89 percent of US parents believe game violence a problem

[DrunkenMonkey]

I love it when people call other people stupid when clearly this is a self defense mechanism to find a scapegoat that conveniently brushes aside responsibility. What you may call stupid OP is just another facet of human nature. They're stupid, we're stupid, we're all just a big bunch of idiots constantly looking around to escape responsibility in various degree and situations.

 

[Entitled]

They should of done a survey for the parents showing movies, books, and television too in order to see if they'd say the same thing.

Acutally, they did ask about stuff other than video games including bullying, easy access to guns, TV and movies, real life crime, toys, sports and music. Some of the questions lumped, TV, movies, games and music together.

Alongside the Hitman TV ad, they apparently also showed an ad for the movie Gangster Squad. Looking through, very few of the questions are actually specific to video games.

A thousand times this, for every future occurance of that argument as well.

The fact is, that the kind of people who think that violent media is a problem, really DON'T discriminate against games. Movies are demanded to have age ratings as well. Parents were concerned about pretty much ALL of the past decade's popular mainstream YA novels.

You hear more of these in the news, because you listen to more gaming news, and because the gaming news media still has a huge persecution complex for acting like a niche, and reporting every time someone utters the word "video games" at anything public.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

this is concerning

with this kind of nationwide hysteria I fear we would be getting "comics code" 2.0

however with most things It will hopefully die down

It SHOULD'VE died down in 1994 after the ESRB was established.

 

[Mike the Bard]

I think it's fair to say that that survey is biased.

In every imaginable way. Turns out the guys behind the survey, common sense media, played a big part in getting California's law restricting video games to minors passed.

They're so biased, they make fox news look bi-partisan.

 

[Vault101]

1,050 people is nationwide hysteria now?

no, but the fact they were calling movies and games into question AT ALL in wake of the shootings is concerning

 

[Vault101]

Saying that on The Escapist forums is like throwing a piece of meat into a pack of starving rabid hyenas.

Remind me again who brought the world into both the atomic and information ages, got a man on the moon first, got to Mars first, invented countless technologies used around the world... oh, right.

it certainly wasnt Areleen and Cletus....

 

[ShinyCharizard]

I doubt it. People always look to blame everything but the real cause for what others and themselves do. They always have, it's human nature. Our generation will find something else to blame everything on, even if it's no longer video games. Besides, our generation might still do blame video games too, the reason that the media is targeting games right now is because video games are an easy target, and it'll still unfortunately be an easy target a few decades from now.

What's the real cause? Again, human nature, that's what. The fact that a lot of people are just assholes, or in shooter's case, psychotic assholes, and there's no 1 singular cause for that. That's assuming psychotic dickery is something that even HAS an external cause, that's another thing that has never been proven.

In these sorts of discussions it is always said that it is simply human nature to blame our problems on the easy targets. But is that really the case? Alot of people, especially those of us on The Escapist are able to look beyond that in order to try and find the real cause. Does that mean that it is only the nature of stupid people, or are we simply the exception to the rule?

 

[Twilight_guy]

Wait, I already read this story and sqaw different numbers!
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121476-Common-Sense-Media-Polls-Finds-Fear-of-Violence-Running-High

Somebody is lying here!

Please, don't conflate stupidity with ignorance. People are ignorant and scared (about most things not just this). They react by trying to make sense of things and linking exposure with behavior, which is a logical connection even if it doesn't really work here so long as people can separate reality from fantasy.

 

[AD-Stu]

In every imaginable way. Turns out the guys behind the survey, common sense media, played a big part in getting California's law restricting video games to minors passed.

Did they really though? I know it says they played a "major role" on the organisation's Wikipedia entry, but really all they did was submit the results of another survey they did that said lots of parents supported the motion. It stands to reason that the organisation will grandstand and claim that constituted a "major role" but if that's all they did (and I think if they did more, they'd be crowing about that too) I don't see it being anything other than a sideline.

Plus maybe this is the Australian in me showing, but there's a big difference between restricting sale to minors and banning something outright. I don't actually see a problem with the former.

A side question for everyone responding to this thread, BTW - how many of you have children?

 

[brom0220]

I have a feeling that percentage is going to start plummeting here in a few years when our generation has kids of our own.

Also, that survey is atrociously worded and biased.

Other highlights from the study included 60 percent of parents saying they "very closely" monitor the movies, video games, and music their children listen to with respect to violent content. Additionally, parents surveyed expressed faith in the movie and video game ratings systems, the MPAA and ESRB, respectively, with 68 percent saying the current systems do allow parents to make informed decisions about violent content. Other highlights from the study included 60 percent of parents saying they "very closely" monitor the movies, video games, and music their children listen to with respect to violent content. Additionally, parents surveyed expressed faith in the movie and video game ratings systems, the MPAA and ESRB, respectively, with 68 percent saying the current systems do allow parents to make informed decisions about violent content.

Seriously? Evidence that parents are doing exactly what they're supposed to and they're pinning some bullshit questions like

One question asked if parents thought violence in video games could lead to violence in the real world

to it to misrepresent opinion. Yeah, violence in video games could translate to violent incidents IRL. Know something else that could happen? Me wanking furiously for days straight and attracting a mate through the pheromones present in the pool of spunk.

Fuck the assholes that wrote this "study." Jesus.

EDIT) And another thing: the uneducated (or perhaps simply ignorant) opinions of a bunch of parents means absolutely fuck all, aside from showcasing the fact that they're ignorant. There hasn't been a single scientific study "linking" video games and IRL violence that hasn't committed crippling methodological errors, and the wishful thinking of the ignorant won't change that.

GRAAAAAAAHHH VULIEV SMASH

You sir are awesome.

Spoiler: Here is your prize.

OT: The study just reports that people think that violence in video games might cause violence to be a problem in real life. As the above poster stated, it only shows what peoples' ignorance has allowed them to believe. If they knew more about the science behind studies of video games and violence, they might see things differently.

Spoiler: Because, as we know. . .

Thinking something is the case, doesn't make it so.

 

[mitchell271]

Quick nitpick before I weigh in: questions 8, 28-9 should not have an average, they should have a median.

Doesn't help that there is a certain kind of people that would take this quiz. 1000 people is not representative of a country with 311 million people.

 

[FEichinger]

There is two sides to this coin. Mind you, I fully agree that it's highly biased and pretty ridiculous. I mean, using Hitman: Absolution (which is rated M [www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=32539], btw) as the example is ... again: ridiculous. Of course a game that isn't supposed to be touched by minors is actually not appropriate for them. Who would've thought?

But then there's the people here fearing "They want to take our games away!!" Need I remind you that this defensiveness is exactly the same one that's against gun control? We laugh about Australia and Germany censoring games and restricting their sale. But these countries don't give games with big fat "16+" or "18+" ratings to kids who simply should not play these at all. If their parents believe they are mature enough for these games, they may gift them - perfectly fine, that's in-house. But having no restrictions whatsoever, except for "well, it says so on the box" does not work.

Yes, I find it absolute bullshit that this takes the extent of some games being banned entirely in Germany & Australia, or that people rally to destroy "violent video games". This shouldn't be the case, because the responsibility should be with the parents. But the general idea (keeping stuff from people who it's not appropriate for) behind it is perfectly fine. Going into this with an attitude of fear over what the government might take away from you just makes the problem worse - this goes for all these problems, not just video games.

 

[chawlie fair]

My parents were not interviewed, so this study can go fuck itself.

 

[jovack22]

The violent nature of video games however does say something about our society. Our music, games, entertainment, etc etc is going down a troubling path.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

89% of the US parents who took part in this survey are idiots, then.

GRAAAAAAAHHH VULIEV SMASH

VIDEOGAMES MADE HIM VIOLENT!! QUICK! BURN THE WITCH!

...I mean, uh, the videogames.

Sometimes I wonder if it's true that Americans are stupid.... >.>

Saying that on The Escapist forums is like throwing a piece of meat into a pack of starving rabid hyenas.

Remind me again who brought the world into both the atomic and information ages, got a man on the moon first, got to Mars first, invented countless technologies used around the world... oh, right.

He said Americans. Not an American.

Individuals of America are some of the smartest, most ingenious minds, both scientifically and philosophically, to walk this Earth. The American people - "Americans" - not so much. Americans didn't get to the moon first, American astronauts did. Americans didn't invent technologies, American inventors did. Maybe you wanna lump the small fish in with the big pond, maybe I can say the whole of America is smart yes definitely. But no. The majority of America - what we call Americans - are stupid, and, perhaps, stupider than most peoples on whole.

 

[MarlonBlazed]

The real story here is that 1000 out of 315,114,000 people is now considered 89%. That would mean each person equals 28,045,146 people... I think, hell IDK feel free to correct that number I failed math.

 

[jovack22]

The violent nature of video games however does say something about our society. Our music, games, entertainment, etc etc is going down a troubling path.

er what?

Human entertainment has ALWAYS been violent, so if you mean it has been going down a troubling path...since the beginning of time, I suppose you might be right, but it is the norm.

Fair enough... there is something ancient in our DNA that appeals to our primal/bestial instincts. However as human beings we should be trying to transcend this. Thinking about it, perhaps human society has always had these faults.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I won't watch mma, or play something violent, however it doesn't mean things can't change for the better. What I mean is, there is too much emphasis on these forms of entertainment. It is holding us back as a species.

If all people care about is football, the new kanye album, the new rims on their car, etc etc, the real issues are just being ignored. Maybe it's like that for a reason.

Keeping people stupid is what lets society function. Mediocrity keeps the majority happy... like ants, only a few elite can be the 'queen' and the other thousands will be the workers/drones.