Impact of online gaming on youth

[tziwei]

I am sure that there are threads with similar topic but I am doing this for my school project so please bear with me.


As the topic imply, I am hoping to see your views on the impact of online gaming on youth. It doesn't have to be online though, could be just video games itself.

I would like to know more in particular of violence in games influencing youth like does it cause them to resort to violence to handle matters. Please post your views. Thanks.

[tex13579]

I am 19 years old. I have been playing video games since I was 5. I have only been in 1 fight. I have shot a person with nothing other than a paintball gun (they shot at me first so.... lol). I have never robbed anybody, I have never killed anybody and I am not a violent person. I play any type of game, but the ones I play the most are Online FPSs and off line RPGs or Action Adventures.

I feel that video games are more beneficial to children than harmful. I believe that video games help children (people in general actually) with dexterity, problem solving skills, and other cognitive abilities.

Video games are a means of relaxation and enjoyment. They are good social networking devices and no more harmful than the crap they play on MTV.

I feel the only reason people harp so hard on video games is because they don't understand them. Its mostly older people that make these erroneous claims that video games make violent children, and target certain games because they seem more violent than others (GTA anybody?). The problem is that these people are generally older, and I have yet to be convinced that they have ever played the video game that they are talking about.

A good example of people ragging on a game they have never played is a fox "special report" or whatever about Mass Effect. The negative people were saying that there is a graphic and in depth sex scene in the game, where the user has direct input over what actions to take and what positions to use. Fox had a DESIGNER of the game on to counter the negative arguments, but everytime he said "its just a 15 second scene where you see half of the side of a naked ass" the negative people would just yell louder about how you control a sex scene in a video game. The negative side ended the "discussion" feeling like they were right and that such a scene is in the video game.

There is no harm in playing video games. There is simply misunderstanding, fear mongering, and scape-goating.

Think about it.

A teen kills another teen. Its easier to blame something than to say "this child is sick in the head and needs to be locked up and sent to therapy." Its like when that lady killed her children and claimed that god told her to do it. I'm atheist and against religion as a whole, and I know that god didn't tell her to do it, and I know she didn't honestly think that god told her to do it. Even if she did, she was simply crazy.

Video games don't make kids kill kids. Kids with emotional and mental problems kill kids.

I believe if you say one video game encourages kids to mimic what they do, shouldn't all video games? Why haven't there been a rash of kids jumping on other kids heads, trying to crush them into coins, for the past few decades?

EDIT
Here is a link to the Fox video that I mentioned earlier. It still makes my blood boil

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKzF173GqTU

EDIT 2
Just for giggles here is the "sex scene" being discussed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NragL5-7Mvo&feature=related

[tziwei]

Thanks, although I do feel the involvement in the religion is kinda not neccessary though. I do believe in a god but I will despise a woman if she say that god make her do it.

Actions are decided by oneself, no excuses. Even if a higher power told you to do something, it is still your decision whether or not to act on it.

In any case, you have helped me out alot and for that, I offered you my gratitude.

[kurisu7885]

Save for kids wirting their school papers in "l337" I haven't sen much personally

[tex13579]

Thanks, although I do feel the involvement in the religion is kinda not neccessary though.

I meant no offense to you or anyone else, I was trying to connect people committing atrocities and trying to blame their actions on something else. I may have been able to come up with a better example, but it was the best I could muster at the time.

If there are any other child crime-video game related topics you would like to get into just ask, I feel very passionate about this topic and I commit a rather large amount of time contemplating it.

[tziwei]

I meant no offense to you or anyone else, I was trying to connect people committing atrocities and trying to blame their actions on something else. I may have been able to come up with a better example, but it was the best I could muster at the time.

It doesn't matter but it does seem kinda sensitive when it comes to religion. I know that people will not believe what i believe in and they are free to have their own belief or faith. As I said, it is their option to believe.

I do agree about what you said about the video game and crime not being related. Video game are being used as an excuse to blame crime on. What do you think about the fuss that Grand Theft Auto IV have caused?

We should know by now that underaged kids will be able to get their hands on the game even though it is rated 18. Thus came the call to enforce the "No selling to kids under 18" rule. Apparantly, I read somewhere where a kid in a school uniform went to buy M18 stuff as a test and it was discovered that most of the shops allow him to buy it.

Judging by what you said, games are not related to violence or crime for that matter. If that is so, do you think that Grand Theft Auto IV being in kids' hands does not really matter?

P.S. I did played Mass Effect but I still can't see how it is sexually appealing. In my opinion, it is quite artistic.

[tex13579]

I do agree about what you said about the video game and crime not being related. Video game are being used as an excuse to blame crime on. What do you think about the fuss that Grand Theft Auto IV have caused?

To be honest, It really doesn't surprise me. I think that anything with "grand theft auto" in the title is going to meet with ignorant backlash. I think that the hot coffee mod helps this out a lot. To me, people should be over that but it still seems to come up occasionally.

I also notice that another problem is people judging the game but never actually playing it. I cannot tell you how irate I become when I hear people saying "you get points for killing hookers, and more points for killing cops." Its just stupid, there is no point system. Period.

I have yet to play GTA IV, but I hear that it encourages children to drive drunk (supposedly you can get drunk and drive cars). I have nothing to go on except for my knowledge for how GTA games generally flow, and I find this hard to believe.


We should know by now that underaged kids will be able to get their hands on the game even though it is rated 18. Thus came the call to enforce the "No selling to kids under 18" rule. Apparantly, I read somewhere where a kid in a school uniform went to buy M18 stuff as a test and it was discovered that most of the shops allow him to buy it.


Again, I'm not really surprised. There are a number of factors that allow children to get their hands onto M rated titles. The root cause to many factors are the "Parent." I'm sick of hearing people complain about the games their children play. Where does a person get money before they are old enough to work? How do they get to the gamestore? Where the they play the games? Generally, mommy and daddy give the kid a ride to the gamestore so they can buy a game with money mommy and daddy gave them then they get a ride home where they play their game. If mommy and daddy are too ignorant not to pay attention to their child long enough to see what he is playing, then its no one's problem but their own.


Judging by what you said, games are not related to violence or crime for that matter. If that is so, do you think that Grand Theft Auto IV being in kids' hands does not really matter?


I think GTA IV, or any M rated game, being in children's hands is a problem, depending on the child's maturity level and the parent. Not because I think the child will mimic what they see in the game, but rather because there are some things that children shouldn't be exposed to. I think shooting people in the head and being treated to a great gout of blood is one, as well as a graphic depiction of someone being cut in half with a chainsaw. Course language is a whole other issue.

The ratings are there for a reason. If I had a child I would definitely oversee what they were playing, simply because I would like to control what my child was exposed to at any given point. I firmly believe there are many M rated games that are not suitable for children, thats why they are rated M. A problem I see over and over is that people try to treat video games as some otherworldly form of entertainment when its not.

Video games should be treated (by parents and these freak "video games make my children monsters" people anyways) similarly to movies. Is there any movie you wouldn't allow your child to see? Why? Its too violent, too much language and themes that are inappropriate for children. The same should be applied to video games. Not because they will teach your kid to shoot a gun, but because you should ask yourself if your child is mature enough to play this game or not.


P.S. I did played Mass Effect but I still can't see how it is sexually appealing. In my opinion, it is quite artistic.


Nope, nothing sexual :). Thats the point I was trying to make, did you see my edits to my first post?

[tziwei]

I have yet to play GTA IV, but I hear that it encourages children to drive drunk (supposedly you can get drunk and drive cars). I have nothing to go on except for my knowledge for how GTA games generally flow, and I find this hard to believe.

On this, I have personally completed GTA IV, you do can get drunk and drive. However, upon entering a car when you are drunk, you will hear the main character saying that he shouldn't be driving and suggesting to himself (Player) that he should probably get a cab. In fact, if you listen hard enough, you will surprised yourself about how the main character thinks about his action.


Nope, nothing sexual :). Thats the point I was trying to make, did you see my edits to my first post?

Yes, I have checked them out already. It is already 2:37AM for me, and I am getting pretty tired to be thinking of anything. I oought to be getting to bed and once again thanks for replying to me.

[CraigB]

It depends on the online game, doesn't it? WoW is going to have a different effect than Counterstrike, which is going to have a different effect than Mario Kart Wii, etc. Gaming experiences are anything but universal.