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[Calrid]

I know this is an old issue and divides opinion but I think I will express my opinions and see waht you think, I am as wrong as the next man but no wronger so have at me.

Computer games and in particular violent games have come under stick for promoting violence and or criminal/antisocial activities (and I will keep this short), I disagree they promote violence and there are no actually conclusive studies that support this:Although such studies are fairly subject to art and bias anyway but meh...

1) if you are already the sort of person who likes violence then you will gravitate towards violent situations real world or not.

2) if you are the sort of person who uses games as an escape and has no real violent tendencies or will to explore violent activities, you will not be harmed by exploring such violence, on the contrary it is healthy to explore the violent side of your nature, we all have one it's why we are the dominant species on the planet, but that correlation does not equal causation any more than it does in the sub group of those who play violent games who then go on to do violent things or x in the real world.

I believe if you are already disturbed then you will gravitate towards violence in the real world or in another medium to "get your fix" you wont become violent because you played violent games any more than you will become a drug addict because you saw someone taking drugs.

[Jklint]

I think it all comes under the heading of defective DNA for which we personally are not responsible, being the inheritors, but are forced to suffer the consequences of. Even the most rudimentary concept of justice is beyond anything in nature. So I would like to believe that the creators of computer games try to compromise and not attempt to go too far beyond the pale not because of conscience but backlash resulting in diminishing profits!

[Calrid]

I think it all comes under the heading of defective DNA for which we personally are not responsible, being the inheritors, but are forced to suffer the consequences of. Even the most rudimentary concept of justice is beyond anything in nature. So I would like to believe that the creators of computer games try to compromise and not attempt to go too far beyond the pale not because of conscience but backlash resulting in diminishing profits!

You would like to think that, how many games have you played? Oh what basis would you make that argument, and which if any game very stepped beyond the pale? You seem to be posting free will arguments at me our DNA programs us to be x and there is nothing we can do to change it ever, which is fine but only up to a point?, It is not what this thread is about and likewise is no doubt beyond the scope of your knowledge anyway free will always is, although there are a lot religious thinkers out there. You can of course post anything but free will arguments will only serve to derail this thread, so keep it on course, free will arguments are mental masturbation at best and no more philosophy than science or religion is. Let's keep on topic,

What do you believe is the OP?

[Msl0012au]

You would like to think that, how many games have you played? Oh what basis would you make that argument, and which if any game very stepped beyond the pale? You seem to be posting free will arguments at me our DNA programs us to be x and there is nothing we can do to change it ever, which is fine but only up to a point?, It is not what this thread is about and likewise is no doubt beyond the scope of your knowledge anyway free will always is, although there are a lot religious thinkers out there. You can of course post anything but free will arguments will only serve to derail this thread, so keep it on course, free will arguments are mental masturbation at best and no more philosophy than science or religion is. Let's keep on topic,

What do you believe is the OP?[/quote]

I disagree that free will arguments are mental masturbation- but you're right, let's stay on point.

To begin with, forgetting about causation, I question whether there even exists any correlative data linking violence in video games and violence in society at large. While there are pockets of exception, the trend of violent crime (at least in the US) has been one of overwhelming statistical decline since the early 90s, which just happens to correspond to the period of time when the most violent video games have been released. This is not to say that there may not be isolated cases where someone has emulated violent actions from a video game; of course they have. But the fact that the statistical trend seems to defy correlating violent games with increases in violence indicates what has already been noted- those persons were likely predisposed to violence and would have discovered some other trigger in time, had video games not provided it.

On a side note, there is only one factor that has consistently proven to demonstrate a correlative relationship with violence, both throughout history and in more scientific contemporary studies. That factor is poverty. Whether that correlation equals causation I leave it to others to decide.