A reader is upset that video games are being blamed for real world violence when the real causes are much more complex.
So, we are once again at that time of year when feckless politicians decide to blame gaming for the evils of the world. It seems not a day goes by at the minute without another pathetic example of a human being shooting up a bunch of innocents in the name of white supremacy or incels, etc. As GC themselves have pointed out, this is an argument as old as time. It was first fired at The Beatles for corrupting youth, then rock music, then movies, etc., etc.
I am old enough to remember the hysteria of Mortal Kombat when it was first released, that controversy only made me want to play it more (and lets be honest, it was never that great). But in these days of near photorealistic graphics, the game has changed. Nobody in their right mind could suggest with any seriousness that Mortal Kombats old blocky graphics had incited anyone to violence, but could the newest Mortal Kombat corrupt a young childs mind? The data (what little there is) suggests no.
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However, this also brings up an age-old debate that the responsibility for what a child consumes, ultimately, falls to the parents. But in the modern age of readily available access to the Internet, and even young children walking around with the equivalent of a super-computer in their front pocket, this becomes increasingly difficult.
Americas problem with mass shootings goes much deeper than the availability of guns or consuming media. There is a fundamental problem with American culture at present, were warped views are being encouraged and twisted into a will to harm innocents. This cannot be simply put down to being a social outcast either; bullying has always been a problem, but mass shootings at this level are a very modern issue. The same could be put forward for the current murder rate in London, but this seems to be down more to some twisted gang culture.
I suppose my feelings on this situation have always been the same; feckless politicians often throw these buzzwords around to show that theyre taking the issue seriously, rather than actually taking the issue seriously. In my opinion, something like this obviously has many variables as to why these children/young adults/adults are feeling marginalised enough to consider a mass shooting and suicide a viable option. To just blame one or two issues is to bury your head in the sandRead More – Source
