I do think violent video games are bad for kids

[Dis]

http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/fun.games/12/19/games.ratings/index.html

Now the argument I usually hear is I played violent video games as a kid and I turned out Okay. Well Apolyton represents a minority of the population- specifically the american population where we have easy access to guns. When we were kids (or at least old folks like me) we didn't have violent video games. Games like Bard's Tale only showed text that you did 86 damage to a monster with Thor's hammer and he died. You didn't actually see it. In Autoduel you could attack other cars, but you saw no blood.

Moving on to more recent times even games like X-com really didn't have realistic violence. Doom was probably the first in this regard. But at least they were monsters and not humans being killed.

In any case I think violent video games are OK for kids over age 14. But kids 13 and under should not be playing them for the most part.

Why is it stores still sell games to children despite the warnings?

[Skanky Burns]

It can be a good way to release stress / built - up anger, without the need to actually hurt someone else irl.
The warnings are there so parents don't sure the game publisher, or to allow parents to make a decision on games they will allow their children to play, depending on your point of view.

[Harry Seldon]

If a kid can understand the problems with violence in society, I say let 'em have it. I've played violent video games and I've never had the inclination to pick up a gun and start shooting people.

[Dis]

what stress do kids have? I never had any stress as a kid. Being a kid was easy.

As an adult I can feel the need to blow away a few bad guys, but not as a 10 year old kid.

[spartak]

Good.

[Ming]

When we were little kids, and we didn't have video games, we played war and other violent make believe games. It's a part of growing up. If video games made people violent, everybody would be a mass murderer. It's not the games...

[Skanky Burns]

You didn't go to school, Dissident?

School is generally stressful for children at the time. Not as stressful as everyday adult life, but its still there.

[Adagio]

I'd say it has little negative impact, but only for few people. It doesn't change much for the general player, but there's still a few people out there, who has the risk to "learn" from games...

But for me, it had no impact... but that might be because I don't play many violence games... I play SimCity type games, but I haven't grown up to became mayor (Is that the right word?) for a city yet

[Bereta_Eder]

negative impact if they isolate kids (like with everything that isolates kids)


lets face it the days of the little devils playing all together in the plaza is less and less happening.

as long as parents can keep their kids away from monitors, the more the better


but if they are in front of them they might as well play with a friend

[Traianvs]

Well, isolated kids now have a nice place to have fun: computer

I can't imagine how boring life must have been 50 years ago if I were an isolated kid (some ppl just have lesser social capabilities than others!)

I can't imagine hanging around all day behind my desk, studying circa 10-12 hours a day... I've got trouble already to study for more than 2 hours, and that's in exam period

[Bereta_Eder]

yep but now some kids instead of going out and play they stay inside and stick their noses to the monitor....

whereas if there wasn't a PC or a PS2 they would get out and play...

Of course if a kid was to be isolated for whatever reason then I agree with you

[Traianvs]

Nah man, in my younger (uh-uh) days nintendo and that sort of stuff was totally "in" already, and we didn't stay home for that...

Maybe it is so that kids now are more spoiled than before, they get more toys etc, so kids went out to play because there wasn't anything fun at home...


I also find that more really young kids get mature earlier! Well not mature, but they give the impression... Parents dress them like 17 year olds and all... THeir hair nicely done with gel etc, and also, I find that kids are more arrogant than they used to be!! Maybe that's simply an impression but well... when i see all those kids with €500 nokia mobile phones... ****!

There are already toys based on mobile phones: fake ones so 7 year olds already get addicted to it

it's all the Toy Developers' fault!!!

[Bereta_Eder]

I totally agree with that arrogant part!
Plus if they don't have the latest mobile phone model, they feel "deprived".

But on the nintendo part I don't know...

PCs and PS2s are much more addictive I'd think.

And kids do stay inside and play alone whereas they could join the local junior football team at their municipality or something.

The second is definitely more healthy if you ask me. But it also weights on the parents I think.

[Traianvs]

PCs and PS2s are much more addictive I'd think.

Yes but 10-12 years ago that was THE gaming console


I don't know whether people do less sports now than before... I did a big deal of it anyway, and all my friends as well, i can't imagine it declining in such a short notice... People actually have more money to have their kids do things

(my spoiled nephew does carting (!! mucho dinero !!) and plays hockey (it's a rich ppl's sport...not ice-hockey, that's the exact opposite ) - he's 10
Of course, he is hyperactive and it's hard to handle him so it's easier to give him what he wants )

[General Ludd]

I wouldn't say that it is a negative impact, just a negative influence.

That is, playing mortal Kombat isn't going to turn a kid into a serial killer, but it might turn him into a brat. Although, it might turn an already troubled kid into a serial killer.

And I don't think that it is neccisarily the violence that does it, more of the mentality that comes along with that sort of game. I mean, look at Counter-Strike, 99% of the people who play it are a bunch of terminally stressed out brats. On the other hand, a game with more subtle and "easy-going" violence - Tropico, for instance - isn't going to have an effect on anyone...

...unless they are already deeply disturbed - Fez, for instance.