There have been growing concerns surrounding computer and video gaming over the past years. Many individuals and community groups have displayed fears that computer and video game play may encourage aggressive behaviour, or foster undesirable problem solving skills that glamorise and glorify violence. Is this the case? Or, is gaming simply a recreational activity, in a similar category to sport, reading and other hobbies.
Video and computer gaming has been blamed for many social disturbances such as school shootings. For example Columbine High School shooting undertaken by two youths, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, killing 13 and wounding 23, was said to be the result of both boys being avid gamers. As accomplished players of the somewhat violent computer/video game Doom, it was said that the gruesome massacre, made their computer game a reality, by bringing death to many and also to themselves.
In the days following the Columbine High School massacre, the country went on a panicked hunt for the oddballs in High School, a profoundly ignorant and unthinking response to a tragedy that left geeks, nerds, non-conformists and the alienated in an even worse situation than before the school shooting (Morris, 2003). Computer games found themselves the objects of suspicion and disrespect.
Relatives of people killed in the Columbine massacre are seeking damages from the computer game makers, claiming their products helped bring about the killings. The group filing the lawsuit say investigations into the tragedy revealed the influence violent computer and video games had on the two teenagers who carried out the shootings, with a total of 25 companies being named in the lawsuit, seeking $5 billion in damages (Ward, 2001). The text of the lawsuit alleges “absent the combination of extremely violent video games and these boys’ incredibly deep involvement, use of and addiction to these games and the boys’ basic personalities, these murders and this massacre would not have occurred” (Ward, 2001).
Columbine was not the first United States high school shooting, nor was it the first in which forms of contemporary youth culture were held to blame, but it prompted a huge amount of media attention and speculation. Similarly a 19 year old in Germany, 2002, conducted a 20 minute shooting spree leaving 17 dead including himself. These and at least 12 other murders since 1997 have been linked to violent video games (Muir, 2004).
This being said, could other recreational activities not also be blamed for other social disturbances? For example, many non fiction literature is now in circulation written by both victims and offenders of serious crimes such as rape and murder, featuring step by step descriptions. If an individual was an avid reader of such literature and then was involved in a similar crime to Columbine High School shooting would books be blamed? I think not.
Is the underlying issue that older generations are simply afraid of ever changing technology and the keen interest young generations have within it?
Video and computer gaming has been blamed for many social disturbances such as school shootings. For example Columbine High School shooting undertaken by two youths, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, killing 13 and wounding 23, was said to be the result of both boys being avid gamers. As accomplished players of the somewhat violent computer/video game Doom, it was said that the gruesome massacre, made their computer game a reality, by bringing death to many and also to themselves.
In the days following the Columbine High School massacre, the country went on a panicked hunt for the oddballs in High School, a profoundly ignorant and unthinking response to a tragedy that left geeks, nerds, non-conformists and the alienated in an even worse situation than before the school shooting (Morris, 2003). Computer games found themselves the objects of suspicion and disrespect.
Relatives of people killed in the Columbine massacre are seeking damages from the computer game makers, claiming their products helped bring about the killings. The group filing the lawsuit say investigations into the tragedy revealed the influence violent computer and video games had on the two teenagers who carried out the shootings, with a total of 25 companies being named in the lawsuit, seeking $5 billion in damages (Ward, 2001). The text of the lawsuit alleges “absent the combination of extremely violent video games and these boys’ incredibly deep involvement, use of and addiction to these games and the boys’ basic personalities, these murders and this massacre would not have occurred” (Ward, 2001).
Columbine was not the first United States high school shooting, nor was it the first in which forms of contemporary youth culture were held to blame, but it prompted a huge amount of media attention and speculation. Similarly a 19 year old in Germany, 2002, conducted a 20 minute shooting spree leaving 17 dead including himself. These and at least 12 other murders since 1997 have been linked to violent video games (Muir, 2004).
This being said, could other recreational activities not also be blamed for other social disturbances? For example, many non fiction literature is now in circulation written by both victims and offenders of serious crimes such as rape and murder, featuring step by step descriptions. If an individual was an avid reader of such literature and then was involved in a similar crime to Columbine High School shooting would books be blamed? I think not.
Is the underlying issue that older generations are simply afraid of ever changing technology and the keen interest young generations have within it?
1 comment:
thats a good point you make about books. if teenagers attempted to fly because they read harry potter, the book would not be blamed, but the mental stability of the child would. why isn't this the same for video gamers? it falls down to education as well. a simple understanding and distinction between reality and fantasy needs to be enforced. are the games too extreme? or the people playing them and acting in reality somewhat insane?
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