Are "video games" contributing factors to all these school shootings?

[OMG_Ihatethisjob]

Following the Columbine school shootings in April 1999, investigators had learned that the shooters were heavily into video games, and had played a lot of "Doom." Its my theory that from a psychological perspective, I believe that violent video games can influence people to act out, and make fantasy into reality. Its a fact that teen agers account for a significant sales in video games. Go to any college campus, and its likely at least 90% of the male students play video games at home when they're not studying.

After news orgs had revealed that the Columbine shooters played a lot of "Doom," there was an effort to pass laws to require retailers to ask for ID, just like tobacco and alcohol, when purchasing video games. The retail marketing industry is currently policing themselves not to sell M-rated video games to minors, but I've heard that store managers will discretely sell a violent video game, so long as there are no witnesses to the transaction.

Do you ever wonder how many of these young shooters were into playing violent video games? And that their video games had been contributing factors to their actions?

I took intro-psychology a few years back, and the textbook had a section on the topic of "identity crisis," which is very common among teenagers and young adults. The author had suggested that the lack of guidance, brought by parents too busy working long hours, had produced a society where more kids are undergoing "identity crisis;" and are susceptible to outside influence of drugs, alcohol, gangs, and other negative influences.

[CameraMan]

That's crazy. Millions of violent video games are sold in this country every year and have been for 20 years now. If video games made you want to go out and commit mass murder, there should be mass shootings every single day in every state of the union.

It's probably rock and roll music that's making the kids all nutso. We should ban the devil music of the Beatles to prevent school shootings.

[Don of the Dead]

No. Its the parents who don't teach their kids right from wrong, then let the TV and video games raise their kids for them.
I watch pretty much nothing but Horror films and I have yet to chop up my neigbors witha chainsaw.

If it were true, the people of my generation would be dropping anvils on peoples heads from too much Loony Tunes.

[sgtnewby]

That's just like the old "Well, they murdered so and so because the listen to heavy metal music." I think it's just people trying to find excuses for horrible acts commited by people with psychological disorders that have never been diagnosed. That, and some people are just bad people. I play a lot of first person shooter games, and I played guitar in a heavy metal band when I was younger, and I still play guitar (mostly hard rock and metal). And, I've never gone on a shooting rampage. To me, it's the "It's not my fault" crowd. "Gotta find someone else to blame."

[Mr. Chaple]

I personally feel that violent video games help prevent violence. In my experience they provide a necessary catharsis for daily frustration and socially unacceptable impulses.

[Tennsix]

Just a thought. It is reasonable to compare high school campus shootings to those at colleges and universities?

[OccamsRazor]

No. Its the parents who don't teach their kids right from wrong, then let the TV and video games raise their kids for them.

We have a winner.

[Chucky]

Nope. As a kid it was Elvis shaking his pelvis that was turning kids bad. Then it was James Dean and the dam Motorcycles. Then it was the Beatles and their long hair that had our kids a little disturbed. Like Don of the Dead said it is the parents responsibility. Before I would blame Video games I would take a good look at the Square thing that lives at the bottom of the ocean named Bob. That whole concept has me weirded out.

[CameraMan]

Fluoride in the water.

[Tennsix]

Fluoride in the water.

No, that caused the AIDS epidemic.

[OpsMan1922]

brought by parents too busy working long hours

If you want to blame something..check the quote above. TIME is needed to raise kids. With the continous competition in the market place, rising cost of living, etc..who has time to raise their kids? Who has dinner at the table with the family?

Think about it.

[CameraMan]

Everyone knows the AIDS epidemic was caused by the US dollar going off the gold standard. Please. How naive do you think we are?

[N. A. Corbier]

Why is Jack Thompson on this forum?

[Rooney]

I think there are many factors that come into play with youth violence.

1. Technology. Kids today spend alot of time either watching tv, updating and chatting on myspace or facebook, playing video games, etc. They do not do social activities face to face as much as they used to.

2. Pressure from academia. Nowadays if you want to get into a university you must take advanced placement courses that used to be limited to only the extremely gifted students. They also must have an excellent record for social clubs or volunteering. This brings alot of pressure on someone that may not be developed enough to handle it.

3. Parenting. With the higher cost of living and the desire for more status symbols (cars, larger house, etc.) the work week has expanded significantly. Thus leaving less time for the family unit.

4. Peer pressure. We all had peer pressure when we were young but today it seems to get the best of many of the youth. Wanting to "fit in" is an essential part of growing up in society. When a person is ridiculed because of the way they look or thier religion, etc. it places a wall around them psychologically that tends to numb them from the natural feeling of reaching out to others. As a result, they tend to close in and lose all feeling of compassion.

When a person resorts to such violence as the school shootings and/or suicide I believe they think it is a way for them to correct a difficiency in thier life that they do not know how to correct any other way.

Or the little bastards are just nuts.

[Aussie-SO]

Late 70's early 80's the do gooders of this world stated that we should all spare the rod and spoil the child.

We can now see where it was meant to read "Spared the rod and SPOILED the child" as in spoiled the meal.

Strangely enough about 3 years back these same "DO GOODERS" admitted they may have got it wrong!

Kids divorcing their parents, what tha????? Take the little brats, place them in their bedrooms give em a couple of lashes with the strap across the butt and tell them to pull their blardy heads in!!

Lower the freaking cost of living! Lower interest rates! rant n rave all ya like it ain't going to happen.

Instead, why not take responsibility for your actions, you want the nice house get an education and a decent job where you can afford it.

Stop buying up big cos the "Joneses" have it and live within your means and dag nab it, you might be able to raise kids with an actual parent at home instead of a baby sitting Nintendo.

And the best part, the kids might actually learn a word that is slowly edging toward extinction, RESPECT