forth. I know what is reality and what is fiction, but more importantly, I know right from wrong. Saying that video games increase aggression and violence by those who play them is like saying playing football makes you violent, or karate lessons make you violent, or watching violent movies will do it. It doesn't. Personal responsibilty trumps watching a game and acting like a moron afterwards.

Think about it. 2.34 million copies of Halo 3 were sold the first day alone. How many of us 2.34 million do you think have gone on to mass murdering or running over people or robbing little old ladies?

Answer 2

Yes I think it does, in two instances. Firstly whilst the game, whether it is violent or not, is being played the adrenaline increases aggression. This is because we want to win.Then the overall violence becomes more commonplace and normal and is accepted in every day life.

Answer 3

yeah I agree I think you can take anger out through video games.

Answer 4

I think it may.  At least it says it's okay.

Answer 5

Actually, I think people that have a built up aggression should play those games.  You can get a lot of anger out playing those games.

Answer 6

I worry about kids who are exposed to them. Kids should grow up understanding dangers of violence. Otherwise adults who choose violence for fun stillamaze me.

Answer 7

In older children and teens that have learned to separate fiction from reality, I think violent video games can help relieve pent up aggression.. Well, at least it works for me.. lol

I see how they could be harmful though for young children..

How about looking at the reasons why people become aggressive?

All you have to do is look at the school shootings to see a pattern. Certain kids are just ostracized by the popular kids right from grade school on up. No matter what they change or how much they try to differentiate themselves from their awkward past, they are always ostracized outsiders..

Perhaps online gaming is a place where someone like that could actually make friends and form relationships. Though, finding out that you aren't a weirdo after all and that the put-downs you've endured were just to make some stuck up teeny bopper look and feel more popular can be a bit irritating anyways..

Fact of the matter is, certain kids will gang up on others and that feeling of being a social outcast has a lot more to do with violence in schools then any video game. I'm sure just about every teen in school plays about the same games, it's the lack of social support and relationships that result in aggression..

Answer 8

People make choices to be aggressive. Not the video games. If video games truly influence others than these people being influenced are truly weak minded and incapable of leadership in any way. They must be led around by the hand and babied through their lives. These people cannot think for themselves and allow everyone and everything to influence their every move.

Our children play violent video games like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and God of War. But they do not go our an bully or attack others because we have taken the time to explain to them the hard core realities of life.

Yes, that's right, we don't baby them or sweet talk our kids. If you attack another person you will go to jail/prison and become someone's property. Face it, it's a reality.

Our friends, whom go to church on a regular basis, don't let their kids play violent games yet their children are far more violent than ours are. Our children are actually very polite, caring, and helpful towards others.

So what it really comes down to is parenting and the choices one makes.

Answer 9

First of all, I should say that I come from an extensive "gaming" background. I am no longer interested, but I have friends and colleagues who are. That is perfectly fine.

Video games are not inherently evil. They are illusions, just like drama, television, novels, and fine art. They present a way to entertain, and they have recently become more and more intelligent in their handling. An RPG, for example, used to be only for the highest eschelon of the pen-and-paper traditionalist roleplayers.

I don't mean to offend anyone, but the studies DO show that playing games with aggressive themes do increase aggressive thoughts. Also, the "blowing off steam" excuse is ephemeral: it does not exist. That was once known as the catharsis theory. The catharsis theory said that if we were feeling anger, we needed to "let it out."

The problem with the catharsis theory is that it reinforces our negative thoughts. If we go to the video game console every time we are feeling stressed or negative, we begin to associate stress or negativity with the actions occurring. While there are always dangers of psychotic individuals being influenced by media, video games are the most easily accessible.

Please understand that I am trying to be fair-minded in this assessment. I do not believe that a video game can make one commit a murder any more than Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus can make one commit a murder. But I do think that the content of video games says a lot about the unconscious content of those that play it.