Help me defend Gaming's good name!

[Netrigan]

Not 100% on the subject, but something that can provide a sound psychological under-pinning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_does_not_imply_causation

I figure the Wiki article will explain the premise well enough that you can research it properly, but the gist of it would be that violent kids are attracted to violent games, which is not the same as saying violent games cause kids to be violent.

On the flip side of that, video games are very likely having a psychological effect on us. Playing a racing game directly before driving will often lead to more reckless driving. And (not video game related), the Army increased the percentage of soldiers willing to fire on the enemy in combat simply by replacing the circular targets on the firing range with human-shaped targets. I serious wonder if said percentage has gone significantly up since the rise of realistic shooters.

 

[LooK iTz Jinjo]

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s2672009.htm

Watch that video, it's a digital essay which justify's why gaming is good, how it can provide life skills etc.

Also in terms of youth violence, playing violent video games does not make one violent, growing up in a violent household does that.

 

[Nieroshai]

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=108&sid=380776ed-d4b0-4e55-93ac-3ff57c6db4e9%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=51320243

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=108&sid=380776ed-d4b0-4e55-93ac-3ff57c6db4e9%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=44564372

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=108&sid=380776ed-d4b0-4e55-93ac-3ff57c6db4e9%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=37012030

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=108&sid=380776ed-d4b0-4e55-93ac-3ff57c6db4e9%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=44564368

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=11&sid=380776ed-d4b0-4e55-93ac-3ff57c6db4e9%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=43912556

Sorry about the giant links. I hope these help.

You sir are a knight in shining armor.

They... all go the same place.

 

[Nieroshai]

I have found the quota of fifteen sources, thanks both to you all and a site for our side that helpfully linked to five opposition sources. I have yet to verify how good any of these sources are, however. Thank you Escapist, and may we children of Duke Nukem live on!

 

[GonzoGamer]

There are psychos in every kind of society, even those without video games. People go psychotic because of real trauma that happens to them in their upbringing not because it looked cool on the screen. Video games are just the latest scapegoat parents and politicians have so they can't be blamed for traumatizing the youth.
There?s really no way to stop this scapegoating as we?ve seen ?grownups? do this since history has been recorded. Socrates was exiled/executed for corrupting the youth. JS Bach?s music was considered too sensual in it?s time: to be fair, it is very sexy music. The last century saw authority figures pass the blame to literature, jazz music, comic books, heavy metal music, D&D, rap music, and it seems video games will be the current scapegoat until someone creates a type of music that old people find distasteful enough.

I hope that happens soon, so let?s get cracking. I suggest that short wave radio feedback that was trendy 10 years ago mixed with urban poetry Tom Waits style percussion, speed guitar, and squealing horns. It may not be good but we have to pretend to really like it so they can start leaving games alone.

 

[experiment0789]

I don't have time to find you an artical right now, but I suggest you follow the advice of most people on here "The real source of childhood and teen emotional and mental problems are parents or the lack of good parenting skills". There's plenty more people that are effected by bad parenting then video games. When you write this, you have to include Divorse and infereority complexes,after all one of the first things a shrink or Phycatrist,etc will ask about is your childhood at home.

Ps. I will come back to this and find a link later, and please excuse my spelling mistakes if I make any (I'm kind of rushing)