MSN NEWS: Video game Violence

[GrandAmChandler]

http://msn.com.com/2100-1107_2-5065949.html?part=msn&subj=ns&tag=netcal??DI=21&PI=7327&PS=66948

Interesting! Thoughts?

[Ed Oscuro]

http://msn.com.com/2100-1107_2-5065949.html?part=msn&subj=ns&tag=netcal??DI=21&PI=7327&PS=66948

Interesting! Thoughts?

Very interesting! Reminds me of the story that goes when, back in the early days of motion pictures, people ran screaming from the theater when a tsunami or some such was projected onscreen coming towards the camera. I think that people who play games actually have a better sense of what's real and what isn't than many other people, who think that whatever you see somehow has the magical ability to change the way you deal with things.

[Moose]

It's nice to hear someone on our side. He has a rational approach to the gaming world, treating it as one treats the athletic or cooperate world. I agree that gaming like a lot of other things can become consuming. But in the right amounts, it is a good outlet for kids/people to meet others with similar interests.

[lendelin]

Good article; however, too bad that it wasn't mentioned that there is no empirical proof whatsoever that playing violent games causes agressive or violent behavior. The author should have tackled the propaganda of David Walsh, John Anderson, and the rest of the Lieberman/Kohl crowd more clearly.

The argument that games make "lonely", that playing games causes a decrease of social skills is as old as videogames. Nowadays this nonsense is strongly coupled with "videogame addiction", the next big topic on the agenda of the Lieberman/Kohl crowd because of online gaming. In particular for kids gaming always was and is is a social event. 15 years ago when the same nonsense was around, they played together NES games, talked about it, and exchanged games.

If someone gives you the "lonely" argument, tell them what I told a colleague ten years ago; I never heard that someone was concerned about kids reading books; to read a book is the loneliest activity I can think of. You sit in your room, no communication, no friends around. It's a very dangerous hobby for our children, it deprives them from developing social skills.