9 year old boy commits suicide, videogames to blame....really?

[ChromeAlchemist]

Nothing more than a copypasta job and my opinion needed here, so here goes.

The heartbreaking story of a nine-year old Texas boy committing suicide at school led a Clinical Psychologist to attempt to pin part of the blame for kids acting out in ways outside of the norm on violent videogames.

The fourth-grader in question was a student at Stewart Creek Elementary School. He asked a nurse to use the restroom, locked himself inside and tragically hung himself. In a CNN video report on the story, Clinical Psychologist Dr. Brenda Wade was brought in for commentary.

The doctor cited two factors for why children are acting out in ways ?never imagined possible?. The first was that there is now ?more instability? in families, because of external stresses and the economy.

The second factor? Violent videogames of course.

Dr. Wade stated:

The other factor is that younger and younger children are exposed to very violent videogames with content that I would shudder to have an adult watch on a regular basis.

We just covered, a couple days ago, the story that children are watching as much as 52 hours a week of TV and sitting in front of a screen. A lot of that content is not uplifting and it?s not teaching our children how to handle problems and feelings.

These statements came moments after the Doctor cautioned that we ?don?t want to blame and cast dispersions? at what role the boy?s family may have played in the tragedy.

Dr. Wade bills herself as a nationally syndicated talk show host and best selling author (as seen on Oprah). Visitors to her website are also offered a free love lesson.

The thing is, there is no actual way of pinning this child's actions (while a tragedy indeed) to video games directly, and yet she pretty much did just that.

Bear in mind I'm from the UK, but what is it with american media and scapegoating (though bear in mind the Daily Mail is just as bad here, but it's print media only)?

But I digress, what are your thoughts on this?

Source [http://gamepolitics.com/2010/01/26/after-tragedy-dr-plays-violent-game-blame-card]

 

[Z of the Na'vi]

I'm kidding, I'm kidding.

In all seriousness, I'm surprised the people would jump to such conclusions as violent video games.

For crying out loud I've been playing violent games since I was 12, and I'm fine.

It's just that some kids are more impressionable than others.

 

[jimduckie]

gee don't blame games , blame the media ... kids are brainwashed into thinkiing violence and disrespect are acceptable behavior

 

[Olikunmissile]

Well, that is straight up retarded.

 

[Julianking93]

People just want to blame everything on videogames don't they?

How the fuck would playing games in which you kill people make you want to kill yourself?

That doctor's a goddamn retard.

 

[delet]

Oh right, killing a hooker in GTA makes me want to hang myself! That's what the message was. I always thought I was supposed to kill hookers.

Sigh, idiocy. What can ya do?

 

[DeadlyYellow]

Bear in mind I'm from the UK, but what is it with american media and scapegoating (though bear in mind the Daily Mail is just as bad here, but it's print media only)?

When has America ever been a source for outstanding media integrity? We are home to Fox News afterall.

As sad as this is and as insensitive as I am, I can't help but ponder how he hung himself in a school bathroom.

 

[TheSentinel]

It's because New Media Are Evil. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NewMediaAreEvil]

 

[manaman]

Gezz if video games could do that to a nine year old there would be a lot more suicides among teens. I would blame more a horrible home life, and abuse at the hands of the people he is supposed to trust.

 

[Kortney]

A 9 year old wouldn't even fully understand the concept of suicide, and for someone so young to do that he must have been either heavily influenced or had a chemical imbalance in his head. Most likely a mixture of both. There is no reason why a video game could not induce this influence. Leave the Doctor alone, he is a Doctor for a fucking reason.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

So TV isn't to blame when they show REAL people and having REAL deaths but a VIRTUAL character on in something that isn't real is just because the person is pressing buttons. What if he had depression or abusive parents? Was that a factor..oh wait a minute this "Doctor" is endorsed by Oprah and being she's queen of the world this braindead ***** is automatically right about everything

 

[Cpu46]

I honestly feel horible for the kid and his family, but a question is nagging at me.

How did he hang himself in a bathroom. Last I checked there wernt hooks hanging from the ceiling in my bathroom and toilet paper dosnt exactly make good rope.

EDIT: wow my first experience at being ninja'd

 

[I Stomp on Kittens]

GTA made the noose and Halo opened and locked the door.
An Eyewitness had this to say: "I saw two video-game cases pull this kid into the bathroom and I was shocked"


Police are now on the search for these two criminals:

Spoiler: Suspects #1

Spoiler: Suspect #2

They are very dangerous and if you know of their whereabouts please contact the police.

 

[Swaki]

see i want to blame the family, or the school, or anyone else but the media and games, i mean the kid must have acted out in some excessively emotional way that should have set off some red lights at home.

 

[Orwellian37]

The American media always scapegoats people, especially when they can move the blame off of the parents. Because no parent could possible cause a child such psychological damage that they commit suicide. If the kid didn't watch the news so much, maybe he wouldn't have been so screwed up.