watch this link guys. its a bit long but definitely worth the watch. The dudes having a rant but its super funny and makes really good points.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F0hrf5UFxE
Growing up I always thought news was a bit bullshit. I didn't really have the knowledge to explain to myself what I was watching but i'd see stuff like where news journalists concluded that kids are provoked by 'violent videogame's, well yeah I just always thought there was more to it. Nothing is ever that simple.
Anyway, I think I might have already mentioned the Columbine high school shooting in America in 1999 in one of my previous blogs but I wanted to go further with it.
Before Eric Harries and Dylan committed suicide they left a note stating they were not influenced by any sort of music or video games. Ha will that's exactly what the news media did. Two, white, male boys.... what could have possibly led them to commit such a crime oh wait of course videogames. No social or psychological factors included. I watched a news clipping where a news journalist stated the two boys were influenced by the game Doom. Created a huge out cry. Moral panics were created, people needed an scapegoat.
America has the highest gun related crimes in the world. In 2011 there were 12,665 murders in the US and 8583 were caused by firearms, (http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jan/10/gun-crime-us-state). Funny how no one seems to notice the connection that maybe it has something to do with guns and not video games? Instead metal detectors and cameras were being installed into schools.
The most recent outcry against 'violent video game is the Sandy Hook school shooting in late 2012. The following link is an online news article claiming that 20 year old Adam Lanza was 'obsessed' with 'Call of Duty'. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2250811/Sandy-Hook-shooting-reignites-debate-violent-video-games.html#axzz2Jp9KtOfw. Okay that's great but hows it related? Just because video games have more agency then film and novels they're responsible for anything violent? I think America needs to start taking responsibility rather than always finding scapegoats and blaming them on sub cultures.
There is no need to outlaw video games, perhaps more tighter censorship. They're many loop holes in the industry where parents hire them for they're kids etc. But games are so incredibly mentally stimulating. I just recently started playing games and wow its just a whole different level of experience.
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