Video games are always a scapegoat when something tragic happens in life. The hype seems to fade away after a while, but then quickly resurfaces as soon as another major event occurs. This is exactly what has happened recently. One big reason why - Connecticut school shooting in December 2012.
The aftermath of the Connecticut shootings was one of deep sadness which, once everyone began to calm down, quickly turned to anger. A lot of this anger was aimed directly at video games. Somehow this anger has, once again, led to a massive debate on whether or not violent video games should be banned.
The problem I have with this argument is that there is literally no scientific proof that violent video games cause real life violence. If you actually take a moment to look at the statistics, you can quite clearly tell that the percentage of people who play these games do not, in any way shape or form, correlate to the percentage who then go on to massacre people, or commit some kind of violent crime.
Call of Duty: One of the many video games blamed for violent crime. Photo: codocom.com
If anything, it is the perpetrators own mental state that is the cause of violent crime. In my opinion, to be able to commit such acts of violence towards another human being indicates that there is something fundamentally wrong upstairs - nothing to do with video games. Just because they have played video games, and may have played the latest Halo, or Grand Theft Auto, before commencing their attack does not mean the game is to blame - yet this is the only factor that critics of violent video games seem to take into consideration.
I have done a little research, and the facts prove what I kind of knew already. Most of the gaming population who are playing these violent games on a daily basis are children in their early teens. This shows a complete lack of parental guidance. There is no way a 12 year old should have their hands on an 18 rated game. The only way they have managed to own the game will be their parents buying it for them - if anything this is the main cause of violent behaviour.
"My son has a bad temper and is defiant. But when I remove his violent video games for a few days he becomes nicer, calmer and more compliant. It's very clear to me that the games have a negative affect on his behavior. I am afraid that if he is allowed to continue playing the violent games he may become a very scary teenager and adult." - Source: http://www.debate.org/opinions/do-violent-video-games-cause-behavior-problems
Okay, so your son has a bad temper and is defiant - discipline him. Be a good parent. Why does he have the video game in the first place? Why should grown adults have to suffer just because you can't parent properly and your child is aggressive as a result?
All of these parents who are up in arms against violent video games really need to start waking up and smelling the coffee. Your argument is invalid. Don't buy your under-age child an 18 rated video game and then complain that its content is affecting their well being! It's hypocrisy at the highest level.
At the end of the day, you cannot please everyone. Regardless, my point still stands. Violent games are rated appropriately and the rating is there for a reason. Besides, even if they did manage to ban violent games, do you really think that'll stop them being created and distributed? No. Look at the mass market of illegally downloaded music and films - this is banned but still continues. People will find a way to play the games that they have a right to play. Don't let some begrudged bad parents and old timers with no sense of modern society ruin it for the rest of us.
Anyway, that's my two cents. I could literally go on for days about this topic...
As promised, here's a link to the video that got me thinking in the first place:
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