Comments on: CA ‘violent video’ law blocked

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 07:12:56 +0000

Police records apparently show that there is not now, and never has been a “youth crime epidemic” and that youth crime stats started to fall in the same year the first major console was released. They’ve been falling every year since then apparently.

So why do some ppl want everyone to believe that young ppl are violent criminals, and that they are that way because of video games? Could it be established lamescream media outlets wanting to “minimise the damage” console games are doing to their revenues?

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 02:28:56 +0000

“He said he believes ‘common sense will prevail over corporate profiteering’.”

This is quite hilarious, considering that his industry is more then happy to give ritalin and other brain altering drugs to 6 year olds (and younger) because they have âexcessive hyperactivityâ and learning disorders. What 6 year old kid doesn’t have excessive energy and actually wants to pay attention in school? At least video games don’t actually kill the people that buy them.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 02:24:03 +0000

http://p2pnet.net/story/2216

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 01:45:33 +0000

Those that are “predisposed” to violence have more problems than a video game. For the average player, it is a game. It’s not real, never was real and won’t be real. It’s a way to remove agression and tension, while away a few hours, and that’s it.

For those that the government worry about becoming violent over what they see, they have far more problems than a video game. In the past this sort of thinking has lead to censorship of comic books, music, film, and you name it. Surely you remember some kid trying to fly off a building by jumping only to find it didn’t quite work out that way.

So why aren’t we hearing about the military video games? You know the trainers to teach them how to sneak and shoot, how to fly a plane and kill, or how to do all the other violent things required in the military? The military has invested heavily into video tutors. Their not for sale but wanna bet they aren’t toting a rating on it?

For those that are violent, anything works for an excuse to find a reason when caught. What we can’t do is filter the imagination. As long as we can’t do that, the human mind is wonderously capable of finding self-justification. The most effective way to modify violence is in the enviroment. Games are only a small part of that enviroment and kids don’t live 24 hours a day in the games.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 00:47:09 +0000

I’m the father of a nine-year-old daughter whom we home-school. This means _everything_ is a part of her education.

Please don’t get the impression that we’re over-protective. We’re not. But video games predicated on sheer, bloody violence and made by venal corporations with zero sense of responsibility will very definitely never be a part of our lives.

Cheers!

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 00:24:09 +0000

Perhaps Jon’s post was written in a way that made it seem like a statment fact when in reality it is his opinion, but as far as I know we are still allowed to post our comments here.

BTW I agree with him.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 00:08:33 +0000

Whio are you to say this?

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 23:37:07 +0000

We don’t need studies to prove the obvious, that kids can be heavily and dangerously influenced by what they see on a screen – any screen.

It’s frightening what they pick up and how they interpret what they see.

Cheers!

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 23:07:00 +0000

“…do you propose that games shouldn’t be designed for this demographic of gamers?…should we all play games for 3 year olds just to be safe?”

The law was not intended to ban violent games, it’s purpose was only to make it more difficult for minors to buy or rent them. I don’t see what the problem is. Should we just let little kids play Postal 2? Is that your point?

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 22:59:32 +0000

These studies seem to always look at one small slice of what is going on in people’s lives. There is no study that will show that video games alone make kids (or adults who played violent games as kids…) more violent because myopic studies like that are useless. Violence, both fictional and real is everywhere in our culture. Children’s exposure to violence has grown exponentially over the past few decades. Do you believe our culture is not more violent in general than it was say 40 years ago? What are the causes of that? It’s not just video games, that’s for sure, but to say they have no effect is naive at best.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 22:10:36 +0000

“Shooting schoolgirls in the knee and then setting them afire”

Just to let you know there aren’t actually any child characters in postal 2 so this statement is somewhat misleading.

I would have to agree with the previous poster in that there aren’t really any tangible studies that prove one way or the other that videos games make people violent.

Anyway, what about violent TV, movies and even music?… If you have a problem with your child playing a violent video game then don’t buy them it for them ffs :S …becuase ultimately its the parents fault for either giving thier child the money to buy the game or actually buying it for them.

It should be noted that these types of games are designed for adults and the average profile of a gamer is a 28 year old male, so do you propose that games shouldn’t be designed for this demographic of gamers?…should we all play games for 3 year olds just to be safe?

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 21:57:37 +0000

I still have yet to see one single legitimate study that says violent videogames make kids more violent.