Violisation of our community...

[Omag 2.0]

Before you all go "been on the Belgian beer again Omag", I know violisation isn't an existing word... I made it up... because it starts to bug me...

Following a mudercase in Antwerp, where a young guys shot several people at random, the media are looking into why this happens. One of the things they put forward are videogames and violence in the media in general...

I tend to agree... until about a year ago, I enjoyed my occasional round of battlefield, mafia or grand theft auto... I did watch action movies, thrillers, etc...

But recently... it started to fade away... I became interested in new things, like photography, aviation , DIY...

And when I look back, or see images from the games I used to play, or see another of those serial-killer movies, I get this akward feeling in my stomach... like how on earth did I ever enjoy that? I just turn it off these days...

I think it's because I'm living in the country-side now, it's relaxed. Perhaps because I'm more attentive to my surroundings and finally experiencing all the beauty there is around us... But it's hard in a world where violence is portrayed nearly everywhere. Just take TV... you have to search long and hard to find something decent to watch.

I'd like to know what you guys think of this.

Cheers,

Omag

[Hagar]

Violisation eh? Good word. I've thought much the same for a long time now & have to agree with you. Society is far more violent now than it's been during my lifetime. Some people say that films & video games simply reflect trends in society & not the other way round. I'm not so sure about that. If you see something often enough you get used to it, however terrible it might be. Young children are used to seeing graphic violence on TV & video games from an early age nowadays so they get hardened to it.

I'll probably be shouted down & called a silly old fool but that's my theory & I'm sticking to it.

[Souichiro]

Hmm interesting issue indeed.

I will be the first one to agree that the world has become more violent. I am not sure whether to blame the music and or video games. I enjoy playing GTA as much as I do playing Pro Evolution soccer. But that doesn't mean that I'm either a Insane killer or a football star. My music selection consists currently of everything from Marylin Manson and the deftones to Elvis presley and even some classical stuff. Frankly to be honest I think classical music is much more maniacal than most deathmetal. Again I am not a serial killer ( yet ). Given the rights circumstances however....... Marylin manson or Verdi won't make any difference. Both can cheer me up and both can depress me. I think the real reason behind renewed and ever growing agression is the media. I don't want to blame the media because what they are doing is spread news and that's fine with me. However whenever something haoppens whether it is happening two streets away or in iraq or afghanistan. An hour later it will be covered worldwide. When you get so many signals from all directions which are labeled with VIOLENCE WAR SHOOTING STABBING DEATH HERE AND DEATH THERE ...  Well, one tends to be kinda influenced by it.  Being more cautious is the first thing.. stuff like avoiding large groups of people when you are alone. Should something ever happen..then comes the armarement and retaliation which will lead to further violence and such. In between are the people who will try to scare you off by trying to act aggresively just to overwhelm you and to make sure you don't do anything.

The second aspect i'd like to highlight is that we don't get confronted with the results of violence such as murders. As Kris might know... When two people were shot and murdered (one of which a little girl )  in Belgium a few weeks ago, The antwerp gazette put a full page photo showing the bodies of the victim, uncovered by white sheets. Other papers put photo's with white sheets over the victims. In Holland the Telegraaf put full page photo's of the Uncovered bodies of Theo Van Gogh and Pim Fortuyn. Both were murdered. The first photo even showed the huge knives sticking in Theo's body. Blood and such were also visible in both photo's.  Now one might argue that these are " sensational " shots. But they do show clearly the conclusion of violence and that these murders were real. As thing s are now... usually the message of violence is sent around but not the images of the results. One of the most effective ways of getting gang members out of their gangs life is to confront them with the bodies of other youth their age which feel victim to their wars. I think this is a good method.

But yes it is a very difficult question..

[flyboy 28]

will be the first one to agree that the world has become more violent. I am not sure whether to blame the music and or video games. I enjoy playing GTA as much as I do playing Pro Evolution soccer. But that doesn't mean that I'm either a Insane killer or a football star. My music selection consists currently of everything from Marylin Manson and the deftones to Elvis presley and even some classical stuff. Frankly to be honest I think classical music is much more maniacal than most deathmetal. Again I am not a serial killer ( yet ). Given the rights circumstances however....... Marylin manson or Verdi won't make any difference. Both can cheer me up and both can depress me. I think the real reason behind renewed and ever growing agression is the media. I don't want to blame the media because what they are doing is spread news and that's fine with me. However whenever something haoppens whether it is happening two streets away or in iraq or afghanistan. An hour later it will be covered worldwide. When you get so many signals from all directions which are labeled with VIOLENCE WAR SHOOTING STABBING DEATH HERE AND DEATH THERE ...  Well, one tends to be kinda influenced by it.  Being more cautious is the first thing.. stuff like avoiding large groups of people when you are alone. Should something ever happen..then comes the armarement and retaliation which will lead to further violence and such. In between are the people who will try to scare you off by trying to act aggresively just to overwhelm you and to make sure you don't do anything.

Pretty much everything I was going to say, Soui. Thanks for making me not have to type.

[Katahu]

From what I have been seeing from the media, while the media likes to show gorey and over-the-top images and such just for good ratings and start posting messages that blame video game and such the media tend to distract people from other factors that may or may not have contributed to the violent acts. For example: Are we sure that John Doe Jr. murdered Jane Doe as a result of playing Battlefield 2 and not the result of depression, child neglect/abuse etc.?

Why do some parents blame things like games and movies after their child commits a violent act? Is it because they are in a state of denial and don't want their neighbors and friends to think that the parents did a piss-poor job at raising their child [which is most likely]? If so, which I honestly believe to be the case, then more parents must learn to accept responsibility for their child's acts rather then deflect the blame to something that has yet to affect me. I've been playing violent games since I was ten years old and I still play such games to this day. However I haven't even felt the sudden urge to kill someone. Why? Simple: My parents raised me properly.

Just my opinion.

[loomex]

My parents raised me properly.

Just my opinion.

There is the key point. I am 41 and was raised watching cartoons where violence was the norm. Just look at the toons from the 40's and 50's like bugs bunny and the like. I have never dropped and anvil on somebody's head because my parents raise me to know real from fake. (the anvil was just a bit too heavy also)

[beefhole]

However I haven't even felt the sudden urge to kill someone. Why? Simple: My parents raised me properly.

Just my opinion.

Bingo bingo bingo... bingo.  Before we go making violent games scapegoats, howsabout we first look to the real origin of the problem.  There is absolutely no denying violence in videogames and tv/movies has contributed, but, by FAR the #1 factor is parenting.  And, to be honest, one's mental health plays a very large role too, something else sometimes influenced heavily by parenting.

[Politically Incorrect]

Got to agree with the above

It has nothing to do with games, music, or televison it all boils down to the parents.

Lack of parenting is the soul of todays problems

[Hagar]

I agree that bad parenting is a big factor but surely this includes parking young children in front of a TV set for hours at a time without controlling what they watch. Many young children have their own TV set (computers too now) in their bedrooms which they can use completely unsupervised. Goodness knows what they're watching. Some adults seem to lead such busy & stressful lives they no longer have time to raise their children properly.

I'm really grateful that I grew up without a TV set. The old goggle box in the corner is a marvellous thing but it has a lot to answer for.

[Souichiro]

I agree that bad parenting is a big factor but surely this includes parking young children in front of a TV set for hours at a time without controlling what they watch.

Aye, but having said that , you can't blame T.V. Stations for broadcasting stuff which is popular. You can blame the parents for letting small children letting them watch all that kind off stuff unsupervised.

[Katahu]

I'm really grateful that I grew up without a TV set.

Congrats!

EDIT: If parents are too busy to keep an eye on their kids, why don't they simply put in the parental controls [accessable only via a passcode] that restricts viewing of certain channels? Of course you can't do that with broadcast television but the FCC does keep an eye on that area as to what can be broadcasted there.

[Hagar]

Aye, but having said that , you can't blame T.V. Stations for broadcasting stuff which is popular. You can blame the parents for letting small children letting them watch all that kind off stuff unsupervised.

I'm not blaming the TV stations but they must take their share of the responsibilty. Violence is gradually creeping into what used to be regarded as family entertainment broadcast well before the watershed. Watch Eastenders or even Coronation Street any night of the week to see what I mean. News programs show more & more graphic violence as you already pointed out. This is often broadcast at times when young children will be watching which is completely unacceptable. IMHO

[Brett_Henderson]

It's  ALL about the decline in proper parenting.. For the most part, kids are a product of their up-bringing.. The truly good parents out there have to wonder too..

Now we have to ask..  Where, when and why did parenting go south on us ?

[Sir_Crashalot]

Parenting did go south on us the moment both parents got (fulltime?) jobs.

Crash

[H]

Although it's true that I was interested in planes, I joined the Air Force to work on radar systems; I saw many more planes on the screen (my first major video games) than for real while my main interest in simulations was with combat planes. I believe, in part, it also relates to something Omag said.
If I should have to actually shoot down an aircraft, it was all I would see; no people would be involved in my visualization. I've played 1st person shooters and I don't particularly like them. I also hated the scene in the Mortal Combat video game when, after she was defeated in the match, the girl's arms were ripped off and she spurted blood -- totally unnecessary and assinine!
Still, to blame the game, itself, for a crime would be naive. I have no intention of really shooting down an aircraft no matter how many I've shot them down in CFS (et. al.) or according to the reference computer with a real radar system in training excersizes -- and I lost count on both of the latter a long time ago. Seeing something on the screen is just not the same for me as reality, even if I get so engrossed in a game that I nearly fall off my chair while flying a simulated plane at a simulated tree.
Am I saying that a video game has no effect? Not exactly. Each of you have made statements that are more or less applicable. However, killing didn't begin with the age of video games and the control to the rest of the body is from the brain. How we accept, deny or react to something is within the mind.
Now, autosuggestion...  ???