GTA San Andreas promotes immorality

[Pekka]

"Some will be so brash to ask if we believe that all who hear Manson tomorrow
night will go out and commit violent acts? The answer is "No!." But does
everybody who watches a Lexus commercial go and buy a Lexus? No. But a few
do!"

Manson: The president was shooting bombs overseas. Yet I'm a bad guy
because I sing some rock-n-roll songs. And who's the bigger influence? The
president or Marilyn Manson?

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Immorality

Yea, I hope I live forever too. What's so controversial about that?

[Sava]

Originally posted by molly bloom



I don't believe it is.

If a child grows up on the margins, then a game which is designed to be extremely attractive, and can be played by one person for hours at a time, and which shows violence against the person and property glorified, and theft rewarded, must exert a degree of influence on an impressionable child.

If there is no other model of more acceptable behaviour being inculcated or demonstrated, then how does that child learn which is better ?

The behaviour from their frequently solitary games, where to succeed you are more violent, or more rapacious than your opponent ?

Or a more socially acceptable, less predatory form of behaviour ?

I suggest instead of your model of a not quite diabetic cetacean, a rat being fed endorphins instead.

Unfortunately there are zero statistics to back up any of your claims.

If such a child is so close to the margins, if not violent video games, something else will push them over the edge, so to speak.

And even assuming you are true. What is your solution? A video game police? Do we treat video games like alcohol and tobacco? The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Video Games? Do we lock parents up if their children get ahold of violent video games?

This whole discussion is rather silly. And molly, for someone who is extremely intelligent, I expect a little more sense out of you. Look at the primary demographic of violent video game players. White, middle class males from the ages of 14-28. Now according to the reasoning of the "anti-violent-video-game" lobby, this group should be the most violent, vicious group of people in the world. But yet, take a tour of our prisons, and you will not find many people from that background.

How do you argue against facts like this?

Take one of my favorite games "Counter-Strike", for instance. This is one of the most violent games ever made. But if you were to compare Counter-Strike players against the general population, I have no doubt you would find violent crime statistics to be much lower among Counter-Strike players.

This whole issue offends me very much. Not because I play and enjoy such games, but because it distracts people from the real issues involving violence and crime. Violent video games are not a significant cause of violence. PERIOD.

[Atahualpa]

As for the real world, there is a study called "Firearm Violence Exposure and Serious Violent Behavior"

Abstract:
To estimate the cause-effect relationship between exposure to firearm violence and subsequent perpetration of serious violence, we applied the analytic method of propensity stratification to longitudinal data on adolescents residing in Chicago, Illinois. Results indicate that exposure to firearm violence approximately doubles the probability that an adolescent will perpetrate serious
violence over the subsequent 2 years.

This whole issue offends me very much. Not because I play and enjoy such games, but because it distracts people from the real issues involving violence and crime. Violent video games are not a significant cause of violence. PERIOD.

If you'd argue by your own standards, there are zero statistics to back up YOUR claim.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Atahualpa

If you'd argue by your own standards, there are zero statistics to back up YOUR claim.

not true... I just am too lazy to post them

from DOJ website

Total Violent Crime



Notice the dropoff during the 90's... hmmmm the era of violent video games, yet violent crime is dropping


I don't have official DOJ statistics on prison populations, but unless anyone is contesting it, I think we can all agree, the primary demographic of video game players is white male age 14-28... that is not the main violent crime offender.

[Atahualpa]

Wrong Sava, violent crime went down because there were less vicitimizations reported to the police

[Pekka]

games don't kill people. People kill people.

[Atahualpa]

the question is wether games incite people to kill people

[Pekka]

do guns make people kill people? What about rock music? What about when gf breaks up with you? How about when some dude disses you because of the car you drive?

Such is life. Let's move on.

[Kuciwalker]

games don't kill people. People kill people.

What if you used the CD for a violent game to kill people?

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Vesayen
GTA is not going to send you on a killing spree, video games don't turn you into killers.

Crappy parents, usually turn you into serial killers.

A game where you play the role of a thief and a murderer and they glorify and try to justify his actions amoung his peers as socially acceptable, *IS* harmfull for impressionable children.

Hence children shouldn't be playing it. Oh look, they're not supposed to be, as the game is meant for adults. I don't see why my ability to engage in senseless, immoral virtual mayhem should be hindered because of puritanical "won't someone PLEASE think of the children?!" hysteria.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Sava

And molly, for someone who is extremely intelligent, I expect a little more sense out of you.

Violent video games are not a significant cause of violence. PERIOD.

Well, I never expect any from you, so I'm rarely disappointed, dear.


I haven't asserted in my posts that violent video games are a significant cause of violence. That's a figment of your over-active GTA stimulated imagination.


I said that they exert an influence. Can you tell the difference, Sava ?


Tell me if there is no rise in pulse rate, or blood pressure, or change in hormone levels, or brainwave activity during a video game.

Aren't they meant to be attractive, somewhat addictive, so that you'll play longer, more often, get a buzz from playing them ?

Certainly judging from the behaviour of Poly posters people have missed meals and played games for hour after hour- and in some cases we're talking about responsible adults...



Next you'll be telling us there's no correlation between poverty and crime either.

[Sava]

Ah yes... nice back track.

"exert an influence"

I like how you worded that in such in an ambiguous way. No doubt, the mass of a fly here on Earth exerts some 'influence' on the moon's gravitational pull in much the same manner.

What was the analogy you used?

Feeding a rat endorphins?

Next you'll be telling us there's no correlation between poverty and crime either.

hilarious, considering one of my main points is that poverty is a bigger concern regarding crime than violent video games...

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Sava
Ah yes... nice back track.

"exert an influence"

No back track at all. I'm just quoting my own posts.


You're the one inventing and implying things I haven't said.


Find in my posts where I said that video games were a , how did you put it:

... significant cause of violence.

You can't, because I didn't say it.

I also put repetitive concentrated exposure to particular games into a context, too.

Sorry to disappoint you, Sava, but I'm not Tipper Gore.

I like how you worded that in such in an ambiguous way.

I fail to see what's ambiguous about that- 'exert an influence' means what it says.

But if you do like my wording, why not use it, rather than misconstrue it ?

[Sava]

Okay then.

Sorry if I misinterpreted you post.

I'm glad to see you think I'm right.