Trump shifts blame to violent video games, movies in gun violence discussion

[Wyrd of Gawd]

People have been blaming violent media for society's problems forever . It's just a scapegoat .

The point is that the shithole in chief doesn't know that such a system has existed for decades.  He's a true idiot.

[Divinity]

Kids are being desensitized to violence because we do nothing about these shootings, teaching them that it's perfectly normal for 17 kids to be shot while at school. If we don't value their lives more than guns, why should they?

[downbeatplumb]

Well , the shitstorm goes on.

https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/201...mes-movies

“We have to do something about maybe what they’re seeing and how they’re seeing it, and also, video games,” said Trump, speaking during a discussion on school safety at the White House. “I’m hearing more and more people say the level of violence on video games is really shaping young people’s thoughts.”

They said the same thing about books.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Kids are being desensitized to violence because we do nothing about these shootings, teaching them that it's perfectly normal for 17 kids to be shot while at school.  If we don't value their lives more than guns, why should they?

Bingo lolly. What have the astounding survivors of that horrific massacre been saying?  'Enough is enough. Something HAS to be done about this!'  The phrasing itself says that this kind of butchery is in very real danger of becoming the new normal. Luckily, these courageous young people are clearly not the ones being desensitized by the all-too-frequent news reports of their peers being shot to pieces.

Boru

[Neo-Scholastic]

I actually do believe that the level of violence depicted in media, including video games, is a likely contributing cause. I can barely watch television shows anymore because it's so gruesome. I've always thought there was value in the old Hayes code but what finally tipped the scale for me was watching "The Punisher". Never before have I seen such a positive portrayal of brutal and grisly violence. Plus, the main character is a glorified loner outcast fighting his tragic past. These types of 'heroes' perfectly parallel the personal lives of these school shooters - bullied, ostracized by their peers, misunderstood, alone, and ready to fight the "system" that traumatized them. What sucks is that the only other option is "Father Brown" which is good but gets old after a while. As for video games, its not so much that they are graphic; but rather that they socially isolate players. They aren't getting groups together to play D&D, war games, bowling, or even paintball.

[mlmooney89]

If someone is going to shoot a place up they are broken inside and they don't need outside influences to help. I'm a hardcore gamer and have been since I was a small kid. I was playing Rainbow Six in elementary school and yet never once have I thought hey I should shoot people cause it looks fun on here. My husband was banned from Doom once his parents heard the Columbine kids made a level in that game. WTF so you think that game is going to make your kid decide to slaughter others?

[downbeatplumb]

I actually do believe that the level of violence depicted in media, including video games, is a likely contributing cause. I can barely watch television shows anymore because it's so gruesome. I've always thought there was value in the old Hayes code but what finally tipped the scale for me was watching "The Punisher". Never before have I seen such a positive portrayal of brutal and grisly violence. Plus, the main character is a glorified loner outcast fighting his tragic past. These types of 'heroes' perfectly parallel the personal lives of these school shooters - bullied, ostracized by their peers, misunderstood, alone, and ready to fight the "system" that traumatized them. What sucks is that the only other option is "Father Brown" which is good but gets old after a while. As for video games, its not so much that they are graphic; but rather that they socially isolate players. They aren't getting groups together to play D&D, war games, bowling, or even paintball.

Its funny that every new form of media has been used to excuse deeper societal ills. It happened with the easy availability of printed books. I kid you not, the same arguments you just presented were leveled at the guttenburg press.

[KevinM1]

I actually do believe that the level of violence depicted in media, including video games, is a likely contributing cause. I can barely watch television shows anymore because it's so gruesome. I've always thought there was value in the old Hayes code but what finally tipped the scale for me was watching "The Punisher". Never before have I seen such a positive portrayal of brutal and grisly violence. Plus, the main character is a glorified loner outcast fighting his tragic past. These types of 'heroes' perfectly parallel the personal lives of these school shooters - bullied, ostracized by their peers, misunderstood, alone, and ready to fight the "system" that traumatized them. What sucks is that the only other option is "Father Brown" which is good but gets old after a while. As for video games, its not so much that they are graphic; but rather that they socially isolate players. They aren't getting groups together to play D&D, war games, bowling, or even paintball.

Except, there's no data to show you're right. And, trust me, since Columbine there's been a number of studies done to see if there's a connection between video game violence and real world violence. There's no correlation.

Also, most popular games are now multiplayer. Not just in terms of some kid vs. other anonymous kids, but in team play. The most popular games - CoD, PUBG, Overwatch, Fortnite, and the various MOBAs - require coordination to play at anything above scrub level. They're the opposite of socially isolating.

[mlmooney89]

Also, most popular games are now multiplayer.  Not just in terms of some kid vs. other anonymous kids, but in team play.  The most popular games - CoD, PUBG, Overwatch, Fortnite, and the various MOBAs - require coordination to play at anything above scrub level.  They're the opposite of socially isolating.

Lol very true. We have Wii Parties where we drink and play Wii games. While Super Smash Bros is cute it can get vicious lol. Mario Kart can get pretty violent as well. :p

[Neo-Scholastic]

I actually do believe that the level of violence depicted in media, including video games, is a likely contributing cause.

---

I can barely watch television shows anymore because it's so gruesome. I've always thought there was value in the old Hayes code but what finally tipped the scale for me was watching "The Punisher". Never before have I seen such a positive portrayal of brutal and grisly violence. Plus, the main character is a glorified loner outcast fighting his tragic past. These types of 'heroes' perfectly parallel the personal lives of these school shooters - bullied, ostracized by their peers, misunderstood, alone, and ready to fight the "system" that traumatized them. What sucks is that the only other option is "Father Brown" which is good but gets old after a while. As for video games, its not so much that they are graphic; but rather that they socially isolate players. They aren't getting groups together to play D&D, war games, bowling, or even paintball.

---

Except, there's no data to show you're right.  And, trust me, since Columbine there's been a number of studies done to see if there's a connection between video game violence and real world violence.  There's no correlation.

Also, most popular games are now multiplayer.  Not just in terms of some kid vs. other anonymous kids, but in team play.  The most popular games - CoD, PUBG, Overwatch, Fortnite, and the various MOBAs - require coordination to play at anything above scrub level.  They're the opposite of socially isolating.

That's true about studies. And I remember lots of concern about this one arcade game where you drove around in a graveyard running over zombies. Similarly, lots of people play video games without becoming social degenerates. Then again then are lots of responsible gun owners too and there's no evidence that simply owning a gun causes you to become violent. That's the difference between symptoms and causes.

At the same time, I doubt that studies can measure the general negative effect on society as a whole from such graphic sex and violence. What we consider normative and acceptable public and private behavior seems different and for the worse. Our culture is more openly shameless and vulgar than before, although I wasn't around back then. I can only guess by the difference between the artful suggestion of violence of 1950's film noir or the responsible civic courage depicted in movies like "High Noon" in which the bad guys always lost versus the graphic, casual brutality of today's violent "heroes", from Dirty Harry to the Punisher, that's only gotten worse since the 1970's.