Children and violent video games
Children and violent video games: A recent study ’strongly’ suggests reducing kids’ exposure to them. New York Times photographer Robbie Cooper’s “Immersion” shows just how focused young video game players can be.
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Having almost raised two kids (they’re 18 and 16 now), I don’t even need to read the article. This is a no brainer–of course there is a strong correlation. Like my kids grew up hearing: what you let into your mind affects the way you think (and hence how you are and what you do).
Too bad we’ve got a whole generation or two out there whose parents didn’t ‘get’ this…yeah, Boomers. Enough said :-)
Video is well crafted and disturbing. Focus isn’t bad in itself–no, there is merit in focus (especially in a fast forward, scattered culture). What we focus on…is the dinger, it reveals where our heart is.
It can’t just be the violence, otherwise the Three Stooges and a big chunk of Shakespeare would be suspect as well. Probably what’s at play here is the graphic, realistic nature of some of the gaming violence, the heartlessness of it, the lack of justice…(Macbeth doesn’t get away with killing the king, after all.)
Also, and this may be bigger, there may be no counterbalancing factors in the lives of many of the children in the study. When I was growing up watching cowboy movies, the Stooges, and playing with an arsenal of toy guns, there was a decided moral line in our community that one did not cross. It was in school (Catholic), in the neighborhood, in the “Y”, etc. It may be the counterbalance that’s gone, thus giving the violent images more power than they should have.
This question reminds me of an episode of a Next Generation/Star Trek in which the crew was overtaken by virtual reality glasses that beamed a game right into the brain. Those that hadn’t seen the game and been “taken over” were forced to watch by those who had “crossed over”.
Yes, do agree with Donald, culture has shifted–morals out the door. The fact that our jails and prisons are overflowing points in this direction.
Good points above. I found the ‘Immersion’ video haunting. To me, the vacant looks on the kids’ faces is at least as disarming as the gun shot reports in the background. It’s strange sometimes to take a good hard look at the things we spend so much of our time doing.
Disclaimer: All of this is coming from a reformed 80s video game addict and unrepentant gaming enthusiast. (Though I tend to find Scrabble plenty exciting these days).