Weekly Poll 3/11/07

[shaggy]

Do video games affect the way our children are?

[James]

Most likely. But then you could blame it on the parents for letting them play violent games when they're not old enough.

Young people can be very impressionable. When I was six I saw Goofy on TV practising to swim by lying on a chair and making swimming movements. During a school lesson while the teacher was talking I randomly laid down on the chair and made swimming movements. Children grow out of that eventually but if all their friends are talking about killing prostitutes and stealing cars in video games, there are going to be some that take it a step further. Young people would probably say they aren't influenced by a lot of things but the chances are they are. It could be subtle, like swearing a bit more because there's so much casual swearing on TV. Or it could be more blatant, like learning how to punch from fight videos on t'internet, leading to wanting to go out and start a fight.

There are so many variables that it's impossible to pinpoint a few certain things that have lead to the degeneration of society.

[Funk_Buddy]

Wow, I'm kind of between yes and no. I believe some kids will mimic what they see, but not all. I'm a prime example... I've never tried to ride my stone unicycle while swinging my club at things. Of course, I have played lots of strip mahjong.  :embarassed:

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

Hellz naw.

It's me.

Seriously though, no. I think it's a lack of things to do. I, for instance, went to a roller rink last night and it was so lame I just wanted to start shooting up heroine and attacking cops. Damn kids should be out in the fields breaking their backs, not sitting in front of a TV.

Now I'm gonna go watch TV.

[cverz2]

I'm a true believer of "you are a product of your raising". Basically just meaning however you were raised is how you will turn out in life.

I played all kinds of video games as a kid, and my friends and I use to play guns ALL the time out in the woods. ( Play rifles, handguns, revolvers, etc. ) And I don't even own a gun now. And have barely ever shot a real firearm.

Your parents ( 95 % of the time ) are to blame in one way or another.

[wrldstrman]

People are responsible for their own actions. I think special intrest groups use video games as a excuse to rape money from the goverment.

[Cobra]

I can't vote because
Yes, they will repeat what they see in video games in real life. YES
and
No, bad parenting is the reason why kids are breaking the law. YES
and
Jack Thompson anyone? WHO?

I agree completely with James on this.
Parents should NOT let their kids near these games, but it's not just games (movies, tv, music,etc). Hell, who knows when the day may come I decide to mimic Splatterhouse and put on a ice hockey mask ,and get myself a chainsaw haha.
Nope, it's not going to happen, but it also proves that we are responsible for our own actions, but a heavy influence is avery bad thing. I try not to swear all the time, but it's tricky when at work everyones second sentence has a swear word. But I have little brother to think about at home. So it's a mix of all of the above.

[Tynstar]

It is all parenting!

[Cobra]

I guess another problem is we have kids having kids these days 

[Belgarath]

It is ridiculous to claim that computer games affect children. If Pac-Man had affected children in the eighties, then today we would have lots of young people, runnning around in dark rooms, eating pills and listening to monotonous music...
 

[shaggy]

I agree with the above points that parenting is to blame.  These various groups want something to blame for these school shootings, etc. and this all goes back to bad parenting.  Just because I play GTA it does not mean I will go shoot people or steal cars.  The parents need to be held accountable to teach there children what is right and wrong and not rely on TV and video games.  Do you see any of us breaking the law from playing our video games when we were younger?  Parents need to be held accountable and the Jack Thompson and those other groups need to point the blame where it should be pointed..... on parents and the offending party themselves.

[James]

I don't think you can entirely shift the blame from videogames to parents. Sure, we on here haven't turned into murderers or whatever from vieogames, but as I said, children can be very impressionable. Most children could be fine with a certain level of violence in games but there are always a few who take it too far or just too literally. Those are the ones who are likely to make it into the news, or turn into general riff-raff.

Videogames aren't the only things corrupting society, just as parenting isn't the only thing.

[Kevincal]

PARENTS!

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

You can't just blame parenting. Especially nowadays when kids are in school more than with their parents. It's society as a whole.

[Cobra]

It is ridiculous to claim that computer games affect children. If Pac-Man had affected children in the eighties, then today we would have lots of young people, runnning around in dark rooms, eating pills and listening to monotonous music...

Oh and don't get me started about Mario and his magic mushrooms haha 

Society is indeed to blame, just look at what kids are exposed to on free to air TV early mornings in music clips alone.
Both parents and the society around us needs a serious shakeup.

I did however finally vote, and it was the parents.
Ever sinc% Nintendo claimed Night Trap was a game with real life graphics that you go around trying to rape a bunch of young girls SEGA introduced the video game rating system so regardless of content in a game the wrong audience should not be exposed to it.

Stores and parents must follow the age guidelines and not look at a game as something harmless, as it has just as much impact as any movie or song on children.