Greetings all. Just saw this and though I should share.
The Huffington Post wrote:Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) has introduced one of Congress' first pieces of legislation related to the tragedy in Newtown, Conn.: a bill to study the impact of violent video games on children.
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Rockefeller's bill would direct the National Academy of Sciences to lead the investigation on video games' impact and submit a report on its findings within 18 months.
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Other lawmakers, such as Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), have also expressed support for scrutinizing the content of video games.
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The legislation comes after reports suggested that Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza may have played video games like "Call of Duty" and "Starcraft."
I thought the whole farce of video games making you some sort of nut was laid to rest years ago, no? What really bothers me is that so many networks have named SC2 specifically by name. I know its just a study, but the fact legislation against video games... Anti-Starcraft laws, what next?
Well, if the study is carried out correctly, I don't think we have anything to worry about. This is just Jay Rockefeller trying to score some cheap political points.
Gee, we played starcraft. Anyone feel like going on a murdering rampage? Instead of scrutinizing gun laws which is the most blatant issue, we're looking at video games which has been the subject of witch hunts for about a century now?
If the study is carried out correctly, we shouldn't be having any issues. Unfortunately, I'm not 100% sure that that will be the case, and even if it is carried out correctly, politicians everywhere will conveniently forget this survey ever existed.
On December 20 2012 05:23 farvacola wrote: Well, if the study is carried out correctly, I don't think we have anything to worry about.
Not necessarily. Chances are the study will find that video games desensitize people to violence (which we already know) and the media will leap to concluding that densensitized people are more likely to go on killing sprees.
If the US really wants to figure out what's causing them to have so many more mass shootings than other countries (per capita), they should start with factors that actually differ between US citizens and say, Canadian ones.
On December 20 2012 05:23 farvacola wrote: Well, if the study is carried out correctly, I don't think we have anything to worry about.
Not necessarily. Chances are the study will find that video games desensitize people to violence (which we already know) and the media will leap to concluding that densensitized people are more likely to go on killing sprees.
If the US really wants to figure out what's causing them to have so many more mass shootings than other countries (per capita), they should start with factors that actually differ between US citizens and say, Canadian ones.
This is true, but people have been blaming things they don't understand forever. These politicians (and scientists) have basically no understanding of gaming and will make vast and ridiculous conclusions based upon their findings in all likelihood. I'm not looking forward to the outcome of this.
I hate how people blame video games on everything. obesity, anger management, and now killing...... its a sad thing but i guess we cant do anything about it..
Assuming they come up with the insane conclusion that video games cause killing sprees, what kind of legislation could they even pass to combat violent video games that isn't ridiculously unconstitutional? They can't ban the games, they will never be able to enforce this. They can't ban their sale, we'll get them somewhere else. If they regulate what a video game's content must be before its even released, video game industry will just bail to another country and proceed as normal. At best they can try and enforce regulation on youths buying violent video games -- which also wont work.
On December 20 2012 05:41 GeNi wrote: I hate how people blame video games on everything. obesity, anger management, and now killing...... its a sad thing but i guess we cant do anything about it..
We could all pitch in to form a TL think tank that funds politicians who are against anti-video game laws. Thats about it though. I doubt this will get any traction.
On December 20 2012 05:41 GeNi wrote: I hate how people blame video games on everything. obesity, anger management, and now killing...... its a sad thing but i guess we cant do anything about it..
When a new form of media is introduced that will be the new scapegoat for social problems. It's been this way since forever.
On December 20 2012 05:35 AnachronisticAnarchy wrote: If the study is carried out correctly, we shouldn't be having any issues. Unfortunately, I'm not 100% sure that that will be the case, and even if it is carried out correctly, politicians everywhere will conveniently forget this survey ever existed.
Sadly, this seems likely to prove absolutely correct.
One too many drone BBQs must have gotten to his head...
Starcraft is one of the least violent "desensitizing" games of strategy games with violent content out there. Why are they using speculation -- may have played -- as an impetus for this tired war on violent video games? To have effective, meaningful, and smart policies, we should wait for some time after calamities like this to be able to make clearheaded, rational, and informed discource and decisions.
Haha. Anyone with a brain should see what is going on. The youth is into video games and the internet mostly. And so they are losin tons of viewers. This is why they are blaming games and the internet for bad things. Just like Hitler blamed the jews to get whole germany on his side and then into the Reichswehr.
On December 20 2012 05:46 TerribleTrioJon wrote: One too many drone BBQs must have gotten to his head...
Starcraft is one of the least violent "desensitizing" games of strategy games with violent content out there. Why are they using speculation -- may have played -- as an impetus for this tired war on violent video games? To have effective, meaningful, and smart policies, we should wait for some time after calamities like this to be able to make clearheaded, rational, and informed discource and decisions.
They don't believe it themselves, Im pretty sure. Remember medieval days? You had to pay if you sinned. Meanwhile the priests used the money to get richer and richer. They just use recent events as a goal to reach their goals.