Why are video games so often blamed for mass shootings?

[swm59nj]

I have listened and read news reports regarding a number of mass shootings around the world . The majority if any were not said to be caused by video games.  And just because the 14 year old might have watched them doesn’t mean that created the issue. 
 

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, SABloke said:

Well, computer games are relatively modern. So if they had any effect, we would have noticed it by now. However, most stats point to the developed world as a whole becoming less violent. If violent games were to blame today, were books containing violence blamed before that, and what before that? 

Reading books is a passive occupation. Shooting everything in sight on a screen is not. Very different thing. But as for the developed world becoming less violent, yes. A quick check says that is so. Interesting. It seems to me though that random and mass killings are always in the news, so I can't imagine what things were like before.

 

Social media has revealed a remarkable and depressing intolerance for others points of view, so perhaps people letting off steam with a keyboard has replaced some of the physical violence. 

[Marsupienemi]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I believe that in some cases video games might be a contributing factor. They are built on the thrill of killing and/or aggressive behaviour, and there is a danger in the mentally unstable, and you appear to know several who fit into that category, that the line between fantasy and reality become blurred. Killing or driving recklessly, in their damaged mind, becomes the norm if done to excess. And there are plenty who do play these games to excess, spending hour upon hour 'killing'.

 

Humans can be very fragile mentally and can lose touch with reality, as you have experienced.

If you make a ratio between the number of accidents of this type and the number of people who play this kind of game, you'll end up with a number of the order of 0.000001%.
And that doesn't prove anything. Don't forget that associations have tried to have certain supposedly violent games banned and never succeeded. 

What's more, there's nothing to say that the opposite effect isn't occurring: 
The game becomes an outlet for some, who vent their violent impulses on the game rather than on others. 
 

In my experience, it takes a much stronger trigger than a simple video game to trigger this kind of madness. 
 

In fact, there were drivers who thought they were "Fangio" long before video games, and no one has ever been able to prove that this number has increased with the arrival of racing simulation games. 
 

I'm a former gamer, I grew up with video games, I even played with my father the first video game in the 70s (pong). I agree that there are perverse effects, with children who do nothing else but play video games, who have no interest in anything else. For me, it's always been just a hobby, like tennis or soccer. You have to watch out for excess, as with everything else. 

[pacovl46]

12 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

Nothing wrong with his statement. Children who are abused are a lot more likely to grow up to be abusers than those who grew up in a non abusive, caring environment. It's where bullies come from. And he did say an undeveloped mind, which I'm sure he meant as one that's been subject to abuse and or neglect, is likely to be swayed by playing the games, because it does desensitize kids against violence. People who commit gun crimes against innocents are mentally unstable all of the time. It starts at home, or a relatively small few are born that way. Billions do in fact play these games, and yes, a tiny fraction are influenced by them and act out violently using guns.

Yes, I only object to video games in general being blamed for those mass shootings. The vast majority of people can diffentiate between a game and reality. I know numerous people who play those games and none of them go shooting people un real life.

[pacovl46]

12 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

The same could be said of gun owners, yes?

Yes.

[pacovl46]

11 hours ago, atpeace said:

 Games I doubt have much if any impact but I bet there is a correlation between extreme enthusiasts and them becoming killers even if gaming isn't the cause.  

 

Last game I played was Asteroids in an mall arcade 30 years ago.  Didn't make me feel  the urge kill but obviously I'm a little out of touch.  I did punch my brother after he took me off the Pacman leaderboard.  

Some of the mass shooters play these games, no doubt about it, but I highly doubt it's the games that make them killers.

[Jelli]

The exact same mentality blaming guns and not shooters. It's not hunters that spray malls and schools with bullets.

[dinsdale]

22 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I think yes, the games are a factor.

It is like people who grow up in abusive families sadly, they end up being abusers.  Being bombarded with the violence and death of these games all day certainly could cause an undeveloped mind to be swayed imo.

I've killed hundreds of thousands of pixel peple. Yet to kill a real person.

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts and replies about gun legislation in the USA contravening our Community Standards have been removed.

[KannikaP]

On 10/16/2023 at 2:09 PM, Yellowtail said:

Yes, everyone knows it's the guns! 

I played Cowboys and Indians, but never shot or arrowed anyone.

 

https://youtu.be/vdvnOH060Qg

[observer90210]

Simply put, take the exemple of marketing.

 

Why else does marketing exist ? Plainly because it has influence and dispenses an impact on the public. Same goes for the topic posted here. Imbedding a nimble mind in a ultra violent environment does end up in influencing. Just as a violent or unstable family environment does have impact on a kids developpment.

 

Amazing how many ignore or brush of the basics of human nature and influence.

Edited October 17, 2023 by observer90210

[jacko45k]

If one is accepting that violence in TV programs and movies can incite people to violence..(and I presume that has been accepted, since for children there are ratings to restrict access).... then it should not be a leap of imagination to say these realistic games are similar. 

[Jimjim1]

Because these games remove the individual from reality the player goes through the various stages of the what we understand is a game but to the player it is levels of violence and slaughter that the player is unable to understand that death is real because he/she is to wrapped up in the game, and when said game is closed down and restarted the next time all those people in the game who were killed are now back and running around again. Removing the reality that death is real, so that in a given situation the player believes in his / her mind that he/she can go and shoot someone or kill them in some other way believing that the victim will simply stand up again.

 

[Dan O]

I think its a variety of factors. Violent video game playing non stop helps to desensitize youths. Same with many action movies with over the top violence.. Lack of strong parenting and supervision (especially in thailand), the approach that every one wins and no one is a loser so you automatically get a participation award. Over emphasis of having to show respect by never questioning authority (especially in Thailand) and mental issue never being acknowledged and addressed (loss of face )   they all contribute their own portion to a ticking time bomb.

[VicenteJackson]

You bring up some thought-provoking points there. The debate around video games and their potential impact on behavior is complex. While I'm all about games like CS2, it's crucial to acknowledge the broader context.

[fondue zoo]

 

I blame hoop rolling, if that had been stopped when they tried to stop it all the world's ills would not have been.

 

And remember when they were blaming D&D for kids jumping of roofs and breaking legs? The dumb asses couldn't master a simple levitate spell and then everyone has to put down their wands?

Sure the odd demon summoning went awry but who hasn't had that happen am I right?

[JayClay]

On 10/16/2023 at 1:21 PM, Yellowtail said:

The same could be said of gun owners, yes?

 

Sure. But the one small difference is that guns are designed to cause harm, and kill. It was their sole purpose for being invented*.

 

The same cannot be said for video games.

 

*I know that people these days use guns for sport/entertainment, but that is not what they were built for. That came later.

 

[JayClay]

Blaming a video game for somebody being shot is like blaming a spoon when you get food poisoning...

[VicenteJackson]

On 10/28/2023 at 4:08 AM, VicenteJackson said:

You bring up some thought-provoking points there. The debate around video games and their potential impact on behavior is complex. While I'm all about games like CS2, it's crucial to acknowledge the broader context.

Sure, violent video games and action movies can desensitize, but it's not the sole factor. Issues like parenting, education, and mental health are intertwined. In Thailand and elsewhere, addressing these issues is essential. It's also essential to understand that not everyone who plays violent games becomes violent. Context and individual factors are crucial.It's an ongoing conversation, and there's no easy answer.