Are video games and media really what makes people violent?

I'm pretty sure the Romans didn't have it, and man they killed a lot of people.

And they were all mentally sane people too for what we know.

People are just naturally violent. There's no amount of tameness you can have, even the most peaceful will have violent thoughts.

No, I am not someone who believes that these games make people more violent and make people murder others. I am a strong believer in the thought that violent video games are ok, it is the stupid kids who don't know that these games aren't real and these things are not going to do anything in real life. Let me use Grand Theft Auto for example. Grand theft auto is very violent, but I do not take the game seriously and I won't even think about driving my car to kill people and starting all these gangs wars and all of that crap, I am a person who wouldn't do that. It is when people idolize these characters such as CJ or Claude in the Grand theft auto franchise, and these people are very violent and the games are violent. To say that kids are going to kill others because they play these games is just stupid I must say, it is not the games, it's either the parents or he teachers not letting these kids know what is correct and what is not. If someone plays the games and takes them seriously and kills someone, then it is not the games fault, it is who let them play them and who told them it was ok.

Sorry it took me so long to post to this. I just got back from running down the street naked and killing everyone in sight. But don't worry, Saints Row taught me to do it so it wasn't all entirely me. I was taught to do it by that game.

But in all seriousness, no, video games do not make people murder other people. People who say things like that are just trying to find an excuse to make their sentence shorter by trying to blame their actions on something else. The only thing that claims that video games cause people to do this is the media and some politics. They try to blame the cause on the easiest thing to blame it on. They don't bother to ever mention Mental Illness or maybe the fact that the killer has some sort of issue.

I have played a lot of violent games and I've never killed anyone and I hope I never have to. I'm sure a lot of people would say the same. People just look for the easiest thing to land the blame on I guess.

The way I see it is that people were already violent. Try and take me seriously when I say this but when you play Skyrim, GTA, Saints Row or any other game; you've gone on a murder spree at one point or maybe even just broke the law for amusement. I've done it too because it's fun. This can be argued by saying we do it because it's just a game an we can't actually get in trouble. This also can lead into how social conditioning is the only thing keeping our humanity and ethics in check but I won't get into that.

Do video games make people violent? No.

Can they influence someone to be violent? Yes. I can't argue that video games can (particularity with children) make one aggressive. I used to get very angry when I played Call Of Duty (one of the reasons I never play anymore) and as a child you are more influenced by things. I suppose it could then be argued that games that can make you "rage" when played as a child could in turn make them violent.

But murder? No I don't think so. There was murder long before any video game and if someone does end up murdering over a video game then their mentality can be called into check. But then again a video game causing murder and murdering over a video game can also be two different things. I belive it could be possible for a video game to trigger someones psychological state and cause them to do something along those lines but then that's something they already had in them.

No way. I mean, sure, they do the actions in the game, and it might give them an idea like "what if I did that?" But they have to consciously decide to do the bad actions in real life. A game or a person can't make me do anything. I choose what I am going to do and when I am going to do it.

I couldnt say that violent video games causes people to murder. I do believe that things like that being exposed to troubled minds through games or movies or shows are all dangerous things to put into the minds of those who are mentally unstable though.

I believe that the thing that is the most contributory to people making the decision to murder another is that simple access of people getting their hands on weaponry. If guns werent so easily accessible, perhaps someone would have chosen a different path altogether. It things like shooting ranges werent a common thing, maybe people would still fear weapons, instead of embracing them, and feeling the need for power. If the weapons werent there, perhaps the alternative solution would be a non-violent one. This is a very touchy subject that has people who are strongly for and strongly against either side, and I highly doubt that it will be solved any time soon.

No, it's just a fall back, trust me, if I decided to blame anime characters for raping people (please, it's just an example don't go coining this newbie) I'm sure there would be media attention and anime would get more controversial....

 Damn it, no. In 2005, kids blamed their failed stunts on television. Now they are blaming murders on Mortal Kombat, and in 2018, we will have suicides with teens hanging themselves, and their suicide note saying, "Final Destination made me do it."

I am glad that pretty much everyone is saying no. The only people that I would expect to say yes for the most part would be liberal women (mainly mothers) that don't like video games, and I'm pretty sure everyone here likes video games. I mean why else would you be here? I already answered this before, but I will say it again. Suggesting that video games cause violence is ridiculous.

No, violent video games do not make people murder. The video game may put that idea in people's heads though. You have to choose to murder. The game does not think for you. I heard that story about the little kid playing GTA 4 and killing his sleeping grandmother. In that case, its arguable to blame the parents because the game is rated "M" but yet a little child was playing it. Video games influence people to murder, maybe. But YOU control what you're going to do next. Not some video game on the TV screen.

Do they MAKE people murder? Probably not. But I strongly believe that they can make people more prone to murder. If people justify murder in a video game, that might very well become a habit that can translate into real life. Have you ever noticed that when you play a violent video game, you become more prone to anger? That is because anger is rewarded, or in psychological terminology, reinforced in such video games. Anger is not always a bad thing. Becoming PRONE to anger is.

I don't believe in murders that happen in an instant. They always start with something, whether it be a lie, a bit of anger, or something else that creates a spark that lights a fire within us. If we let it spiral out of control, it can consume us. Video games can create that spark, if we let them.

Argument: It's not GTA's fault I committed murder. FACT! In a sense. GTA cannot MAKE you commit a crime on its own. Watching it or playing it can create tendencies that can lead to crime.

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" -Proverbs 23:7

GTA has you thinking about murder and committing it in the virtual world. Therefore, from a Biblical standpoint, you are a murderer if you play it actively, the way it is supposed to be played, although you may not have committed murder in real life.

I believe that if there is violence in a video game, we need to heavily consider the context, and if we would emulate that sort of behavior in real life. Of course, there is so-called "humorous" violence, such as that contained in Mario and Rayman. This might be OK in the right context, in my opinion. Overall, we need to pay attention to how a game makes us feel. If it makes us feel angry or more aggressive, we should get rid of it! If it makes us feel happy, we should use it in the right way.

tgags123 : By liberal do you mean big fat white republicans? The liberals are not the ones that attack video games, its always boring old fart republicans that don't even know what a video game is.

The more I play Mario, the more I feel the urge to eat mushrooms and jump on turtle/duck creatures. It must be the same for violent video games.


Really though, I don't think they make you murder. I do think what you choose as entertainment can effect your thoughts, but it won't make you a criminal. I also believe what you choose to play says a little about your personality.

That's a solid no from me when discussing a healthy mind.

As for the argument of violent video games affecting people with Pre-existing mental issues....I have serious doubts about that.
In the cases of people who supposedly "Snapped" while playing a violent video games, I would argue that those people were more than likely drawn to these violent games BECAUSE they were close to that point, and the video games had nothing to do with it. My basis for this is that those same types of people react in that same way with or without the so called "trigger" of violent games or media in general. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that it is possible that in these cases, violent media gives these people an outlet to focus the stress piling on them, possibly prolonging that eventual "snap"
Now, as for minds that have trouble separating reality from fantasy? Yes, they can have an effect on those types of people. However, I would argue that the book "Lord of the Flies" would also have that effect, and it's required school reading, so.....