Thread: Video games and gun violence. Is there a correlation.

Originally Posted by deathgodusmc

What evidence would it be denying? Every study i saw that looked like it was a respectable third party concluded there is no link. I also resent your statement that people who are predisposed to violence seek out things that are violent. I love violent video games, movies, bug bunny, and the 3 stooges but i have not one time ever gone out looking to start violence. I have on many occasions was ready for it if it broke out but that isnt the same. I think your making some assumptions on the link between watching/playing things that are violent and it making them violent or searching for a new level of violence.

You're not understanding what I'm saying DG.

Imagine someone's predisposition towards violence as a 1-10 scale. Psychopaths and people who commit most violent crimes are going to be pretty high on that scale. Pacifists and Gandhi are going to be pretty low on the scale. Everyone else is going to fall somewhere in the middle. For the people not at the higher levels of that scale, there will have to be some sort of trigger for them to truly contemplate violence. Bullying, threats against them, etc. For people in the higher levels of that scale, there doesn't have to be a trigger. Instead, their aggression and propensity to cause violence just builds and builds until it finds an outlet. If they have video games, or shooting ranges, or contact sports, sometimes those outlets are enough to bleed off that aggression and those people remain worthwhile, non-violent-crime-committing citizens. The higher you are on that scale, the less likely that channels other than actual physical violence allow you to bleed that aggression off.

I'm also not saying that ONLY someone who is predisposed to violence is interested in violent video games or guns. I'm only saying that they can be and are an outlet for those who are. I mean hell, 95% of the video games I play are violent. I have a conceal and carry permit and will be getting a gun of my own once I graduate and get a job and can afford one. I also haven't been in a fight since the 8th grade.

I also said early on in my post that violent video games are NOT a CAUSE of violence.

~Morningfrost

Going back and re-reading what I just posted, part of my argument didn't come out as coherent as it sounded in my head.

The best example I can think of right now for the 2nd part of my argument is this: One can be pro-gay marriage, but not be gay. However, if one IS gay than they are more likely than not also pro-gay marriage. One can be interested in violent video games, but not be violent themselves. However, if one IS predisposed to violence, they are also more likely than not to be interested in violent video games.

~Morningfrost

Originally Posted by Morningfrost

You're not understanding what I'm saying DG.

Imagine someone's predisposition towards violence as a 1-10 scale. Psychopaths and people who commit most violent crimes are going to be pretty high on that scale. Pacifists and Gandhi are going to be pretty low on the scale. Everyone else is going to fall somewhere in the middle. For the people not at the higher levels of that scale, there will have to be some sort of trigger for them to truly contemplate violence. Bullying, threats against them, etc. For people in the higher levels of that scale, there doesn't have to be a trigger. Instead, their aggression and propensity to cause violence just builds and builds until it finds an outlet. If they have video games, or shooting ranges, or contact sports, sometimes those outlets are enough to bleed off that aggression and those people remain worthwhile, non-violent-crime-committing citizens. The higher you are on that scale, the less likely that channels other than actual physical violence allow you to bleed that aggression off.

I'm also not saying that ONLY someone who is predisposed to violence is interested in violent video games or guns. I'm only saying that they can be and are an outlet for those who are. I mean hell, 95% of the video games I play are violent. I have a conceal and carry permit and will be getting a gun of my own once I graduate and get a job and can afford one. I also haven't been in a fight since the 8th grade.

I also said early on in my post that violent video games are NOT a CAUSE of violence.

~Morningfrost

Then there still isnt a link. If a person is violent the game means nothing. Its like blaming the kid for his dad being a child abuser. I understand your point and yes i agree they could be used as an outlet but lets be honest here for a second. How does playing a game relieve that tendency? I have my fair share of aggressive behavior and i want to punch the screen when shit goes wrong. A physical activity could get that out but a video game is most likely not going to be a good outlet.

If we're trying to find a reason they are aggressive the video game isnt it and its not pushing them into violent behavior. That behavior in a normal person is controlled in its outlet. Hence why i have only thrown 1 computer out a window and yeah it deserved it (my only regret is for once the damn window was closed).

In a disturbed person anything is a trigger to include that fucking squirrel just eye fucked me. So yeah a tie could be made but its weak at best. However i now think we're on that same page repeating shit in a different way other then i think games aren't even an outlet.

Originally Posted by Morningfrost

Going back and re-reading what I just posted, part of my argument didn't come out as coherent as it sounded in my head.
~Morningfrost

Yeah i do that same shit all the time.

I don't buy into the idea at all that violent video games create violent kids. There just isn't any evidence to support that, in my view. There is no doubt that violent kids will play violent games, but the games didn't make them that way.

Originally Posted by Ranger10

This is fundamentally why I think banning guns is a foolish idea. Because by the time someone comes to the conclusion that violence is the answer, they will carry out that violence if guns are present or not.

Is it not valid to say that if these people didn't have nearly as free of access to guns as the do now there would be far less damage done than with any other weapon? A kid shoots up an elementary school and kills 20 people. A man in China on the same day goes into an elementary school and stabs 22 kids with zero deaths. So while these people may still commit these acts without guns, I don't think it is even debatable that there would be far fewer deaths associated with such attacks.

Originally Posted by Fovezer

I don't buy into the idea at all that violent video games create violent kids. There just isn't any evidence to support that, in my view. There is no doubt that violent kids will play violent games, but the games didn't make them that way.



Is it not valid to say that if these people didn't have nearly as free of access to guns as the do now there would be far less damage done than with any other weapon? A kid shoots up an elementary school and kills 20 people. A man in China on the same day goes into an elementary school and stabs 22 kids with zero deaths. So while these people may still commit these acts without guns, I don't think it is even debatable that there would be far fewer deaths associated with such attacks.

Getting lucky with the body count doesn't make one any better then the other.

Originally Posted by deathgodusmc

Getting lucky with the body count doesn't make one any better then the other.

I didn't say one was "better" than the other, but if someone gets that far lost that they are going to commit a violent act, I'd much prefer they only have easy access to, say, a knife over any gun. Like I said, it isn't really debatable that guns are far more efficient at doing their jobs than any other weapon. That's just a fact.

Originally Posted by Fovezer

I didn't say one was "better" than the other, but if someone gets that far lost that they are going to commit a violent act, I'd much prefer they only have easy access to, say, a knife over any gun. Like I said, it isn't really debatable that guns are far more efficient at doing their jobs than any other weapon. That's just a fact.

True my wording could have been better for that. Knives are just as effective at the job you just have to get closer. Which in many cases is probably the main reason they use guns. So its less about what weapon is the most effective at doing its job and more about the disturbed individual that wants to kill while being out of arms reach.