Do violent video games really influence violence?

[munchyman]

Whats wrong with relieving stress? I like buying hookers, then shooting them to get my money back! (Vice city baby)....could I do that in real life?? noooooooo

 

[Black Cat]

well, you could if you had a gun hookers and money not forgetting guts.

 

[jackalopes]

Originally posted by FoxWar
Well depends on personality imo, if its a child it will affect it more then an adult

Also depends on how stupid the person is

If they say oh it happened in a video game and he lives, and they go jump of their roof well.... >.>

I would have to agree

 

[Galidator]

These were probably mentioned earlier but they are good things to know about games and people.


People kill people. Get that straight. OK

Games help releive stress.

If somebody kills somebody else its their fault.

Rating:Blood & Gore
Who cares? Everybodys going to see blood one day.

Some people are crazy. Some people are not. We are all gonna die anyway.

 

[Jason the Destroyer]

the simple fact is, parents don't watch what their kids buy or rent. if more parents would pay attention to the ESRB rating instead of complaining about the violence in the games and trying to suck money out of the gaming companies.

 

[Chain3r-]

Violent games do not make kids or teenagers violent. If the kid or teenager is violent its probably because some issue at home or school. How do I know this? I know this kid at my school who never even makes a single threat to anyone and all the games he has for his game systems are Mature games. This kid plays them at least 30 hours a week but yet he has never gotten in a fight (never will i bet) and doesn't make threats.

 

[dust601]

"the simple fact is, parents don't watch what their kids buy or rent."

i tottaly disagree with that, my parents never gave a shit what i rented or bought. But they did explain to me when i was younger that hey this is a video game, the things on there are wrong, you can't do that in real life. Granted i allready had the common sence to know that but still, the point i'm trying to make is a kids not going to go out and copy what he did in a game if the parents are responsible enought to explain to him these things, unless as many people have said he has problems in the head.

 

[Jason the Destroyer]

it was more of a generalization. i meant that if you ask someone's parent(s) what the ESRB rating is, they probably wouldn't know what you're talking about

 

[~Canuck~]

My personal opinion is that some people in the world have what could be referred to as a type of mental disability or illness. This mental disability or illness makes them easily suggestible and easily influenced. They cannot distinguish reality from fantasy at all times. Taking that into account i believe that in some influences, specifically dealing with people with such illness or similiar nature, video games can lead to violent acts. Although i also feel that suggest lyrics in music, pornography, cartoons, movies, and books can also have the same effect on these people.

 

[cxoli]

I think it just depends on the person. You're not going to kill someone just because you played a violent game. I agree that you would probably have to have some mental disability that prevents you from distinguishing between fantasy and reality or general ideas of right and wrong to think that you should act on things portrayed in games.

As for game ratings, I think they're somewhat necessary. Parents should look at them so they know exactly why the game got that rating, and then decide whether their child is mature enough to handle it. My parents let my brother and I play pretty much any game, because they've figured out that we're mature enough to handle them and distinguish between video games and real life.