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Harvard researchers 'Video games don't create killers'
According to a study conducted by two Harvard researchers who have written a book on the subject, kids playing video games doesn't turn them into 'deranged, blood-thirsty super-killers.'
Man and wife team, Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl Olson, explain what they hope will come from their research:
"What I hope people realize is that there is no data to support the simple-minded concerns that video games cause violence,"
The study lasted two years and looked at over 1,200 middle-school children and their attitude towards video games.
"What we did that had rarely been done by other researchers was actually talk to the kids. It sounds bizarre but it hadn't been done," Kutner said.
Reuters reports that the research data did however show a noticeable relationship between playing mature-rated games and aggressive behaviour in the kids, they discovered that over 50% of the boys who had played M-rated games (17+) had also been in a fight in the last year, compared to only 28% of kids who hadn't played M-rated games. According to a study conducted by two Harvard researchers who have written a book on the subject, kids playing video games doesn't tur... more -
Violent Video Game Could Hit Store Shelves this Christmas
Manhunt 2 may be headed for shelves in your local video game shop soon ?after its makers won an appeal against censors on Monday.?
The game, which had been ?twice rejected by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)? for its excessively violent nature, became ?the first video game in a decade to be banned in Britain.?
Manufactured Criminals???
Am reminded of a story about three or four years ago in which a 17-year old British boy was convicted of murdering his friend with a claw hammer. Although the teen plead guilty to the crime, he insisted a widely popular video game at the time was somehow to blame for his actions. That game was the original Manhunt.
Surprisingly, the ?pop culture defence? dates back several decades. More recently though, in the US, at least 3 people have come forward claiming the popular trilogy The Matrix made them kill their landlords or neighbours. Convicted teenage sniper Lee Boyd Malvo said he too was obsessed with the movie and practised his shot with the aid of video games. Following the Columbine high school massacre, victims? relatives filed suit claiming the PC game Doom contributed to the deaths of their loved ones and the violent behaviour glorified in some Rap and Hip Hop music have longed been implicated in crimes. TV personality Johnny Knoxville?s MTV show and movie came under fire when viewers ended up in hospital after mimicking the outrageously dangerous stunts at home and a few years ago, Lionel Tate?s life sentence for killing a 6 year old friend by imitating TV pro-wrestling moves was overturned. The list is long and the types of entertainment varied.
So is it that much of a stretch to believe that a seemingly innocuous form of entertainment can drive a person to steal or even worse ...commits murder? Why is it so inconceivable to believe that pop culture may influence negatively?
Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that millions worldwide are able to leave Fantasy Ville behind when they exit theatres or switch off their television sets. How can they tell the difference between reality and simple entertainment? And if you want to be really cynical, why aren't there mini-Ainsleys or mini-Emerils (for the Yanks) running around shouting "BANG!" after watching the Food Network.
Now I?ve never played "Manhunt" but I?ve played other titles published by the company that released "Manhunt" such as the "Grand Theft Auto" series and I?ve seen all 3 Matrix films. If what the critics are saying is correct, then there?s a good chance that I may one day drop kick someone and steal their bike or better yet use my mind-boggling Matrix-style kung fu to rob unsuspecting gas store patrons. I seriously doubt that. More than anything else, the fact that I spend so much time watching movies and playing video games probably only explains why I've developed a sort of Boo Radley complex and don't leave the house much but other than that, I think I'm quite normal - you know, minus the whole hermit thing.
Consequently nothing I've across has convinced me the games I play regularly or the movies I like to watch are bad for my mental health. I do not doubt however that some people may react differently to these games and movies than I do but I think that's more a reflection of the individual than anything else. In my mind, pop culture will never explain how the Klebolds and Malvos of the world tick but it sure does make for an interesting excuse.
What are thoughts? Manhunt 2 may be headed for shelves in your local video game shop soon ?after its makers won an appeal against censors on Monday.? ... more
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Violent Video Games
