Video Game Violence

[Falcon123]

I go to a Catholic High School and am currently forced to take a course called "Peace and Justice" in which we are taught Catholic Social Teaching. Right now, we are learning about violence and why everything associated with violence is wrong (note: I do NOT believe in Catholic Social Teaching, nor do I believe just about anything in Catholicism, but I don't want this to be a religious debate or I would have put this in religion).

Anyway, she told the class that it was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was an association between video games and violent tendencies. While I am normally willing to let the things she says slide, I refused to allow her to say something like that based of a completely uninformed opinion. I argued with her for the next twenty minutes of class to no avail.

That night, I found a PBS article which proved there was no correllation between video games and violence, along with debunking several other video game myths (lost the article, sorry). When I showed it to her, she actually sat down, read it, and changed her mind. The next day, she apologized for what she said in front of the whole class.

My question to my fellow Escapees: What was your greatest accomplishment involving changing people's incorrect opinions about video games?

 

[DefunctTheory]

I haven't found anyone who actually believes that rubbish, besides my mother.

And my mother will be damned before she'll let anyone change her mind.

 

[Marter]

I was told that playing video games had a direct correlation with my marks. When I played more video games, my mark would drop.

I increased my video game playing, and put in a bit more effort into my school work. My marks went up, proving them wrong.

 

[RUINER ACTUAL]

Good thing you don't believe any of it. That almost sounds like brain washing. And who are Catholics to say that violence is bad? Anyone remember the Crusades? (I use to be Catholic, then I got a brain.)

 

[Logic 0]

Teaching my dad how to turn my games on ... it's a start at least.

 

[Kurokami]

Good thing you don't believe any of it. That almost sounds like brain washing. And who are Catholics to say that violence is bad? Anyone remember the Crusades? (I use to be Catholic, then I got a brain.)

Yes, cause all catholics are pro crusades, I keep forgetting. =/ By your reasoning no one can say that violence is bad.

 

[quiet_samurai]

Right..... because Catholocism has always been a peaceful and tolerant organization since it's inception.

Good thing you don't believe any of it. That almost sounds like brain washing. And who are Catholics to say that violence is bad? Anyone remember the Crusades? (I use to be Catholic, then I got a brain.)

Yes, cause all catholics are pro crusades, I keep forgetting. =/ By your reasoning no one can say that violence is bad.

I think what he may have been saying is that without the crusades then catholocism probably wouldn't be the powerhouse it is today.... at least taht's what I gathered from it.

 

[Yureina]

I never really have had teachers try to persuade people on garbage like that. Most of the propaganda i've gotten in class has been political in nature. Alot of bashing of the right-wing and what not, and when I was in California raising even centrist opinions (such as what I have) led to accusations of being a psycho/republican/etc. It was rather depressing. Most of the time I just kept my mouth shut and told myself that the teacher, and the students who responded to him, were just a bunch of ingorants who could not tolerate differing opinions.

 

[aPod]

Good thing you don't believe any of it. That almost sounds like brain washing. And who are Catholics to say that violence is bad? Anyone remember the Crusades? (I use to be Catholic, then I got a brain.)

Yes, cause all catholics are pro crusades, I keep forgetting. =/ By your reasoning no one can say that violence is bad.

I happen to agree with you, even though i don't think Corroded Sin meant it in the way you took it. However his (i use to be Catholic, then I got a brain) line seems to be the mindset of all the "intelligent" internet goers.

Just because you dont agree with someones viewpoint and belief in a God doesnt make you better than them but whatever some people have this built in need to feel superior to others for one reason or another.

No i am not a Catholic.

OT:

My sister used to think video games were for losers and then i got her hooked on WoW... worse than me.

 

[TheFacelessOne]

Another mortal saved from the media.

You are now rewarded with the Gamer's Medal of Honor.

I dun know what that means, but it must be good. Congratulations.

 

[Omikron009]

Wow. You're awesome. I've never actually encountered anybody who was really against games, but I'd like to imagine that if I did choose to argue with them it would go something like how it went with you.

 

[Julianking93]

Right..... because Catholocism has always been a peaceful and tolerant organization since it's inception.

Damn it! I was going to say that.

But yeah, there is no correlation between violence in the real world and violence in video games (or any media for that matter)

I personally have never had anything that awesome happen to me in which I've actually changed someone's opinion on a subject though.

 

[Luke5515]

You need to dig up this article so we can all print and lamintae a copy to carry with us.

 

[YouGetWhatsGiven]

Everything has an effect on you. Even video games. While violent video games may not make me turn into a mindless killing machine, I think that it would be easier for me to put a gun to a person's head and shoot it after playing a game that teaches me how.

 

[Cthulhu's Priest]

[link]http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html[/link]

Was this the article?
OT: The only person would be my mom and she has started playing Guitar Hero a little, so it's a start.

 

[JAY_RAD]

I don't know if I changed anyone's mind but I wrote an essay, about video game violence having no correlation to teenager angst, in school and read it to the class. I got most of it from an episode of Penn & Teller: Bullsh*t about video games. They had some good points.
I don't know what the big deal is about video game violence. I guess they got to blame all the violence in the world on something

 

[Malifact]

Hoi... let's cut the Catholic basing right now, eh? I'm one. I "believe". I go to Church. I play video-games.

Don't see how that's a problem.

 

[Kurokami]

Good thing you don't believe any of it. That almost sounds like brain washing. And who are Catholics to say that violence is bad? Anyone remember the Crusades? (I use to be Catholic, then I got a brain.)

Yes, cause all catholics are pro crusades, I keep forgetting. =/ By your reasoning no one can say that violence is bad.

I happen to agree with you, even though i don't think Corroded Sin meant it in the way you took it. However his (i use to be Catholic, then I got a brain) line seems to be the mindset of all the "intelligent" internet goers.

Just because you dont agree with someones viewpoint and belief in a God doesnt make you better than them but whatever some people have this built in need to feel superior to others for one reason or another.

No i am not a Catholic.

OT:

My sister used to think video games were for losers and then i got her hooked on WoW... worse than me.

Mmm, I do get frustrated in these cases where people think that faith and intelligence can't coexist. Alot of kids nowadays think they've hit intellectual gold when they reach the question of gods existence and decide to stick to it like a... ironically only religious and sexual metaphors come to mind. My point is when they close their minds off and pretend to be intelligent for it, that's where I find myself getting frustrated.

My younger sister has two older brothers who are very... geeky in some respects, in one dress-up party we dressed up as the Hulk and Captain America and started fighting almost every time we saw each other. My point is, she never really stood a chance and she is somewhat into gaming though its mostly RPGs and occasionally Unreal Tournament. =]