US crime rate drops due to game

[MikeOfThunder]

According to the BBC, crime in the USA has dropped dramatically during the past twenty years.

Given on the website, there are ten reasons as to why the crime rate has dropped, one of which (number 9) claims that video games are the cause:

"9. A study released last month suggested video games were keeping young people off the streets and therefore away from crime. Researchers in Texas working with the Centre for European Economic Research said this "incapacitation effect" more than offset any direct impact the content of the games may have had in encouraging violent behaviour."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13799616



I think there is actually some fair reason behind this. Games keep many people off the streets, most of whom are young. I'm sure this isn't the only reason (as there are many listed) but an interesting contributer.

 

[Lrbearclaw]

At least games are getting GOOD press.... for once.

 

[El Cookio]

Everyone's inside shooting people instead of outside shooting people.

 

[Tsaba]

We're number 9, you know they are going to ignore us by just exploring the top 5 if this does get any coverage at all... gonna bookmark that link though, good looking out there Mike.

EDIT: Personal favorite is number 8.

 

[GrizzlerBorno]

Everyone's inside shooting people instead of outside shooting people.

It's a fucking Miracle, innit?!!

Eventually people will be too busy playing games to fight Wars. Then nations will Duke it out in 5000 vs 5000 World of Warcraft matches. It will be awesome! World Peace here I COME!!

 

[WouldYouKindly]

Everyone's inside shooting people instead of outside shooting people.

Yeah, GTA/any sandbox game is a great stress reliever. If nothing else it should stave off your office massacre for a few weeks.

 

[Griffolion]

Everyone's inside shooting people instead of outside shooting people.

It's true and while weird, actually very good. It's violence, but not real violence. So any nasty needs are being satisfied in a simulated context.

 

[MikeOfThunder]

We're number 9, you know they are going to ignore us by just exploring the top 5 if this does get any coverage at all... gonna bookmark that link though, good looking out there Mike.

Yay! The only worthy post I have ever done!

I have a feeling this will get very little coverage as well. Newspapers/programs don't like to cover good things usually, especially if there is a chance that games are potentially beneficial to society.

 

[CrashBang]

Everyone's inside shooting people instead of outside shooting people.

QFT (not used that acronym for aaages), this is pretty much what I was going to say

 

[Tsaba]

We're number 9, you know they are going to ignore us by just exploring the top 5 if this does get any coverage at all... gonna bookmark that link though, good looking out there Mike.

Yay! The only worthy post I have ever done!

I have a feeling this will get very little coverage as well. Newspapers/programs don't like to cover good things usually, especially if there is a chance that games are potentially beneficial to society.

Seriously, abortion was ranked higher than us, that's how seriously they take games.

 

[Imper1um]

Shyt, everyone from the Escapist could tell you that it's easier to shoot 1000 people on and make them whine than to go out, purchase a gun, kill someone, get arrested by the cops, go to jail, go through various court proceedings, and get killed by lethal injection.

 

[RA92]

Just wait till Fox News demands that kids start being violent because video games are incapacitating them... -_-

 

[Silvianoshei]

I dunno how statistically significant that is, but I'm shocked. Good press. Sheesh.

 

[Radoh]

Dubious claim strikes me as dubious.
Though this warrants further investigation on my part.
To the internet!

 

[Gralian]

This is obvious though, isn't it? One of the number one reasons for antisocial behaviour and crimes is because of boredom. Video games are entertainment and alleviate that boredom, meaning they won't resort to such behaviour for kicks. It's the argument that's always been used whenever a group of youths are seen outside an off license drinking booze and picking fights with the elderly. They do it because they're bored. It's a stupid reason, but it's also a clearly evident one. I think that's the point of community programmes as well; getting youth off the streets and doing things like volunteer work or playing sport in order to avoid boredom setting in and resorting to criminal activity for entertainment.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Given on the website, there are ten reasons as to why the crime rate has dropped, one of which (number 9) claims that video games are the cause:

10 possible reasons put forwards by various people. This isn't exactly much of a news item. Sure, it's nice to hear that, for example, the town of Laredo in Texas has developed clever and more effective ways to catch car thieves, but that doesn't mean the decrease in murders in the entire US over the last 20 years is due to improved methodology.

 

[Gralian]

Just wait till Fox News demands that kids play games to incapacitate them and prevent violent behaviour

(Re-wrote your quote since it made no sense and i assume the whole sentence was a typo)

Media tends to be woefully hyperbolic, using words and phrases that are really not needed. "Incapacitating" should really be written as "providing entertainment as a distraction". They just like to use buzzwords to get people excited and read their material. The fact you picked up on that word means they are doing their job. The media sucks, it really does.

Dubious claim strikes me as dubious.

It's not dubious, though. It's logic: If young people have nothing to do at home, and indeed their home is probably dysfunctional anyway, they're going to look for entertainment elsewhere, which is what leads to antisocial-based crimes. The whole point is ridiculously asinine. You could replace "playing video games" with "reading books" and it would still be "keeping young people off the streets and therefore away from crime". Video games just happen to be something of a more logical choice since it's a constant hot topic in the media. I really doubt there's a metric for how many 'potential criminals' chose to play videogames instead of kick old man Jenkins in the giblets.

Everyone's inside shooting people instead of outside shooting people.

Right, but there's nothing to suggest 'potential criminals' are finding satisfaction in specifically violent video games. I know it was meant to be a witticism, but it still might get people misconstrued with the idea that violent people = only play violent games. This is not the case. The content of the game has nothing to do with it. It's simply providing a distraction to prevent boredom.

 

[aba1]

huh this list seems backwards