http://www.gamespot.com/news/6286915.html?tag=result%3Btitle%3B0
On the 24th of January, less than a week ago a suicide bomber attacked Moskow's Domodedovo airport. Most suspect separatists from Chechenya. Yet in light of these tragic events, instead of trying to find who really did this, the Russian media chooses to blame video games.
As a gamer, I am no stranger to the bad rep that video games have. My parents have constantly tried to show me that "studies" prove that video games increase aggression. And I've also seen the US media try to blame nearly everything wrong with society on games as well by using studies that only prove some little amount of correlation and absolutely no causation. Its just sad to see a tragic event like this twisted by those who are simply trying to make a quick buck. It's the media at its best; when you can't find a solution, create a problem.
On the 24th of January, less than a week ago a suicide bomber attacked Moskow's Domodedovo airport. Most suspect separatists from Chechenya. Yet in light of these tragic events, instead of trying to find who really did this, the Russian media chooses to blame video games.
As a gamer, I am no stranger to the bad rep that video games have. My parents have constantly tried to show me that "studies" prove that video games increase aggression. And I've also seen the US media try to blame nearly everything wrong with society on games as well by using studies that only prove some little amount of correlation and absolutely no causation. Its just sad to see a tragic event like this twisted by those who are simply trying to make a quick buck. It's the media at its best; when you can't find a solution, create a problem.
I definitely agree with you. While I don't play video games all that often, my younger brothers do. I've watched them play some of the most gruesome and violent games, but afterward they don't want to kill people or act aggressively towards anyone. I also really liked your last line, very true.
ReplyDeleteHumankind is naturally violent, probably more so than any other species since we have more motives and means to hurt others. It is hard for people to acknowledge this. Wrestling matches in Ancient Greece's Olympics were fought to the death and Ancient Rome had the Coliseum. People paid to watch these events. If anyone's read Homer's epic the Iliad, it can be rather graphic. Today, there is a safer outlet for this natural violent impulses: video games. But the good thing about video games, or rather those who play them, is that people can disconnect with this make believe violence and participate in reality. Of course, there's always an exception, and those who are unstable or unable to disconnect commit real violence in which every video gamer suffers for backlash.
ReplyDeleteAlso agreeing this. I think the main reason why the media tends to blame video games is the generation gap, since our parents never grew up with games like these and they frighten them. Just look at Columbine. Parents were quick to blame the game Doom for the shooting spree. But psychiatrists have actually concluded that the Eric Harris was a clinical psychopath while Dylan Klebold was depressed and manipulated by Eric. It just goes to show how people will take a tragedy to serve their own ends.
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