Stephen King talks about video game violence

[SunnyD]

I think a lot of what's going on these days is that people just aren't willing to take responsibility for what their kids do. And worse, those that are willing are generally stuck as a single parent working a job or two, or dual income earners who value their money more than the wellbeing of their children. Parents just don't take enough interest in their kids, and expect the baby sitter, teacher, or "television" to define to the child the morals of right and wrong. I am by no means a great parent, I should spend more time with my kids, but when we're sitting down playing video games together or watching TV, I make damn sure that it's appropriate for the kids (my oldest is 8), and if it's borderline, I make sure to let my kids know that what's going on in the content isn't acceptable personal behavior. In fact this morning, I talked to my kids before school about drugs and accepting questionable things from even their friends. I will likely have that talk a few more times too.

I was lucky enough to grow up with my mom at home through most of my younger years, and was able to spend time with my dad (he owned his own business). My kids are better off because my wife stays at home with them, and is there for them when they need her to be.

The biggest problem - yes, parents should decide what's best for the kids. But the parents are copping out these days, like kids are a novelty. Kids are so much more empowered than when I was younger, 99% of what they get away with these days was unheard of 20 years ago. Sad but true. You can't even spank your child these days without fear of child protective services becoming involved. That my friends is the reason why things are where they are today - BECAUSE of strong government involvement.

 

[RedArmy]

If a video game/movie/whatever spurs you into a killing frenzy/aggressive nature, you have much bigger problems at hand.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: SunnyD
I think a lot of what's going on these days is that people just aren't willing to take responsibility for what their kids do. And worse, those that are willing are generally stuck as a single parent working a job or two, or dual income earners who value their money more than the wellbeing of their children. Parents just don't take enough interest in their kids, and expect the baby sitter, teacher, or "television" to define to the child the morals of right and wrong. I am by no means a great parent, I should spend more time with my kids, but when we're sitting down playing video games together or watching TV, I make damn sure that it's appropriate for the kids (my oldest is 8), and if it's borderline, I make sure to let my kids know that what's going on in the content isn't acceptable personal behavior. In fact this morning, I talked to my kids before school about drugs and accepting questionable things from even their friends. I will likely have that talk a few more times too.

I was lucky enough to grow up with my mom at home through most of my younger years, and was able to spend time with my dad (he owned his own business). My kids are better off because my wife stays at home with them, and is there for them when they need her to be.

The biggest problem - yes, parents should decide what's best for the kids. But the parents are copping out these days, like kids are a novelty. Kids are so much more empowered than when I was younger, 99% of what they get away with these days was unheard of 20 years ago. Sad but true. You can't even spank your child these days without fear of child protective services becoming involved. That my friends is the reason why things are where they are today - BECAUSE of strong government involvement.

:thumbsup:

...except for the spanking thing. Not that I believe some light spanking is as terrible as some make it out to be. The way I see it is that there are too many adults out there which do not have enough control over themselves and take this sort of thing too far. Anyways, that discussion is for another time in another thread.

The government holding the parent's hands like they do is making them believe they can get away without teaching their kids the difference between right and wrong the old fashioned way and rely on tools that are provided to them instead. I don't mind the government trying to make things easy when it comes to relaying info to the parents such as the idea of a ratings system. However, it's when these ratings systems are used by anyone except the parents when deciding whether or not the kids should be exposed is when there is a problem.

Censorship is a good idea to a point, but it DOES NOT replace the teachings we are supposed to give our kids when it comes to "right and wrong". Waiting too long to relieve our kids from certain censorships and replacing them with these teachings can be just as destructive as not teaching at all. A lot of parents make that mistake and by the time they figure it out they are too late. Their kids have already been exposed to what they were trying to censor except they were not provided with the proper teachings before hand.

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Are you a kid?

I'm 26, I've been playing violent video games since I was ~10. That is why in my original argument I said to use me as an example because his entire point falls apart the second you use a real world example.

 

[schizoid77]

Originally posted by: skace

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Are you a kid?

I'm 26, I've been playing violent video games since I was ~10. That is why in my original argument I said to use me as an example because his entire point falls apart the second you use a real world example.

Same here, 'cept I am 30 and have been playing video games, MATURE video games since as early as 10. No issues here. Though I do enjoy violence, I just don't cause it.

Wait wait, I just killed my parents.

Damn.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Thetech
I don't mean to take a stance on guns (let's not open up that can of worms, PLEASE!)

But why is it ok to teach hunting classes in schools, and why is it ok to encourage kids to hunt, but not ok for them to play violent video games? Or I should say games labeld as being violent?

i owuldn't consider hunting violent.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: schizoid77

Originally posted by: skace

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Are you a kid?

I'm 26, I've been playing violent video games since I was ~10. That is why in my original argument I said to use me as an example because his entire point falls apart the second you use a real world example.

Same here, 'cept I am 30 and have been playing video games, MATURE video games since as early as 10. No issues here. Though I do enjoy violence, I just don't cause it.

Wait wait, I just killed my parents.

Damn.

I'm in the exact same boat. I was pretty much left to do whatever I wanted once I got to be around 10 years old but hell we're from a different generation. Luckily the sheltering didn't start until a little later. I could also run wild at will throughout the neighborhood. My parents must have been horrible.

 

[schizoid77]

I hear ya, we ran rampant around our neighborhood too, even late at night, all the time. The kids ruled back in the day. Parents were either out of town or we slept over at someone's house whose parents didn't care. We got away with so much kid mischief, no one could even attempt to do so today.

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
I'm in the exact same boat. I was pretty much left to do whatever I wanted once I got to be around 10 years old but hell we're from a different generation. Luckily the sheltering didn't start until a little later. I could also run wild at will throughout the neighborhood. My parents must have been horrible.

Well yea, but during this period both pen and paper D&D and Doom FPS got some nice flack. Different generation, different items, same bullshit.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: skace

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
I'm in the exact same boat. I was pretty much left to do whatever I wanted once I got to be around 10 years old but hell we're from a different generation. Luckily the sheltering didn't start until a little later. I could also run wild at will throughout the neighborhood. My parents must have been horrible.

Well yea, but during this period both pen and paper D&D and Doom FPS got some nice flack. Different generation, different items, same bullshit.

And don't forget Mortal Combat! I remember all of those news stories of kids bringing harpoons to school and the halls being filled with echoes saying, "GET OVER HERE!" :laugh:

 

[Thetech]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Thetech
I don't mean to take a stance on guns (let's not open up that can of worms, PLEASE!)

But why is it ok to teach hunting classes in schools, and why is it ok to encourage kids to hunt, but not ok for them to play violent video games? Or I should say games labeld as being violent?

i owuldn't consider hunting violent.

Huh? My point is they complain about gun violence in games but they encourage people to take kids hunting? I'm not trying to say one is good and one is bad I'm just making comparing the ideal of the two subjects.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: Thetech

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Thetech
I don't mean to take a stance on guns (let's not open up that can of worms, PLEASE!)

But why is it ok to teach hunting classes in schools, and why is it ok to encourage kids to hunt, but not ok for them to play violent video games? Or I should say games labeld as being violent?

i owuldn't consider hunting violent.

Huh? My point is they complain about gun violence in games but they encourage people to take kids hunting? I'm not trying to say one is good and one is bad I'm just making comparing the ideal of the two subjects.

I see your point. It is a fair comparison. It most certainly serves as an example of how some people have hypocritical POVs on the subject.

 

[jonks]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Thetech
I don't mean to take a stance on guns (let's not open up that can of worms, PLEASE!)

But why is it ok to teach hunting classes in schools, and why is it ok to encourage kids to hunt, but not ok for them to play violent video games? Or I should say games labeld as being violent?

i owuldn't consider hunting violent.

???

A lion ripping open a zebra is violent. It's natural, but it's violent.

Blowing a hole in an animal with a rifle is an act of violence. You can debate whether there's anything morally questionable about hunting as sport, but you can't describe it as non-violent. That's just silly.

Of course if you hunt with a chloroform rag and when the animal is passed out you inject it with chemicals that stop it's heart, I suppose that would be non-violent hunting. Good luck with that grizzly govna.

 

[Thetech]

Originally posted by: Xavier434

Originally posted by: Thetech

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Thetech
I don't mean to take a stance on guns (let's not open up that can of worms, PLEASE!)

But why is it ok to teach hunting classes in schools, and why is it ok to encourage kids to hunt, but not ok for them to play violent video games? Or I should say games labeld as being violent?

i owuldn't consider hunting violent.

Huh? My point is they complain about gun violence in games but they encourage people to take kids hunting? I'm not trying to say one is good and one is bad I'm just making comparing the ideal of the two subjects.

I see your point. It is a fair comparison. It most certainly serves as an example of how some people have hypocritical POVs on the subject.

My point exactly, it's like this, Johnny we don't want you playin' non of them violent vidya' games, with all of the murderin' shootin' and animal killin' so instead we want cha ta gid out and go play, so take this here gun and go hunt sum rabbits.

 

[Naeeldar]

Originally posted by: skace

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
I'm in the exact same boat. I was pretty much left to do whatever I wanted once I got to be around 10 years old but hell we're from a different generation. Luckily the sheltering didn't start until a little later. I could also run wild at will throughout the neighborhood. My parents must have been horrible.

Well yea, but during this period both pen and paper D&D and Doom FPS got some nice flack. Different generation, different items, same bullshit.

Back then Doom, Mortal Combat they all got flack yes. But we didn't have the shootings/issues in real life anywhere near the scale they have going on today.

That being said the media/conservatives seem to want to point to video games being the reason why this is happening. I remember watching terminator at like age 6... played every violent video game imaginable (Doom when I was young not sure on age) from then until present day (I'm 24). However I've never once got in trouble with the law, did anythign remotely violent in my life, and never had any issues you seem with kids.

Nobody wants to point to the real issue these days which in almost every violent media case either the parents were not involved with the kids life or was involved but just didn't really listen/talk with their children. This is something that has changed over the years but nobody wants to point the blame there...

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: Naeeldar


Back then Doom, Mortal Combat they all got flack yes. But we didn't have the shootings/issues in real life anywhere near the scale they have going on today.

That being said the media/conservatives seem to want to point to video games being the reason why this is happening. I remember watching terminator at like age 6... played every violent video game imaginable (Doom when I was young not sure on age) from then until present day (I'm 24). However I've never once got in trouble with the law, did anythign remotely violent in my life, and never had any issues you seem with kids.

Nobody wants to point to the real issue these days which in almost every violent media case either the parents were not involved with the kids life or was involved but just didn't really listen/talk with their children. This is something that has changed over the years but nobody wants to point the blame there...

Yes we did. The violent acts may have been a bit different (school shootings were not as much of a fad), but the violence was still present and still very severe. The media was very different too which is why it seems like it was so different. The spotlight when it came to these violent crimes was not focused on entertainment quite as much although we still saw it from time to time. That plus we see a lot more stories in general these days thanks to the internet. Times have changed, but the violence has not.

Otherwise, I agree with the remainder of your post.

 

[Naeeldar]

Originally posted by: Xavier434

Originally posted by: Naeeldar


Back then Doom, Mortal Combat they all got flack yes. But we didn't have the shootings/issues in real life anywhere near the scale they have going on today.

That being said the media/conservatives seem to want to point to video games being the reason why this is happening. I remember watching terminator at like age 6... played every violent video game imaginable (Doom when I was young not sure on age) from then until present day (I'm 24). However I've never once got in trouble with the law, did anythign remotely violent in my life, and never had any issues you seem with kids.

Nobody wants to point to the real issue these days which in almost every violent media case either the parents were not involved with the kids life or was involved but just didn't really listen/talk with their children. This is something that has changed over the years but nobody wants to point the blame there...

Yes we did. The violent acts may have been a bit different (school shootings were not as much of a fad), but the violence was still present and still very severe. The media was very different too which is why it seems like it was so different. The spotlight when it came to these violent crimes was not focused on entertainment quite as much although we still saw it from time to time. That plus we see a lot more stories in general these days thanks to the internet. Times have changed, but the violence has not.

Otherwise, I agree with the remainder of your post.

I remember a few but not near the number we have now. Heck there was 3 suicides in the last year at a local high school.

I'm not saying we didn't have violence but there seems to be a lot more in recent years numbers wise.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: Naeeldar

I remember a few but not near the number we have now. Heck there was 3 suicides in the last year at a local high school.

I'm not saying we didn't have violence but there seems to be a lot more in recent years numbers wise.

It's the media spotlight and how much easier it is for them to communicate to us all via the internet. The "lack" of available communication in the past camouflaged the reality. It's always been there.