Ok, I'm sure most of you have heard me talk about the problems of video games. Well, I'm taking sociology this semester, and the teacher has offered some great insights regarding excessive video game, as well as internet, usage. The main problem with violent video games (swearing, shooting, breaking the law, etc.) is that they truly do de-sensitize people. I won't bother citing studies, because I doubt anyone would care who did the studies and all that stuff. Anyway, I'll just say that I'm not lying and that I'm not saying they always de-sensitize peoplel; I would just like to open up discussion regarding other peoples thoughts.
By the way, the thing that struck me the most was the evidence that more and more video games are putting the stereotypical "bad guy" into the stereotypical "good guy" role. For example, in the Grand Theft Auto series, the main character recieves "street credit" for shooting as many people as he can, running things over, etc. He's even allowed to pick up hookers and do things like slap them up. But it's not only in GTA. It's happening in other games where nobody is the good guy, and the aim of the game is simply to kill as much as possible.
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7 comments:
I have way too many discussions on this site as it is. But I will be in this as well.
Ok, I play Age of Empires mostly on computers, but I don't play much anymore until there is a party at the K-13s. I also play Halo occassional (bad spelling), but not lately. Do I enjoy playing AOE? Yes. Do I enjoy playing Halo? Not really, because I always die. I wouldn't say AOE is shooter game that Ben is talking about. How the bad guy becomes the good guy. But, the events of the Middle Ages did happen. There was fighting involved. Halo, well that is more of a shooter, that Ben is talking about. But however, we take away the blood in Halo at Jaruds, if that helps at all. That's all for now.
I guess that I mostly agree with Ben. Probably part of the reason is that I don't have this urge to play video games for hours on end. Really though, think of all the stuff you could be doing in that time----even if you're just sleeping. Maybe its a guy thing, but games that are really violent and their only point is to kill people, well they are gross. I know you ( who ever you are) will probably say the games aren't real. I know that, but do we really need to fill our heads with images of killing people for hours on end...no way that's health.
Hmmmmmmm I agree somewhat to what Ben is saying, about the point of the game being all about killing. But I just look at it as being a sort of "painball war." I do believe that games like Grand Theft Auto are pretty dumb, but games like Medal of Honor and Halo are fun not because you can blow someones head off, but because it's sort of like playing tag---with a gun.
i think people should chill out over the whole thing. i wrote a paper on the video game industry and its rating system. 70% games are rated E for everyone and most people playing games are 18 or older. btw, who writes comments at 9-9:30 in the am?
Sarah, obviously.
Tom duh
I actually wrote it at 7:54 am, not 9-9:30.
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