Do shows and video games make people more likely to commit crimes? Some people point at cases like the Kip Kinkel shooting spree in Oregon in 1998, the Columbine shootings in 1999 or the Petric case where a teen age boy shot and killed his mom when she took away his Halo game. They say these crimes might not have been committed if the killers had not been influenced by playing violent video games. What do you think? Does playing violent video games and watching violent TV make us more likely to commit violent crimes?
Jessica Brooks (9:00)
22 comments:
I do think that video games makes people commit crimes I think it gives them ideas on how to commit the crimes. I think that people can play video games and think hey that would be a great way to kill someone. They could also practice on their video game on how to shoot someone or the best way to kill the most people. I also think that parents should limit their child's time they have to play their video game and what kind of video games they are allowed to play. Parents should not let their kids get to obsessed with a game because they will never want to stop playing.
-Becky Gryczewski
If video games made people commit crimes, what excuse did people have before video games were invented? People know right from wrong. They may see violence in a game, but they know it wouldn't be good if they committed a violent act. We are always looking for excuses to why a person is bad. Some people are just really messed up in the head.
Amy (10a.m.)
I do not think video games have anything to do with committing crimes. Most the the things you do in video games are not even realistic. People are going to blame anything for their mistakes. Most people that commit a crime now days turn out that they have something medically wrong with them so if they are using that then they people cant blame video games.
-Lindsey
I think it depends on the age of the person that is watching the violent shows and playing the violent video games. If a kid that is 5 is watching these kinds of shows and playing the violent games could cause the child to act out violently. At that age they don’t know what they are doing and the consequences of the actions they are doing. If the kid keeps on doing this I think he/she could possibly act out violently by the age of 8. I’m almost 19 and I could play violent games and watch the shows all the time but that wouldn’t make me commit a crime because I’m older and know better. Violent games do have an M for mature and the parents shouldn’t let the kids play these games and make sure they aren’t watching anything bad. I don’t think those crimes were committed because of playing violent video games. They were old enough to know better than that and the reason they did it had nothing to do with games. When it comes down to it, they do not cause the kids to commit violent crimes, the parents cause them to for not raising them right and letting them do this in the first place. People blame things like games too much instead of the actions they make.
Jesse Naive (9:00)
I don't believe that video games and the media are the causes for violence in children. It's been proven that the childrens role models are the causes for their violent behavior. When kids look up to someone and see that they can use violence to get what they want, they automatically believe that is the answer. I believe that kids know the difference between reality and make-believe. The kids involved in the Columbine shootings were not influenced by video games. They did it for revenge.
Nolan
Most of the people that play video games are not violent. I play video games in my free time and my friends play all the time. None of my friends are violent at all. Thier favorite games to play are: warhawk, bayonetta, god of war, call of duty, and other violent games. All video games have rating on them so that little kids can't play them and they wont be influenced by what they play. If they play violent games then it might be the parents fault for allowing thier kids to play these games. I think other media influences kids to be violent, my cusin wants to be in a gang be cause of the type of music or movies he is intrested in.
Jesus
I don't believe shows and video games make people do anything. People can be influenced by a lot of things, but it is up the person to know right from wrong. Everybody has a mind of the own and should use it when it comes to things like committing a crime. There is a big difference between video life and real life. When a person commits a crime they may get the idea from the game, but it is the person that real commits the crime not the game.
Anita Freeman
I don't believe shows and video games make people do anything. People can be influenced by a lot of things, but it is up the person to know right from wrong. Everybody has a mind of the own and should use it when it comes to things like committing a crime. There is a big difference between video life and real life. When a person commits a crime they may get the idea from the game, but it is the person that real commits the crime not the game.
Anita Freeman
I think that it would have to depend on the person. I watch alot of violent tv shows and movies and I don't think about going out and killing people. I also think that it has to do with how you are raised. Or if your parents are around and check up on you to see how you are doing or what you are doing. It might also help if parents didn't buy the games or movies that say "for a mature audience" for their 8 year olds. But in my oppinion people being violent doesn't really have anything to do with video games, it just an excuse or something to blame.
Justine Miller
I do think that some video games and shows do have an impact on people and are more likely to commit crimes, but not for all people. Some of the people playing violent video games are mature about them. I don't think that younger kids should be playing them because i think that's when they think it's okay to do some of the things they do in video games.
I've been playing violent video games my whole life and yet i've never killed anyone or committed any other crime. When it comes to kids who committ serious crimes, it is usually the way they were raised or just the overall lack of supervision that is most commonly the cause of their actions. And if a kid is getting bad ideas from the media then that kids' parents shoud be more abservant about what they allow their child to do.
Yes I think that video game violence and media violence does show people how to commit crimes. In video games you kill people in different ways and hurt people. If you continuly play video games it can stick into ones mind that it is okay to do something like that in the real world, because it is happening in their real world of video games. Now as for the T.V. violence I dont see that it is causing as much of a problem as video games. But it could still have a great impact.
Jodi
I don't know all of the details of the case of the boy killing his Mom but I think there had to a little more going on in the house than her just taking the game away. I think parents need to talk to their kids all the time about violence and make sure that they know the difference between the game and real life. I think one of the reasons for the rise in violance is that mentally ill people are not monitored as well as they should be. They are given meds and sent on their way sometimes without much if any supervision. You take a person like that and show them violent movies and maybe it plants a seed. I don't think you can blame movies and videos completely but there does seem to be a lot of them out there now.
Lois (10:00)
I dont think so. I think thats just an excuse. People need to take up for their own mistakes. Children on the other hand should be taught by their parents what they should and should not do. Or dont let the child play the video game.
ashleymitchell
I think that games do not influence you to do anything. You chose to play it knowing what it is about. If you wanted to kill someone you might get a game to try and see how you want to do it, but then they probably have some type of mental illness. The little boy probably wasn't sane and the columbine shootings were kids that got picked on and were a little messed up. Video games and shows dont tell you what to do.
K.J. Picard(9:00)
I dont think they do, i think it's the children their already violent the games just bring it out more. They games do give ideas on how to kill and what to aim for. I have played video games before it hasnt made me want to kill are act crazy. It's not real life it's just a game how i see it. Parents should watch over their children and look at the games before they buy it. I think no child under 13 should be playing rough nasty games. Kasha Topps
I don't think the games, or shows, or movies, themselves influence what the children do. I personally, didn't have video games growing up, nor did I watch much TV, but I knew from a very young age that I was going into the military, as an infantryman (basic frontline combatant). What influences the children are the way their parents raise them. If they allow their children to get away with minor insubordination at home, or in public, and let it keep getting worse, then of course the children are going to be troublesome as they get older. No matter if they watch those movies, or play those games. It is also the responsibility of the parent to explain the difference between reality and fantasy, as well as right from wrong. If they fail at this, then there is no hope for the child. If they don't fail, and the child still come out on the wrong side of the tracks, then it had nothing to do with the parents or the media; it was just a bad apple.
Lance Mowery
yes because of all the violents that it puts in to peoples brains.
65 mustang
outside influences have a great deal of impact on all our lives. Children are young and mimic what they see and are around. Even as young adults we are still influenced by others and what we see and hear. Untill you really find who you are, and some people never do, we are influenced from the outside. yes i do believe TV and games have an impact.
Autumn
I do not know much about the Kip Kinkel shooting spree, but I can tell you that the Columbine shooting was blamed mostly on Marilyn Manson and his music.
Video games have ratings so it is the parents fault for not acting on those ratings. How did that little kid get a gun any ways, its the parents fault for not having it locked up in a safe place.
Violent video games and violent television are never going a way as long as people make money off of it. They will have to crack down on the ratings of these things to make sure that little kids are mature enough to play them.
--Jeremy Harding
Yes I do see where violence comes from tv and video games. I think that watching tv and playing video games shows us differnt ways of violence. Althought when you watch a violent movie everyone should know that it isn't right for you to go out and do it. And for children, I think a lot of the issues come from the parent. If you let your kid watch violence at a young age they would be more likely to be into violent things. But if you wait and let them learn as they get old enough, they should be mature enough to know all the stuff in movies and games is fake.
josh clayborn
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