Poll: Do Video Games Cause Negative Effects In The People Who Play Them?

[Sovvolf]

I went with the "Depends on the age they started playing and what games they started out with." as I started playing computer games as early as 2 and I was playing "violent" video games at the age of about 5 and well growing up with games from that age sort of desensitised me violent video games, I'm capable of understanding that this is make believe and I can only do it in this reality and doing it in real life would have me either dead or in jail.

I just can't be seeing what every one else is seeing when it comes to these "Murder simulators" I don't look at them and think "Zomg think of the children some bodies going to imitate this, there's going to be mass murderz" I just look at them and think "Cool I can blow up x amount of buildings or I can triple jump off a building and cut some one in half with a sword".
The people that do kill people "Because of video games" it's not the video game to blame... the person doing the killing clearly isn't all there, to kill some one for reasons such as this you can't be all in the head and well if a video game wasn't going to influenced it then a movie or music soundtrack would have... heck I've heard of people killing people because of a book they read (The Bible).

I also don't see why video games get such a bad reaction, I can think of many people who have been killed as a direct response to a video game. I know the numbers are fewer the Music, Movies and even Books. Most gamers out there seem to actually be a extremely pacifistic when compared to those that don't often play video games. "Chav's" don't play video games that often, they go out in groups and try to earn there ASBO's yet us gamers are supposed to believe that were the scourge of society.

 

[Dannyboy1186]

I sappose its down to if they can tell the difference between real life and the game. I mean I dont go by steryotypes but I am sure most people who play games are those who are sensible when playing them. Negative effects happen most of the time I admit but I honestly think in the right hands they can be good forms of entertainment with no negative effects on the person.

 

[silentsentinel]

Too much water is bad for you.

Too much air is bad for you.

Too much video-game playing is bad for you.

 

[Kodlak]

Mistaking fantasy for real-life is not a negative side-effect, it's provided hours of fun for others when I'm drunk and convinced that I can run up walls.

 

[Comma-Kazie]

For the most part, no, but if a young child plays a game like Condemned then I would say that there is a risk.

 

[Uilleand]

This.

Are Video Games Harmful?Yes they are. In the hands of stupid people. Can we do something about stupid people? Yes we can. What? Kill the stupid people...or keep the stupid people from playing games. I like the first option better.

Sorry, forgot to add something. Do you find games therepeutic? Have you ever picked up your controller and popped in a violent game in an effort to calm yourself down? Or have you ever played any game, but most often a violent game, and felt relaxed and calmer after your gaming experience?

Absolutely!! Sniping heads of giant green mutants, running over space zombies with my tank, or blowing holes through 10'foot tall ogres keeps me from doing those exact things to people in my office.
Having some form of mental escape is paramount to my sanity.

 

[Summerstorm]

EVERYTHING is harmful if used wrong/too much/too less. If you drink not enough it's bad for you, if you have no social life, it's harmful, if you drink alcohol every day (to be able too sleep) it is bad. Watching 12 hours TV a day is bad, smoking is bad, skydiving may be bad. Having too much fun is bad, having no fun is bad.

It is just another aspect of our lifes we have to balance out, integrate it into our activities and use it RIGHT. Just let your children play a little, and games you think are right for them. And if you are an adult: Ask yourself what you want/expect for your life balance it out with fun/fantasy from your hobbies (such as gaming) and try to stay sane and content.

Just don't get addicted on games, don't let them take over part of your brain (that's the thing you think with) and everything is alright.

 

[oppp7]

Lol, everyone here is a gamer. No one is going to admit that it's harmful, even if it is.
But my answer wasn't in your poll, so I choose some random answer. It depends on the person, the game, the amount of time playing it, and what else they're doing. As they said in another article, since kids are spending more time on video games and TV, they aren't getting enough sunlight for some chemical whose name escapes me...
In some cases, video games can be good, and in others it can harm people.

 

[Bat Vader]

I will agree that violent video games as well as violent movies, books, comics, and graphic novels will desensitize people.

But, just because someone is desensitized to violence does not mean they will commit a violent act.

 

[TwistedLogic]

I've done studies on reports of kids killing family, friends and strangers and the media usually blames the games the kids play. I'd say that it's kinda semi-accurate, mentally unstable people are gonna be easily influenced by things like violence in games and should be banned from using any such media (even things that are not games) that can influence them in a negative way. Main problem is that these types of problems can often be completely hidden until they manifest themselves and we get headlines about school massacres etc.

But meh, prolly won't be solved cause the government is more comfortable blaming media rather than taking action themselves.

 

[oliveira8]

Are Video Games Harmful?Yes they are. In the hands of stupid people. Can we do something about stupid people? Yes we can. What? Kill the stupid people...or keep the stupid people from playing games. I like the first option better.

Me likey you...

Also yes, have you seen 2/3 of the population of this site? I would say thats pretty damn harmful. Go get some fresh air you dateless....ill stop there to be kind...

Of course you like me...you are me from the FUTURE!!!!!

*cue Twilight Zone music*

 

[ravensshade]

only if they allready have problems and then the cause could just as easily come from other sources (like books/movies

 

[Arkhangelsk]

Even if they already have problems, it's more of a slight wind on an already lit fuse on a crazy bomb. I've already nagged times before, so I won't put a full rant here, but I'll say this: Games are more likely to help than to harm. They relieve stress, they keep your twisted fantasies out of this world. I've heard so many reports on games destroying lives where the games barely have anything to do with it. There are other factors that could be just as harmful. The TV, the news (oh, the irony that would erupt), and even real life. Games are just as harmful as any other media, this has just become a trend for news media and politicians (you know who you are, Michael Atkinson). This thing just makes me go mad. You could say it makes me want to... kill someone.

But can games harm? Yes, if you throw the box at someones head or use the disc as a shuriken.

 

[Emperor Inferno]

Yes. They are time wasters, money wasters, and they wreck social lives.

But I luv them.

 

[DazZ.]

No, they are not harmful.

I've played games that people would consider harmful all my life and I am perfectly fine.

 

[ChocoFace]

games can kill too. Say, if a copy of Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad would happen to fall on your head from an impossibly high altitude at the right angle, you'd die.

 

[Chancie]

I could see it if the person already had some sort issue to begin with. Depending on the game, it might just add fuel to the fire. But otherwise, to the average person? No. It's just a fun way to pass the time.

 

[Geekmaster K]

I've heard of many cases where someone stupid will actually carry out what he does in-game, and in those cases, it's not the game's fault, but the person who did it. Sadly, the non-gaming politicians ALWAYS blame video games for this, even if the game itself was unrelated. For example, little Jimmy brings a gun to school, shoots a teacher and a couple of students, and then shoots himself. The police and lawyers in the case find out that he was a gamer, and they immediately blame video games on the shooting, then try and find some way to get a law passed to ban a certain game or video games in general. They completely ignore the fact that he had a dysfunctional home life, his parents were getting a divorce, he had no friends and was picked on all the time at school, the teachers at the school did nothing about him being picked on, etc. Instead of looking at these factors, they blame it on the video games, and ruin everything for people who AREN'T screwed up.

This is why I'm thankful for the Wii despite Nintendo's casual gaming shift. Getting older people into gaming through this console may help them understand that video games are not inherently evil.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

Where's the "No, they're beneficial." option?

This.

Games can not ever be blamed for anything whatsoever. It's because of stupid and impressionable shitheads that the Virginia and Jokela (Finland) massacres happened.