Are Video Games Responsible for Violent Tendencies?

I saw an article today trying to link the suicide of four boys to Call of Duty.

Call of Duty video game probed by coroner after regular players killed themselves | Mail Online

For once, I'm gonna give my opinion first instead of waiting.

Let me say that I find it amazing that the same people that fight the "guns don't kill people" battle are so quick to jump on the "video games caused this" bandwagon.

These games have M ratings for a damn reason. Quit buy these games for ****ing kids. It annoys me to hear their whiny voice and there are areas in some games that kids shouldn't be near.



Now, let me play devil's advocate for a second. If, somehow they actually link these games to the suicide of these kids then the parents should get charged for child neglect and or/endangerment, right?

And, go.

It's very likely that no, they're not.

however, there needs to be a new rating system for video games. The current one is so inconsistent and stupid it boggles the mind. Just using age as a qualifier is bad.

Secondly, there should be some regulation over who can purchase games even via online stores which are currently totally out of state regulation control and only up to online vendors.

In answer to the question posed in the thread title: In a word...No.

But I have some comments:

1. I wonder more about that Coroner and whether he either has an agenda against video games...or if he's an idiot.

2. Did those boys masturbate? Many teenagers do that, I think. Perhaps masturbation could be linked to their deaths.

3. I have two sons. Since they were 9 or 10 years old, we've played military FPS's (that's the genre of games like COD) together and solo. Neither of my sons have violent tendencies. I know...that's an anecdote...doesn't mean anything...right?

DashingAmerican said:

I saw an article today trying to link the suicide of four boys to Call of Duty.

Call of Duty video game probed by coroner after regular players killed themselves | Mail Online

For once, I'm gonna give my opinion first instead of waiting.

Let me say that I find it amazing that the same people that fight the "guns don't kill people" battle are so quick to jump on the "video games caused this" bandwagon.

These games have M ratings for a damn reason. Quit buy these games for ****ing kids. It annoys me to hear their whiny voice and there are areas in some games that kids shouldn't be near.



Now, let me play devil's advocate for a second. If, somehow they actually link these games to the suicide of these kids then the parents should get charged for child neglect and or/endangerment, right?

And, go.

Click to expand...

How are they linking the suicide to the game?

There have been serious studies on the subject. It has been analyzed. Playing video games has never caused anyone to be more violent.

An easy comparison to make is when young boys watch professional wrestling. Suddenly, everyone is an expert doing the Boston Crab and Sharpshooter.

Gathomas88 said:

How are they linking the suicide to the game?

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Correlation with gross statistical ignorance (willfully on the part of the Daily Mail to defraud their readers).

DashingAmerican said:

I saw an article today trying to link the suicide of four boys to Call of Duty.

Call of Duty video game probed by coroner after regular players killed themselves | Mail Online

For once, I'm gonna give my opinion first instead of waiting.

Let me say that I find it amazing that the same people that fight the "guns don't kill people" battle are so quick to jump on the "video games caused this" bandwagon.

These games have M ratings for a damn reason. Quit buy these games for ****ing kids. It annoys me to hear their whiny voice and there are areas in some games that kids shouldn't be near.



Now, let me play devil's advocate for a second. If, somehow they actually link these games to the suicide of these kids then the parents should get charged for child neglect and or/endangerment, right?

And, go.

Click to expand...

I never accepted the notion that violent video games are responsible for mass murder and violent crime. These violent video games sell by the millions in this country but yet we do not have millions of murders, mass murders and hooker getting killed so you can get your money back. Most of the 10-12 thousand murders a year in this country are scumbag on scumbag murders and I seriously doubt Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto games had anything to do with that.

DashingAmerican said:

I saw an article today trying to link the suicide of four boys to Call of Duty.

Call of Duty video game probed by coroner after regular players killed themselves | Mail Online

For once, I'm gonna give my opinion first instead of waiting.

Let me say that I find it amazing that the same people that fight the "guns don't kill people" battle are so quick to jump on the "video games caused this" bandwagon.

These games have M ratings for a damn reason. Quit buy these games for ****ing kids. It annoys me to hear their whiny voice and there are areas in some games that kids shouldn't be near.



Now, let me play devil's advocate for a second. If, somehow they actually link these games to the suicide of these kids then the parents should get charged for child neglect and or/endangerment, right?

And, go.

Click to expand...

Yeah, sure, just like Dungeons and Dragons was responsible for all those murders and suicides in the 80's.

DashingAmerican said:

I saw an article today trying to link the suicide of four boys to Call of Duty.

Call of Duty video game probed by coroner after regular players killed themselves | Mail Online

For once, I'm gonna give my opinion first instead of waiting.

Let me say that I find it amazing that the same people that fight the "guns don't kill people" battle are so quick to jump on the "video games caused this" bandwagon.

These games have M ratings for a damn reason. Quit buy these games for ****ing kids. It annoys me to hear their whiny voice and there are areas in some games that kids shouldn't be near.



Now, let me play devil's advocate for a second. If, somehow they actually link these games to the suicide of these kids then the parents should get charged for child neglect and or/endangerment, right?

And, go.

Click to expand...

i was playing violent video games since wolfenstein 3d,doom,and quake.heck ive even played postal 2,which to this day is still fairly twited and even got banned in its country of origin(austrakia)for being to twisted,using a live cat as a silencer in that game!

but i dont go around shooting people or killing myself,so maybe some people are just idiots,and would have found a way regardless.

Of course video games cause violence. That's why the first known incident of a fatal shooting occurred in 1987 when a young man shot his dog. The shooter described the dog as "mocking him" with an "incessant laugh."

It's also the reason violent crime rates have continued to increase as video games become more violent, and more realistic. Rather than, say, decreasing for the last 23 years.

Deuce said:

Of course video games cause violence. That's why the first known incident of a fatal shooting occurred in 1987 when a young man shot his dog. The shooter described the dog as "mocking him" with an "incessant laugh."

It's also the reason violent crime rates have continued to increase as video games become more violent, and more realistic. Rather than, say, decreasing for the last 23 years.

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i knew it,that dang dog was responsible the whole time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

no

just like movies, sports, painting, reading, music, exercise etc are also not "responsible" for violent crimes

DashingAmerican said:

I saw an article today trying to link the suicide of four boys to Call of Duty.

Call of Duty video game probed by coroner after regular players killed themselves | Mail Online

For once, I'm gonna give my opinion first instead of waiting.

Let me say that I find it amazing that the same people that fight the "guns don't kill people" battle are so quick to jump on the "video games caused this" bandwagon.

These games have M ratings for a damn reason. Quit buy these games for ****ing kids. It annoys me to hear their whiny voice and there are areas in some games that kids shouldn't be near.



Now, let me play devil's advocate for a second. If, somehow they actually link these games to the suicide of these kids then the parents should get charged for child neglect and or/endangerment, right?

And, go.

Click to expand...

When it comes to things like suicide there's usually a pre-existing issue that's in place long before they actually get to that point.

I think the fact that they spent all their time alone playing video games might have something to do with it. Separation from peers, isolation, and an inability or decision not to engage in social groups is often a symptom of depression.

I don't think the content of these games matters. What matters is: Why are they alone? Why are they not with friends outside of the house and doing things? Why aren't they working or engaging in more active hobbies?

Note here:

‘He was happy that day and the last thing I heard him do was laugh, so I could only guess as to why he might have done it, but there is no doubt he intended to take his life.’

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Are you kidding me? A 19 year old man lives in your home and you don't ever see him or talk to him? It's okay he sits in his room for endless hours playing games? How was he feeling? What were his sleeping and eating habits like?

But - that's it - instead of knowing anything about him they just heard him laugh and they think they knew what was on his mind?

All too often parents of teens who commit suicide seem very disconnected and removed - completely in the dark. (I note this just about every time it's written in an article)

DashingAmerican said:

I saw an article today trying to link the suicide of four boys to Call of Duty.

Call of Duty video game probed by coroner after regular players killed themselves | Mail Online

For once, I'm gonna give my opinion first instead of waiting.

Let me say that I find it amazing that the same people that fight the "guns don't kill people" battle are so quick to jump on the "video games caused this" bandwagon.

These games have M ratings for a damn reason. Quit buy these games for ****ing kids. It annoys me to hear their whiny voice and there are areas in some games that kids shouldn't be near.



Now, let me play devil's advocate for a second. If, somehow they actually link these games to the suicide of these kids then the parents should get charged for child neglect and or/endangerment, right?

And, go.

Click to expand...

I have been playing video games for decades and to be honest the more violent ones are actually the most cathartic to me. I have violent aggressive tendencies that need to be channeled and video games do that for me. If I am pissed and want to break something I go play the Soul Caliber game and beat the snot out of video avatars, or I play world of tanks and go kick some online punks avatar ass. If I feel like hunting humans I play Battlefield.

Otherwise when I get pissed things get broke and that gets expensive.

So I think that violent video games are actually beneficial for mental stability.

I think a society increasingly enthralled with violent culture promotes an increase in violence, but I don't think you can blame a video game, a musical artist, a style of movie, a comic book, or krav maga classes individually. People make choices, moral codes are in a persistent state of flux. You see something graphic, obscene, or disturbing enough and you eventually become less and less shocked by it.