Opinsy: Violent games should be banned

published in gaming , tagged under problems, Violent games, un-normal behavior

Agree (23%)

Disagree (77%)

Violent games can cause violence since they normalize an un-normal behavior. Children come into contact with these games and see violence, and children may have problems separating this world with the game and therefore be more likely to be violent.

Debate (42)
Arguments For (0)
Arguments Against (0)
Articles
Videos

Sort By:

date goodpoints replies

Patrick Becker says: Violent video games have been in the industry for a long time, whether it be very little or on the amount of Mortal Kombat. So to ban them would put the industry in a sort of depression.Violent games don't make killers, but they can lead to killings if the gamer is suffering from other issues.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

James King says: Sign up to Amirite.com today - its much better than opinsy and more active! Every Opinion Matters on Amirite and all types of people welcome!

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Becky Donnelly says: This is ridiculous. I'm a 22yo female and have been playing "violent" video games since Sega. When the PS1 came out with Mortal Kombat - I played it before I was a teenager, let alone 18 & I've turned out fine. Games should not be banned based on their violence as you'll happily accept TV shows and movies to portray violence. It's not the games that cause violence, it's the individual that can't tell reality from fiction - where are the parents?

(0) Good Point Reply

report

francesco deniro says: Just today I was reading an articles of the Metro in London where they said that a kid stubbed more than 20 times his mother to death. The kid, 17 years old, was leading a lonely life, he used to close himself in his room watching movies and playing with his consol games. He bought a knife online and killed his mother in a cruel way. However there are many other example of bad influence of the games on people's mind The facts are speaking, give a look to the followings... http://www.hotbloodedgaming.com/2011/02/15/16-year-old-kills-mother-over-playstation-argument/ http://www.santafenewmexican.com/localnews/110612Stabbing#.UMkjcne17gE

(0) Good Point Reply 1 reply, 1 person

report

francesco deniro says: I noticed that when i play at the playstation for christmas with my friends, we end up playing for long hours and my humor changes when i loose and i play for long hours.. I guess if people play not at football but with violent games not only their humor changes but also their mind..

(1) Good Point

report

Littlestar714 says: If you're going to ban violent video games, you might as well ban movies, television, and the entire World Wide Web. In one word: Ridiculous.

(2) Good Point Reply

report

South Park Fan says: Why should they be banned? They do nothing psychologically to the average person and they allow potentially harmful energy to be exerted into a virtual world where no real harm is done. Banning something harmless would be pure censorship. The real harm is within the individual and how he chooses to respond to it.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Ste says: @Romeena - Many people own Call of Duty, very few become serial killers. Similarly, World of Warcraft, the game Anders Brevik claimed was 'part of his training' has 10m monthly subscribers - are you suggesting closing the game down for the majority of sane, normal players for the sake of one troubled mind? The fact is, these games have lots of positives - a sense of community, team work, in some cases teaching methods, hand-eye co-ordination training...to think people consider firing a gun in COD means they can then fire a gun in real life is a complete joke. A good read on this line of thinking can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/bucpgqe

(1) Good Point Reply

report

Romeena says: Perhaps these games do not initially cause one to be violent, but they can be used as a training tool for a potential psychopath. Anders Brievik is a prime example. We cannot ignore that these tools do not teach. People learn languages from television and behaviour patterns from continual exposure to programmes or games.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Brian Evans says: violent video games instil fear, no matter what the user's age may be. Knowing the consequence of an action is better than not knowing. people understand that running into a wall is going to hurt and injure them that's why they don't do it. Violent games teach people what will happen in they do recreate what they see.

(0) Good Point Reply 1 reply, 1 person

report

Sanjar Felix says: @Brian Evans It does not install fear, That's why there is a age rating on video games! Unless children get those games, there is no fear, It's like watching Final Destination or some other Horror film

(3) Good Point

report

Michael J Chawner says: One thing I've never understood with this ridiculous statement is that movies never get accused of causing violence in people. If somebody wants to kill somebody; they will do it and yes might be inspired by a way it was done in a video game but the fact is they were going to kill that person anyway - that is where the problem is. Normal people do NOT see something in a game or a movie and then think "Wow that looks fun - lets go mow some pedestrians down in a stolen Jeep and play classical music on the radio while we do it". Bottom line - if you're unhinged enough to commit violent crime, you're going to do it despite anything else.

(0) Good Point Reply 1 reply, 1 person

report

Brodie says: Your argument re violent films not getting the same bad rep as violent games - its clearly different because video games tend to be played in an obsessive way and the player is in control of the outcome of the game - as in real life. In films the viewer has no influence. I think there is a distinction between the two.

(0) Good Point

report

Sam Taylor says: Believe it or not people will never be able to ban violent games because it would cause all sorts of problems

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Aled Morris says: Of course they shouldn't be banned. If you're blaming and thus banning one form of entertainment due to tenuous links with crime, then you have to ban ALL forms of entertainment that contain violence. Films, music, games, literature, certain types of sport - they'd all have to go. Computer games have age certificates for a reason.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Ste says: Personally, I think Saw is more Damaging than Call of Duty. These games all have 'age ratings', most being 18+. If parents choose to allow their children to play these games, or watch these movies, that is their decision and responsibility.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Jacob Ockenden says: It's been reported in recent years that violent video games do not cause children to become violent. If the parent wants to not have the game in their house, then fair play. The argument I have is that censorship of violent video games will not resolve the problem.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Colm Murphy says: I can't agree with this as censorship is never a solution. There is a rating system in place that advises users of the content available in the games. Children can't purchase these games so adults have to take responsibility for the purchases they make for their children.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

UKMikey says: Judging by the accompanying comment from Pepperflo5wer this poll appears to be predicated on the idea that all video games are for children. Hence the large amount of disagrees, I suspect.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Sam Taylor says: there is no point in trying to ban violent games cause its only computerised and children will see it one way or another so whats the big deal

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Aaron Eamer says: If parents believe that video games are going to have a negative effect on their children then that is entirely up to them to censor as they please. They should not effect censorship for others though. If violent games are banned then violent films should be also, a lot of the violent video game protests come from religious groups but looking throughout the religious books a lot of violence has lead to many different positive outcomes and life lessons. Ban violent video games and you're also cutting a huge work force and many jobs are going down the drain. Have a little suspension of disbelief, if I shoot a prostitute in a game it doesn't mean I'm going to in real life. If I glide through the streets of Gotham I'm not going to hire a butler and find a mansion to live in before training for ten years plus to fight crime. Maybe we should all just watch Disney movies and we'll turn into Frogs and live with Seven Dwarves if everything we see if going to make us turn out like them.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Scott Mitting says: People need an outlet, and a simulation is much less hazardous than shooting off guns or some sort of actual physical violence.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Thomas William Wadkin says: it's down to the parents if you buy a kid an 18 game what do you expect ! and when starting most game's you can turn the violent content to a minimum

(0) Good Point Reply

report

sarah wilkinson says: @DavidAllen Unfortunately many people have been calling for a ban on violent films for years. It was such a popular debate in the 90s that it was satirised in the Scream movies. However the same logic applies to both forms of media: "Movies don't create psychos, Movies make psychos more creative." Anyone with a developed sense of right and wrong isn't going to go out and murder someone because they saw it in a game and as you and @BrooksMartin rightly say, the responsibility to not expose very young children to adult themes should lie with individual parents, not restrictive legislation.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

configX says: I played Mortal Combat and similar games as a child and I'm fine. I think certain people/children have those tendencies whether they are playing violent games or not. If they're not playing violent video games then they are probably torturing animals, smoking crack in the alley, or voting for Romney.

(0) Good Point Reply 1 reply, 1 person

report

Robyn Elton says: I agree with @configX, I grew up with consoles - more likely than not playing violent games but I have managed to avoid the temptation to go and beat a random stranger to death with a baseball bat. Children with those tendencies later on in life will commit those crimes whether they played violent VG's 20hrs a day or didn't.

(0) Good Point

report

pritbhud says: played violent games since i can remember, i have not become a murderer....if people are influenced in doing so from games or films then they are just plain stupid and should be put in funny farms....

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Charlotte Henry says: I have no issue with PEGI and age rating games, as we do movies, but a ban would just be nonsense that achieves nothing. If people find violence offensive they can play different video games. Or none.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

David Allen says: @Brooks Martin well said, all games have a rating on them just like with films and parents should pay attention to them as much as they do with films. The next thing would be calling for a ban on violent films for the same or similar reason

(0) Good Point Reply

report

David T says: Violent games allow people to express their animal instincts in a virtual world instead of hitting people outside in the real world. I think it's a good outlet. Keep the nutters indoors!

(0) Good Point Reply

report

sami rodrigue says: When did we achieve anything by simply banning something. It is proven that (and we all know) when something is 'branded' as illegal we are more attracted to it. Also telling others something is bad for them increases the urge to buy that specific thing. For example, it is proven that printing the side effects of cigarettes on the boxes increases our urge to buy the cigarette. (source: Buyology)

(0) Good Point Reply 2 replies, 2 people

report

Wrybantam says: @samirodrigue - when we banned people from owning tanks? The list is endless, we might not be able to stop everyone, but at least we can stop the majority. The same applies for violent games, of course they have an impact on behaviour.

(0) Good Point

report

Nick Taplin says: @Wrybantam - we haven't banned people from owning tanks. You can pick one up for a few grand. It's then up to you to take personal responsibility for what you do with it, and for the world to trust that you will do so. Much like watching violence in a film or taking part in it in a game. Basically nothing should be 'banned' - if society has a problem (and I don't think that it has, especially), it's that people are encouraged to abrogate rather than embrace the responsibility that they have towards themselves and others.

(0) Good Point

report

Brooks Martin says: I have an idea, maybe some parents should do some parenting. I think the law should standardize the ratings and educate parents and consumers on what the ratings mean, so parents are more aware. Parents: get involved with your kids' lives.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Smartl45ook says: "Games with anti-social or violent content “have been shown to reduce empathy". http://www.scilearn.com/blog/video-games-brain.php A frightening thought...

(0) Good Point Reply

report

53singularfish says: Violent games have an effect visible in an MRI, thought to be in areas that control cognitive functions and emotional control. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2067607/Violent-games-DO-alter-brain--effect-visible-MRI-scans-just-week.html

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Climbaggression says: I am not sure what we would achieve by attempting to ban video games. Every time a new media form is created we get overly worried, its starting to get silly.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Cyanski2424 says: There's no need to go in and make rules for this kind of thing. Better to have a rating system so parents are aware of what kind of game they are about to buy for their child.

(0) Good Point Reply

report

Sleuthwarpath says: Parents should instead be better at keeping their children for playing these games if they think their children are too young to understand the difference between a game and the real world.

(0) Good Point Reply

report