Do video games cause violence?

Question

nightdrot · Accepted Answer

While it is too much to say that video games cause violence, it is not unreasonable to submit that they add to the general social atmosphere that conduces to crime and violence. That atmosphere is born of a casualness about crime and firearms and we have been her before.

In the 60s and 70s the idea caught on was that the criminal was not wholly responsible for his crimes. Rather he was a product of his environment. Poverty, an abusive childhood, etc. These things made the criminal as much victim as victimizer and the emphasis switched from punishment to rehabilitation and lighter criminal sentences.

As night follows days, a higher tolerance for crime resulted in more crime. By the late 70s crime got so bad that a Gallup survey found that 67% of all women said that they did not feel safe walking in their neighborhoods alone at night. (It was even higher for African-American women.)

A backlash set in and standards - both legal and in terms of social tolerance - began to toughen in the 80s and 90s, culminating in the crime bill that VP Biden is getting hit for having supported. In due course, crime rates have fallen to levels not seen since the placid 1950s.

However, men forget quickly and as crime has declined, standards are softening again. Hence the aforementioned sentence reform law signed by President Trump and hailed by the minority and civil rights communities as well as Republicans of a more libertarian bent.

If you want less gun crime, a tougher social, and thence legal, view of crime will do much good. Alas, that is not where the culture is headed at the moment.

Indeed, video game where guns and killing are frequently a part treat that which should be regarded as immoral and dangerous as mere entertainment. Such casualness, pumped into young minds, is bound to have repercussions.

It is simply neither logical nor plausible to assume that people marinated in a society that treats violence as simply a part of the cultural background noise will not soon take it in their stride. As G. K. Chesterton said, "We laugh at honor and then are shocked to find traitors in our midst."

This is a society that that thinks nothing of people carrying concealed and loaded firearms into public places. That accepts it as a right that people will own weapons that, in other cultures, would be reserved to men and women serving in the armed forces. There are complex historical reasons for this, and it is deeply rooted in the culture and not easily modified.

However, the bottom line is that casualness about weapons will make them more pervasive and make their use - both legal and illegal - that more frequent. Predictable results to follow.

This is also a culture that places a premium on rights - and that expands the roster of rights with promiscuous regularity. Freedom is defined as an end in itself, and responsibility gets less emphasis.

Into all this there are various social trends and pathologies. The divorce rate is high and more boys are living without fathers. As Dr. Warren Pharrel revealed in his book, "The Boy Crisis," every mass shooter since 1966 - without exception - lacked male role models growing up.

Most men are more likely to enforce rules on their children and tend to be less indulgent. This teaches a boy - with all that testosterone in his system - to manage his feelings and point his energies in a positive direction. (Mothers tend to be more empathetic, but this does not teach a boy to manage his feelings but rather to indulge them.) As a result, such boys are prone to be more aggressive, more isolated and thus more open to ideologies that provide them a sense of identity.

Into this toxic brew the culture is pouring violent games into young minds, reinforcing the idea that lives are abstract and violence is normalized. Suffice to say, it does not take much to see where that leads.

CONT.

SjE78 · Accepted Answer

anyone who believes video games cause violence is pretty much part of the problem...
the human race, burned innocent people at stakes, raped and pillaged peaceful villages, persecuted non-believers of religious beliefs and so much more throughout history... were video games responsible for that?

No! people were...

there are always going to be bad apples in every crowd regardless of how you view things... and those who are ignorant of the problem, which i more often the system and the goody two shoes types who you can't say boo to or around for them fearing offending others...
we live in a world where hate speeches and hate towards others is an effective way of keeping people distracted to the real problem, the few at the top of the ladder, that if we stopped fighting each other and realised what they were truly upto, we would all turn our attention to them and rise against them... they fear this so they create false reasons why people get hurt or act against each other... the reality is people fight each other cos that is what they want...

it has been proven video games are a release not a cause...
the media and idiots at the top blame video games because their outlet for indoctrination is no longer being watched... TV, most gamer's are stuck behind a screen enjoying our games, we do this to unwind or as more effective form of entertainment...

and i can pretty much bet that 99% of all those who shoot schools up, attack people in the street or commit gruesome crimes... were totally messed up before they saw their first game, or before they turned on their first system...

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Not on their own. There is a mountain of evidence that backs up that there is no direct correlation between violent video games and violent people in that there is a vastly disproportionate amount of people who play violent video games as compared to those that play AND do actually go commit acts of violence, and even with latter persons, we have to look at their environment/upbringing/exposure to real world violence before you can make any inference about a video game actually causing someone to be violent.

I do however think in individuals who are already primed or under emotional duress or have diagnosable mental issues, it doesn't help because it allows a VR version of what can be just fantasy play or violent fantasies in their head to become realities in their mind that they want to reenact IRL. This is kind of like asking does alcohol cause alcoholism----if you were a baby with fetal alcohol syndrome, it can kick in with exposure to alcohol.

Cuppo_Mode · Accepted Answer

If you think I'm going to get violent over playing nintendogs then...
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You are correct I'm gonna shoot every one in the face I'm gonna go to school with a million machine guns ! And cause school shootings all over the world! Mwhahhah!

Seriously what's wrong with people thinking video games make people violent, they most likely never even played a video game so yeah.

sawno · Answer

I voted No, but the answer is partially yes and i think its pretty common knowledge.
In many especially more competitive individuals videogames instill rage / violence, its a very common phenomenon. The thing is just like something else that just pissed you off it calms down rather quickly and typically within 10 minutes the individual is completely back to normal.

Will video games cause long term increases in violence? Partially in some individiuals. If you have a younger kid who is prone to copying things he sees in his play or have the kind of kid who can become hyperactive when getting overly enthousiastic about something it can happen. But even here its a very minor increase and often even typical of the young age, it does not tend to completely vanish as the kid matures. And this is one of the reasons games have age ratings on them since some younger kids can't handle it.

But for the majority of people if anything it would decrease violence in the long term, because they now have a healthy outlet. If you had an absolutely terrible day and need a target for your fury then its a great thing to just set the game on an easy difficulty and absolutely tear shit to pieces without inflicting actual harm instead of doing similar things in the real world.

So do games cause violence? Yes, but only very temporary or in very limited cases. The status quo is less violence since its effects as an outlet outweigh the tempoary rage / adrenaline it inflicts in the gamer and many gamers are not even prone to that.

Dinoraptor101 · Answer

Yes it can, today is not the 90s peoples entire worlds and consciousness are shaped by their experiences and games consume a major portion of it (vs 2 hours a day leisure in the 90s) today kids follow trends, game references, show references , life references.

Observe how much hate speech you see today as result of non adults playing adult games that are meant to be laughed at. Gore, Rape, and shooter games not fitted with a story highlighting good from bad and having a good ending teaches that gore, rape, and shooting are viable activities to the real world. Like it or not.. all games boil down to virtual simulations of events and their reactions the mind still derives conclusions and experiences from.

And since today's games are virtual fastfood they are not creative, story rich, and just tune to the market. This excludes the awesome creative story rich games such as Fortnite. The violence is cute non gory, the story is rightous, and the design is new and creative.

Take late stage resident evil for contrast, the game is gore, violent, cops are useless, crime is forgiven, and betreyal, cheating, or being evil tailor to the fears of society rather than it's good... That's an addictive negative game that can contribute to creating a bad moral compass for kids who become later rapists, criminals, or at best good army soldiers 😂 who love the battlefield.

Games cause moral compass, and thereby good games create the best societies, bad games create the worse societies, that said they are as rich and essential to society as they are the modern version of BOOKS.

CharlesMannerson · Answer

To a degree they might, spree killings are more common now than ever, and semi-automatic weapons have been accessible to the public for over 120-150 years in many areas, even fully automatic weapons in the US and perhaps nihilism and video games may contribute slightly. The issue certainly isn't access to firearms. Although I don't think video games have much of an effect, and I certainly don't think they should be regulated, like I don't think firearm ownership should be regulated. I think the issue is more cultural, and even when considering that spree shootings aren't as common as the media makes them seem.

The real reason for a higher violent crime in the US when compared to Europe is due to a larger non-white population. In America 13% of the population commits 50% of the violent crime, and that 13% is black people. Latinos also commit more violent crime than white people. These non-whites are what is contributing to the higher violent crime rate and they are genetically predisposed to do it. Where as white Americans are becoming less and less likely to commit crime, non-whites are becoming more and more likely.

Hellfire579 · Answer

People who commit violence due to influence of drugs and alcohol

Society - nah he's just mentally ill it's those damn video games

Dylan roof , Elliot Roger , and other mass shooter who commited mass shooting out of racial hate or being incels

Society - it's those damn video games

Ok I can agree to an extent that video games cause violence but not to the point of mass shooting ( at least to my knowledge )

But if it does it's extremely rare

I also feel like blaming gun laws for mass shooting is like telling a rape victim it's her fault for getting raped

people need to understand it's not the guns but the person who pulls it's triggers

Yes their should be some gun laws like gun license

I would also like to add some psychological analysis to see if the person is fit to own a gun

I blame racial propaganda ( believe me that their are trolls who make up weird shit about white extinction which fuels white racist ) , delusional thinking and over exaggeration if a problem ( not getting a girl , immigration , bullying etc) and of course mental illness and the taboo if getting help to be main cause of mass shootings

LesterJester · Answer

Check around the world. The same video games are played in pretty much every other nation out there. Do those nations have the same issues and types of violence as say the US, which is yet again trying to blame video games for their problems?

No.

Why is that, do you think?

What are the differing factors at play?

I'm 39 and have yet to go out on a killing rampage or to yank someone's head off with their spine attached like Sub Zero. I've been playing games since the Atari. If games caused people to be violent, then I would have left a wake of gore in my path a long time ago.

markscott · Answer

Studies have shown that video games to do not cause violence. Trump was wrong when he said that they did. Trump was either speaking out of ignorance, as he often does, or he was trying to blame other factors for his part in increasing hate crimes in America, and fostering racial hatred and shooting in America. If you don't agree, then you must also agree, that Hitler was not responsible for the attacks on Jews on Kristallnacht, as Hitler only fomented the hate, he didn't actually tell them to attack Jews that night.

Snakeyes7 · Answer

The most aggression you will ever get out of a game is the same amount you get when you are struggling with a hard math problem. You will just be pissed off for five minutes and it will go away when you go and do something else. Also the fact that most things you can do in video games are impossible to do in real life, 9/10 the game puts you on the side of the good guys and teaches you the importance of protecting the people you love and care about. If anything, it would reduce long term aggression because you can use it to take your anger out on make believe bad guys. I honestly don’t see where this stupid argument is coming from and it just seems that the boomers are just afraid of what they don’t understand.

Anonymous · Answer

no way. video games are innocent. people never do stupid shit they see in games, movies, or online challenges. ;) www.lifewire.com/.../...024e0c6733500369962c6.jpeg

Recently, researchers at Ohio State University conducted a study and concluded that, "People who have a steady diet of playing these violent video games may come to see the world as a hostile and violent place." Brad Bushman, professor of communication and psychology at OSU, continues, "These results suggest there could be a cumulative effect" in making video game players more aggressive and violent over the long term as well as over the short term.
So not ALL experts agree that violent video games are totally innocent of warping minds.

MajesticTwelve · Answer

Anything can be a motivator for violence. Video games are todays excuse, last time it was rap, before that Marilyn Manson, before that, Elvis Presley.
People try to focus their fear on something, anything, to blame.
People are to blame for violence. 100%.
Some people are messed in the head. They're going to do what they do, with or without a gun, with or without a video game.

Watericeearthair · Answer

Just look at a history book. the holocaust, the crusades, all the wars over land, power, and wealth that have taken place before the first video game came out in 1958. Video games definitely does not cause violence. Ironically a lot of violent games are based off historical events in the past that have taken place, so I would actually believe that violence itself is the cause of video games.

BCA6010 · Answer

I think this sums up the "video games cause violence" argument pretty accurately through satire... Though I'd prefer something referring to events much further back in history.

jgokgotit · Answer

Do twinkies cause diabetes, or does the person who has no control to stop eating too many? Do kitchen knives stab, or do idiots who misuse them? These questions may sound crazy, but they follow the same logic as gun control and protesters of games. Violence has existed since waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay before electronics were created. Video games do not cause violence. What causes violence is people choosing to act out the evil in their hearts.

NineBreaker · Answer

I've played Halo, Call of Duty, Half-Life, Unreal, Battlefield... etc.

The only game to have ever made me wasn't to commit an act of violence was Flappy Bird, and particularly only against my own phone.

As human beings, we've been horribly violent since we ever started to exist in this world, and we didn't need video games for that.

FunkyMonkee · Answer

It sure as hell endorses it! And there's so many psychotic kids out there today (partly because of the rap glorifying killing this person and that) that wouldn't think twice about shooting real people because they just weren't getting their rocks off by doing it in video games anymore.

genericname85 · Answer

it's funny, cause we had that same idiocy going on in germany like 8 years back when we had the last shooting. to assume that videogames cause violence is just moronic and there was a big backlash at the politicians that tried to spread that bullshit.

hellacray · Answer

Personally I don't think so. Cause I see violent games more as a stress reliever you know kinda like yelling in your pillow or working out in the gym.

Well just make sure to not play online when you want to relax. Cause I know playing online can get people pretty pissed.

Garlan · Answer

Yes of course they do. Videogames have a heavy influence on people's behaviour. Haven't you seen all those poor bastards stepping on turtles and tossing the shell? Haven't you seen all those animal abusers who stuff their pets into small balls?
Video games like Call of Duty can provoke a person to commit mass murder the same way games like Rock Band push youngster to drop medicine school to become musicians!

Liam_Hayden · Answer

If they did then Japan would be a hotbed of violence. If guns were the problem then there would have been mass shootings when the schools of my grandpa's generation had shooting clubs. The problem is the lack of mental stability and/ormorality on the part of the shooters

legalboxers · Answer

He says it does, so Im guessing whatever he says, is the truth. *shrugs* I dont think so..

CassMi · Answer

It's impossible for video games to cause violence. That's like say guns kill people. They can not do anything without us. It is the people who use them play them who cause violence. The said the same thing in the early 50's 60's about comic books saying they too cause violence. No education, parenting, media, human nature cause violence. If we blame specific things such as guns video games then we should also blame and monitor all content, tv, film, music, news, etc.

Bluebot · Answer

I just wonder why america is the only country with the video game violence causing plenty of shootings... I don't know if its crazy to think about or unrealistic, but Id kinda blame the easy access of guns.

5_AM_Oracle · Answer

They do not cause violence, bad parenting and bad friends cause violence. Desperation causes violence sometimes. If video games would cause violence then most boys are murderers in the making... and we are doomed

AimeeEllenn · Answer

I think it depends on the person, some people can take video games to seriously and start acting out what they see and play. However others know that the video game is just a game and don't act anything out.

Jemini_Crocket · Answer

Pretty much me in most games. I really don't think so.

Passinggas · Answer

Yes they do. Enough time spent in non-reality, one loses sense of reality and for some reason even the libs think fantasizing killing in games is A-okay. All it takes is one nut-job to lose it and go into reality with fantasy killing.

Adam1978 · Answer

Or do you call throwing the joypad violence, in that case yes some people can get frustrated and harm dead objects. But it's better that those people get frustrated at home than out in the world.

EriFrancis1994 · Answer

No. Society is just looking to blame something other than itself. Poor law enforcement, a lack of social respect and high unemployment rates all have a far greater affect on perpetuating violence

GoodGuyBreakingBad · Answer

I think if one stays up for days at a time with no sleep
i imagine they will become aggressive with their temper
especially if they are playing video games that show violence
they can tend to become violent especially if they have lack
of sleep.

SamtheDnDgirl · Answer

No, because there is no direct correlation between them that shows this connection. With how many games there are based on real world wars and conflicts, it's more accurate to say that violence causes video games.

ZeussLightningBolt · Answer

I think in younger kids, it COULD, because kids tend to copy things they see.
But once you get older, if you're unable to detach realty from fiction, than there is something wrong with your mental state

fjh80 · Answer

No. No they don’t. If anything they serve as an outlet to get that crazy shit out of your system. Crazy people cause violence.

Anonymous · Answer

I think its something which is worthy of further study and research , to try and determine what impact violent video games have had on people. some of the games are very violent and its worth looking into them more

Izumiblu · Answer

There’s probably a pretty good argument that crime rates are down in part because of online gaming

mike5150 · Answer

No the only way it could is if the person was already mentally unstable and the same could be said for watching movies. Video games and movies don't make anyone evil.

LegendarySir · Answer

If you're fucked in the head, yeah, because you might not be able to distinguish fiction from reality. But same applies to movies, music, books... it's not a video game problem, it's a person problem that might increase when exposed to violence.

elite665 · Answer

😂🤣😂 Patrick makes me laugh  But no they don’t insane people are the ones who shoot up places and just terrorists

DeeDeeDeVour · Answer

It's probably a rare case but, yes, video games can be a very bad influence.

StephenCF · Answer

It sure does... it also caused me to become a professional footballer after I played FIFA a few times 🤣🤣🤣

SkipStop · Answer

There is no evidence of that. It might play a tiny role but it's definitely not a big cause.

Anonymous · Answer

I mean there are quite a few incidents where video games have generated violence amongst kids. The memes in your question is definitely not what they mean

Pamina · Answer

According to the studies that have been done on it so far, no.

hellionthesagereborn · Answer

Every piece of data I've seen says no. As does common sense really.

JackSmy · Answer

OMG yeah!! Video games are the WORST!! Just like people having guns makes them want to kill people!!

Shamalien · Answer

No they do not. However, I am not gunna lie and tell you that first person shooters like call of duty aren't predictive programming to make kids more open to joining the military. They are.

reptocarl · Answer

I don’t think they cause it but I do believe they have a desensitizing effect

Tiiired · Answer

Hmmm yes I played farming simulator today, time to do some illegal action.

TripleAce · Answer

No  Real guns cause violence as they exercise real power over others

Anonymous · Answer

Maybe slightly, but for the most part no. I think some people might become violent from video games, but it’s not reasonable to suggest that all or most violence comes from video games.

the-mad-german · Answer

FO76 sucks need to kill random people !!!  ps: anyone know a good gun store? need something big...

RedThread · Answer

Hell no. Fuck the politicians who think so. They definitely aren't looking into actual research on the matter.

Twalli · Answer

There is verifiable proof it does not. People in South Korea and J. g a. d p. o sn play more video games than people in the US. They have lower viloent crime rates.

cloud9vortex1234 · Answer

Isn't interesting how Violent Crime has been dropping over the decades while the popularity of video games has risen? If video games were causing violence then violent crime shouldn't be going down.

SanicYouth · Answer

I've killed thousands and thousands of people in videogames, yet I've never killed or beat the living shit out of one in real life. A lot of people who play video games can say the same as well.

megaman242 · Answer

Violence, rap, murder, war and other sinister behaviour have existed for 1000 of years before internet, porn, games and movies. In fact it was much more comen before then it is now.

johnieohm · Answer

so you know how there was mass shootings before violent video games, well not violet if you consider pong as pixle abuse, also there are less people dying today than there were 100 years ago

madgoat · Answer

No, humans do. They can be a reflection of violence inherent in the system though.

UnderHisEye · Answer

I never thought I would like raping someone after playing GTA until I did.

SirRexington · Answer

Me: Plays online solitaire. Me afterwards: well, time to shoot up the local Walmart.

SergeantSmoke · Answer

Well, it's possible, but always definite... It depends on the person.

IlyaTheImpaler · Answer

I lost count of how many times I committed war crimes in RimWorld but I'm a pretty gentle guy irl

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