Video Gaming Myths

[Siuki]

We've all heard the old sayings: "Video games will rot your brain!" "It'll make you violent!" etc. One way or another, a parent has tried to persuade you to not play video games. What is the most unbelievable or outrageous saying you've heard come from playing video games?

For me, a friends mom had told me that video games had actually melted her cousin's sister's son's eyeballs out. That source was as reliable about gaming as Fox News. I haven't seen many blind nerds around lately, so I don't think she's right.

If you've been skimming, what is the most unbelievable or outrageous saying you've heard from a parent that would come from playing video games?

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

I believe a i heard a mom once say that Video games take your soul and make you eat babies. But since i regard most thing that report about the violence caused by video games as bullshit and crap i could be wrong.

 

[Kouen]

"Duke Nukem Forever is coming soon!"

Jokes aside, yea Ive heard a fair few like keep staring at those games and your eyes will go square.. which was hypocritical of her... all she did was watch TV >.<

 

[Lullabye]

I believe a i heard a mom once say that Video games take your soul and make you eat babies. But since i regard most thing that report about the violence caused by video games as bullshit and crap i could be wrong.

No, no you're perfectly right. I've been munching munchkins long before I even picked up a controller.
"Games don't eat babies, people eat babies."

Hmm, a video game myth...."Games will make you smarter."

 

[Shockolate]

Aw man. I was hoping to be the first the put "Pressing A DOES NOT Increase the chance of catching a pokemon". Different kind of myth.

Probably anything from that religious gaming site, though I'm pretty sure it's a joke. Pastor Skeet? It actually had me going for a bit.

 

[Siuki]

I believe a i heard a mom once say that Video games take your soul and make you eat babies. But since i regard most thing that report about the violence caused by video games as bullshit and crap i could be wrong.

So playing a war game about fighting Hitler will turn you into the Antichrist? Totally weird if you're playing Dante's Inferno. I can't believe a game as cute and cuddly as Little Big Planet could be so evil.

"Duke Nukem Forever is coming soon!"

Jokes aside, yea Ive heard a fair few like keep staring at those games and your eyes will go square.. which was hypocritical of her... all she did was watch TV >.<

Was she watching Fox News? It would explain her actions. Come to think of it, square eyes would look pretty cool. Then you could have square glasses for a reason!

Aw man. I was hoping to be the first the put "Pressing A DOES NOT Increase the chance of catching a pokemon". Different kind of myth.

Probably anything from that religious gaming site, though I'm pretty sure it's a joke. Pastor Skeet? It actually had me going for a bit.

Sorry for disappointing you. That thread may catch on though. I've always pressed A every time the pokeball wiggled. Force of habit.

 

[Chamale]

My dad, watching me tear through zombies with a machete in Left 4 Dead 2.

"Don't you think this desensitizes you to violence?"
Me, sarcastically: "Yup, this is completely desensitizing me to grey pixels becoming red pixels"
"No, really. This is teaching you terrible lessons about how to relate to people. It's telling you to solve problems with violence."
Me: "The problem I'm solving requires self-defence."
"Killing indiscriminately is self-defense?"
Me: "I'm not killing indiscriminately! Look, I'm not killing Nick, or Rochelle, or Ellis, or that Witch..."
"But you are killing all of the zombies."
Me: "Killing a zombie is inherently an act of self-defense, as all zombies by definition are soulless killing machines."
"Couldn't a game teach you the same lesson about, for example, Muslims?"

At this point I was literally speechless, dumbstruck, and other words that also mean "unable to speak because that argument was so poor". How could a game like that get past the ESRB, let alone Faux News and CNN?


TL;DR: My dad said that video games might teach me the terrible lesson that killing a Muslim is inherently an act of self-defense, as all Muslims by definition are soulless killing machines.

 

[Kouen]

"Duke Nukem Forever is coming soon!"

Jokes aside, yea Ive heard a fair few like keep staring at those games and your eyes will go square.. which was hypocritical of her... all she did was watch TV >.<

Was she watching Fox News? It would explain her actions. Come to think of it, square eyes would look pretty cool. Then you could have square glasses for a reason!

or look freaky like mama did in Doomsday arcade

 

[Siuki]

My dad, watching me tear through zombies with a machete in Left 4 Dead 2.

[snippy snip]

Me: "Killing a zombie is inherently an act of self-defense, as all zombies by definition are soulless killing machines."
"Couldn't a game teach you the same lesson about, for example, Muslims?"

At this point I was literally speechless, dumbstruck, and other words that also mean "unable to speak because that argument was so poor". How could a game like that get past the ESRB, let alone Faux News and CNN?

TL;DR: My dad said that video games might teach me the terrible lesson that killing a Muslim is inherently an act of self-defense, as all Muslims by definition are soulless killing machines.

How horrifyingly Religiousist(?) of him. Just tell him they're Muslim zombies, if that will put his spirit at rest.

"Duke Nukem Forever is coming soon!"

Jokes aside, yea Ive heard a fair few like keep staring at those games and your eyes will go square.. which was hypocritical of her... all she did was watch TV >.<

Was she watching Fox News? It would explain her actions. Come to think of it, square eyes would look pretty cool. Then you could have square glasses for a reason!

or look freaky like mama did in Doomsday arcade

Sadly, anime eyes do not and never will translate well into real life.

 

[private]

I find it quite offensive when anyone says gaming has negative effects on a person. You can go overboard with anything, including gaming, but to completely dismiss it as a harmful medium in general is incredibly narrow minded. The problem is that saying "games are harmful" is such a downright stupid thing to say, I can't immediately come up with a decent argument besides "no, no it isn't", which makes them think they are right.

But I think generally this trend is getting better and better. You start to see more and more adult gamers now who are informed and vocal about their opinions, which hopefully means that gaming gets considered more seriously.

 

[Chamale]

How horrifyingly Religiousist(?) of him. Just tell him they're Muslim zombies, if that will put his spirit at rest.

No, my dad's not prejudiced (though he says stupid things like that pretty often), he was saying that video games will make me prejudiced. Sadly, I do have some cousins who are so prejudiced, they believe that "Though shalt kill Americans" is in the Koran.

 

[Naheal]

Hmm, a video game myth...."Games will make you smarter."

Depending on the game, this may or may not be less of a myth than you'd think.

 

[eelel]

I find it quite offensive when anyone says gaming has negative effects on a person. You can go overboard with anything, including gaming, but to completely dismiss it as a harmful medium in general is incredibly narrow minded. The problem is that saying "games are harmful" is such a downright stupid thing to say, I can't immediately come up with a decent argument besides "no, no it isn't", which makes them think they are right.

But I think generally this trend is getting better and better. You start to see more and more adult gamers now who are informed and vocal about their opinions, which hopefully means that gaming gets considered more seriously.

I agree with you entirely. This is especialely obvioues when it comes to people that go on shooting rampages. It is not the games that made them do it it is a deeper social disconect that more often than not causes it.

 

[Darius Brogan]

Hmm, a video game myth...."Games will make you smarter."[/quote]
Play video games like Myst, no violence, no enemies, no instructions, 100% unadulterated mindbogglingly cool and well done Puzzles, environments, story lines, dialogue, ect...
Point is if you play games like Myst it will increase blood flow to your brain... I can guarantee it.

 

[Siuki]

How horrifyingly Religiousist(?) of him. Just tell him they're Muslim zombies, if that will put his spirit at rest.

No, my dad's not prejudiced (though he says stupid things like that pretty often), he was saying that video games will make me prejudiced. Sadly, I do have some cousins who are so prejudiced, they believe that "Though shalt kill Americans" is in the Koran.

Lets just hope they never have to encounter a Muslim in the workplace or anywhere for that matter.

Cousin: "Now that we're alone, death to America, right?"
Muslim: "That is lie. I have no intention of harming America."
Cousin: "We'll check on that in the Corona."

(Cookie to the one who gets the reference)

 

[private]

My dad, watching me tear through zombies with a machete in Left 4 Dead 2.

"Don't you think this desensitizes you to violence?"
Me, sarcastically: "Yup, this is completely desensitizing me to grey pixels becoming red pixels"
"No, really. This is teaching you terrible lessons about how to relate to people. It's telling you to solve problems with violence."
Me: "The problem I'm solving requires self-defence."
"Killing indiscriminately is self-defense?"
Me: "I'm not killing indiscriminately! Look, I'm not killing Nick, or Rochelle, or Ellis, or that Witch..."
"But you are killing all of the zombies."
Me: "Killing a zombie is inherently an act of self-defense, as all zombies by definition are soulless killing machines."
"Couldn't a game teach you the same lesson about, for example, Muslims?"

At this point I was literally speechless, dumbstruck, and other words that also mean "unable to speak because that argument was so poor". How could a game like that get past the ESRB, let alone Faux News and CNN?


TL;DR: My dad said that video games might teach me the terrible lesson that killing a Muslim is inherently an act of self-defense, as all Muslims by definition are soulless killing machines.

Tell your father that a healthy human mind can tell the difference between real life and simulation (not that L4D is a sim). How does pushing a button to convey attacking an onscreen caricature in any way correlate to physically picking up a weapon and knowingly attacking another human being who you know you will hurt, and also knowing full well that there are consequences.

If he says, "you only do it in games because there are no consequences", agree with him , and point out the fact that their are no consequences in games because you are not hurting anyone, and that you are unleashing simulated violence onto something that you don't have a moral connection with, because it doesn't exist. This is one of the things that separates a healthy human mind from a psychopath.

Then ask your father "Do you think I'm a psychopath?"

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

My dad, watching me tear through zombies with a machete in Left 4 Dead 2.

"Don't you think this desensitizes you to violence?"
Me, sarcastically: "Yup, this is completely desensitizing me to grey pixels becoming red pixels"
"No, really. This is teaching you terrible lessons about how to relate to people. It's telling you to solve problems with violence."
Me: "The problem I'm solving requires self-defence."
"Killing indiscriminately is self-defense?"
Me: "I'm not killing indiscriminately! Look, I'm not killing Nick, or Rochelle, or Ellis, or that Witch..."
"But you are killing all of the zombies."
Me: "Killing a zombie is inherently an act of self-defense, as all zombies by definition are soulless killing machines."
"Couldn't a game teach you the same lesson about, for example, Muslims?"

At this point I was literally speechless, dumbstruck, and other words that also mean "unable to speak because that argument was so poor". How could a game like that get past the ESRB, let alone Faux News and CNN?


TL;DR: My dad said that video games might teach me the terrible lesson that killing a Muslim is inherently an act of self-defense, as all Muslims by definition are soulless killing machines.

Wow...just, wow...

 

[fanklok]

My dad, watching me tear through zombies with a machete in Left 4 Dead 2.

"Don't you think this desensitizes you to violence?"
Me, sarcastically: "Yup, this is completely desensitizing me to grey pixels becoming red pixels"
"No, really. This is teaching you terrible lessons about how to relate to people. It's telling you to solve problems with violence."
Me: "The problem I'm solving requires self-defence."
"Killing indiscriminately is self-defense?"
Me: "I'm not killing indiscriminately! Look, I'm not killing Nick, or Rochelle, or Ellis, or that Witch..."
"But you are killing all of the zombies."
Me: "Killing a zombie is inherently an act of self-defense, as all zombies by definition are soulless killing machines."
"Couldn't a game teach you the same lesson about, for example, Muslims?"

At this point I was literally speechless, dumbstruck, and other words that also mean "unable to speak because that argument was so poor". How could a game like that get past the ESRB, let alone Faux News and CNN?


TL;DR: My dad said that video games might teach me the terrible lesson that killing a Muslim is inherently an act of self-defense, as all Muslims by definition are soulless killing machines.

I... I'm trying to respond to this but I can't, I just can't.

Last year in Sociology (might have been Psych but who cares) we did some research thing or other such related nonsense and in part of the article there was some part about a kid who played massive amounts of GTA or CS something involving guns and ultra fun kill time. Anywho he took a pistol to his school pulled it out at some point and got 5 headshots and 7 or 8 other hits. Then there was something trying to link it to his vidya game playin because he had never shot or held a real gun before. (It ended with some really smart doctor guy saying there has been no conclusive proof linking games to violence)

Is it bad that the first thing I thought of after reading it (jokingly of course) was that he must have been using an aimbot or other hax?

 

[Chamale]

Tell your father that a healthy human mind can tell the difference between real life and simulation (not that L4D is a sim). How does pushing a button to convey attacking an onscreen caricature in any way correlate to physically picking up a weapon and knowingly attacking another human being who you know you will hurt, and also knowing full well that there are consequences.

I've tried. Oh, how I've tried.

He also tells me not to watch Deadliest Warrior, because there's no sympathy for the ninja caricatures being killed. Meanwhile, he watches Law and Order, with its protagonists actively seeking the death penalty for well-established, 3-dimensional characters. Why try to kill those people? They're capital criminals, the state of New York has a death penalty.

Why try to kill that pirate? Because he's a pirate, knights have a "kill-pirates-on-sight" policy in our fictional scenario.

 

[1trakm1nd]

I can punch someone in the face, with or without having played video games.

With that case in point, we would still have people shooting each other for almost the hell of it with or without video games. (Guns dont kill people, bullets kill people.(R))