How do I convince my dad that games aren't "Evil"?

Recommended Videos

blankgabriel

New member
Jul 10, 2009
101
0
0
Ganthrinor said:
Tell him he's being racist. Then after a week or so, switch to "Fascist" for about another week. Then agree with everything he says for a week in a totally dead, emotionless voice. Then go buy yourself a pistol (real or fake, doesn't really matter), and set it next to the mouse everytime you game. When he starts to say something, reach for it menacingly without saying a word.
"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far" Teddy R fuck yeah!
 

lacktheknack

Je suis joined jewels.
Jan 19, 2009
19,316
0
0
He left you alone with it after the conversation?

DON'T DO A THING. YOU ARE VERRRRRY LUCKY.

If you must, then only talk about it in a very even tone, and only talk about it when HE brings it up.

If he watches violent shows or movies, point out that those aren't much different.
 

martin's a madman

New member
Aug 20, 2008
2,319
0
0
RootbeerJello said:
My dad's always been skeptical about me playing any games with guns in them, and I've always tried to let it go and not get pissed, but today we had a conversation that made me realize I had to do something. I started up Urban Terror, a Quake 3 Arena mod with blood turned off. The conversation went like this:

WARNING: Big wall-o-text
Dad: Is that the gun game?
Me: Yes dad, this is the "gun game"
Dad: -in a normal, perfectly conversational tone- I hate that game. It's evil.
Me: What?
Dad: It's a game about killing people. It'll make you want to kill people.
Me: No it won't. I'm not that easily influenced.
Dad: It's not about how easily influenced you are. That game will make you evil.
Me: No it won't.
Dad: Yes it will. Games like that make you violent.
Me: I'm not violent!
Dad: Yes you are. You're using a violent tone right now.
Me: so I can't play it anymore?
Dad: You'll stop eventually.
Me: What does that mean?
Dad: Someday you'll understand and stop playing that game. -leaves-


So have any of you Escapists had a similar experience? And what can I do to change my Dad's mind about video games?
Well, if he isn't going to stop you from playing it why bother being offended by his views? I mean, you are playing a game, he thinks it is evil, you still can play that game. Wanting to convince him to think otherwise would be doing the same thing parents who demonise games will do when they try to convince their children games are evil. Just let it be.
 

PaladinThaddeus

New member
Nov 21, 2009
8
0
0
sorry, i cant say anything from experience, (my dad plays God of War, then asks me to come help him when he gets stuck,) but just try digging up some research on the study landfill known as the internet about video game violence that actually shows the correlation between video game and real world aggression. Also, make sure he doesn't watch anything with Jack Thompson.

PS: This may help http://gameoverthinker.blogspot.com/2009/06/finals-episode-25-violence-is-golden.html
 

Pegghead

New member
Aug 4, 2009
4,017
0
0
Well you could tell him the true fact that as the number of violent video games have skyrocketed upwards the number of violent crimes in the world have decreased. You could even make reference to all those who support violet video games as a means of satiating aggression such as the story on the Tibetan monk here on our resident escapist. But hinestly if you really want to nip this situation in the bud just bring it up in conversation the net time you talk to him. He probably came from a very different time so parents have a very hard time understanding the habits and hobbies of their children.
 

Misaek

New member
Oct 28, 2008
509
0
0
Its because parents today are (and I am not trying to sound like a conspiracy theorist here) are more or less brainwashed (not literally) to hate games by the media (at least Fox news which most parents here in the U.S. watch unfortunately), and you know he didn't come up with that argument by sitting there contemplating the universe, if he did it would have more ground than "It'll make ya evil". "Why?" "It just will".
 

008Zulu_v1legacy

New member
Sep 6, 2009
6,019
0
0
Engage him in an intellectual debate over it, ask him for conclusive accredited proof that games like that make you evil. It might sound like your stirring up a hornets nest, and it probably will, but it might help him to realise how close minded he is.

Unless he is of the religious sort some of the people here have guessed he may be. If that is the case, he will go back to believing he is right 5 minutes after the conversation ends.
 

Rawker

New member
Jun 24, 2009
1,115
0
0
Lordmarkus said:
Rawker said:
Games do not influence kids. If Pac-Man were influential, we'd all be running around in dark rooms eating pills and listening to techno.
Dark room? Check
M & M's? Check
Techno? Chemical Brothers, so Check

Pac-Man is more influential than you'd think.
One more factor: Do you see ghosts due to the pills you are taking, and do you run from them?
 
Aug 13, 2009
47
0
0
Show him LFD 2 or GOW2 the gore will...wait
Show his WoW the lack of clothing on the women will disrac...wait nope
Maybe Halo 3 or MW2 mass shootings might be cool...crap nope
Whoops maybe games really are evil
 

shinigamisparda

New member
Nov 21, 2009
156
0
0
Have him sit down and play a JRPG with you. Show him that games like that thrust doing the right thing down your throat the whole time. Hell, I often tell people that all my morals come from playing JRPG's.
 

ae86gamer

New member
Mar 10, 2009
9,009
0
0
Show your dad this.
If he doesn't like video games after seeing this, then there is no hope.
 

Silva

New member
Apr 13, 2009
1,122
0
0
There is no easy way to convince people who have an ideological disagreement with the playing of violent games. To do so, one usually has to do the research and have the person be ready to listen to said research. Feeding in articles that conclude to the contrary, even headline by headline over many years, may work with people you're close to.

Your dad's position may be ridiculous to you, but to really convince someone, try understanding their reasons for believing it (don't assume it is ignorance, it's often not that, but rather a different selection of information). I myself have understood that there is a more subtle influence at work with shooters that you might not notice, but that might change you slightly over many years. The thing about shooters is that they're very good ways of training your reflexes, and that has good and bad results.

The good: you get faster at responding in violent situations, over time. This is perfectly good in and of itself. However...
The bad: in violent situations, you are more likely to respond violently. This is partly because there is usually no "surrender" option in a game, thus training your reactions to only have the other option (this being more noticeable if you play for many hours AND regularly). Running away in games is all too often not going to work, so again you're given only one option - respond violently. And when you are used to that option in an immersive game, I think you could be training yourself into "kick ass mode" when that guy in the alleyway really does ask for your wallet. Now, in combination with "the good" of this, the violent response won't just be the default, it'll be an instant default that you can't think yourself out of.

Now, if you're a pacifist, this is not a good thing at all. If you're in a dangerous situation where running or giving over the wallet would be better ideas, then this is not good. So I can see a bit about what your dad says. Meanwhile, I can also see that a good mental resistance, a strong mind, and careful attention to the subtle influences of self-training through games, can all mitigate the negative effects.

In this light, I suggest that you come at him with an attitude that understands his position in a more complex fashion, armed with detail and empathy, and you may just change his mind. That is, assuming he won't leave during your discussion. That is always a risk with busy parents. In that case, a more Chinese water torture approach - tidbit of information by tidbit over years - will have to do.
 

Heathrow

New member
Jul 2, 2009
455
0
0
My mom was like that until I moved out, my advice? Go to college and ignore your dad. ^^
 

TraumaHound

New member
Jan 11, 2009
574
0
0
...maybe pick up a NES (or run a NES emulator) and fire up some Bible Adventures [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_Adventures] games. Then you can tell your dad you're doing the good Lord's 8-bit work...

...or...

...as a kid growing up in the "D&D is evil" era just get your dad to play the games with you. Help him understand the games, the goals, the storylines; clarify anything he has questions about. Even a little knowledge goes a long, long way.

There's nothing inherently "evil" about videogames, even the shooters. Now, if he's having a problem with the overall violence, they you're out of luck and probably destined to play Hello Kitty Island Adventure [http://www.hellokittyonline.com/] or some such.

Either way, I wish you luck. It's not easy convincing a parent that something's not as bad as they may think.
 

Xylis

New member
Nov 19, 2009
124
0
0
Make him play COD4 multiplayer for a few games. Foolproof.






....please don't hurt me