Please Read- Modern video gaming. morals, desensitisation to negativity

Video games. what am I actually doing?

I play computer games and have for a long time, I have been around when society blamed violent video games for the problems within the disgruntled youth.

I have got a game provider thing called steam, some of you might have heard of it. Its used for counterstrike, fallout, many popular games.

But i decided i wanted to buy something new, and looked for a game which was not centred on killing and destruction. I literally could not find a good title that did not focus on the attacking of others as an integral part of the game story.

I have played world of warcraft seriously, and now occasionally, for a couple of years. this game graphically speaking does not pertain to violence, literally no blood, screams guts etc. But neverthe less. to level up in the game, you have to kill literally hundreds of thousands of animals, humans monsters.

think about that? to level up to the top level you literally kill kill kill. what is this teaching ur mind. those who play the game a lot, there is obviously a subconcious message that to destroy life will benefit you.

then there is the test that for people to kill each other in real life, they used video games to desensitise you, so you can actually shoot someone.

Morally, in a game, like GTA, i would kill shoot steal, etc, but if you can do this so easily in a game, surely it makes it easier to do it in real life. you are having positive associations with a negative act, surely blurring the boundaries a little.

My point is not really that these games are there and that they are bad, they can be very enjoyable, but my point is that its alarming to see that nearly all games produced, involve what would be horrendous acts of violence if committed in real l ife and to look for a game which is just, neutral, like car racing or footbal. these seem to be like 1 in 10. but to get a game about post nuclear war, stabbing ppl, shooting, stealing, is easy, spoilt for choice.

the games like the tv watch shape your emotions and direct your thought energy. upon realising, as i have a few level 70s in wow, that although it seems so tame in wow to kill a "mob", i have killed slaughtered thousands of virtual animals just to rise the ranks.

KILL=SUCESS
KIll better/faster= Ultimate goal of game

what the f?

think about that if you transpose it to life. seriously bad values. seriously bad imprinted thoughts and belief systems on a major imput for society. and who plays games most? well i think probably teenage boys, are a large group. people who shape our society.

i mean yea i play violent video games and are not violent. but i still think what is the difference. karma?

kharma. if in real life i hurt someone steal or lie, or put out bad vibes, i get what i give back. why in a game with virtual charachters when u steal or kill, ur still putting out bad vibes. negative intention to a screen. but its still putting out negative intention. do i produce bad kharma from playing violent games.

i would tend to lean towards yes.

I would appreciate all your comments.

many thanks

Mod Edit: All Caps – Please Review This Link.


[edit on 11/1/2009 by Mirthful Me]

I personally find blowing the heads off of aliens, criminals, cops, vietnamese, americans, nazis, and any other digital foe to be quite calming and a pleasant pass time. Maybe people are just inherently violent and video games are an extension and outlet of that violence. The games are the reflection of human psychology, not the cause of it. If people didn't want to engage in violent acts, they wouldn't shill out the $50 or the 9.99 a month to do it. I mean I know Hitler, Genghis Khan, Charles Manson, Vlad the Impaler, and Jack the Ripper were all addicted to WoW and other violent video games, but I think there's a lot more to violent behavior than sitting in a easy chair, eating cheetos, and pressing buttons for hours on end.

Oh by the way to answer your question

Guitar Hero
Rock Band
Mario Party
WiiFit
WiiSports
All the sports games

...just off the top of my head

There's whole realm of cool non-violent games out there... but I guess you didn't look that hard.



[edit on 7-1-2009 by CuriousSkeptic]

I don't think you should worry about your karma. It's completely digital, and I promise the pixels don't care. Really, I don't think video games have an impact on people's morality. Just like I don't think TV or Music does.

You know, at one point, reading was as bad as video games are now in terms of "destroying youth".

I know what you mean. MMORPG's are the ones ones I think, ya even worse than fps. They are so highly addictive and rewarding in game that you feel compelled to keep playing... after all you've gone so far, why quit now? It really is disturbing when you sit back and think about what you do in the game... you are killing hundreds of practically helpless victims for their possessions nonstop. This thought made me quit playing mmorpg's a year ago. It is hard to believe that there are so many kids playing them.

As for some games that you don't kill. Little Big Planet, Rockband.. there's a lot out there if you want them.

There are plenty of non-violent games out there.

As, For everything else. All of the violence was happening before "violent" video games were even around.


As they say: "Don't worry, It's just a game."

I have personally experienced something that makes me believe that videogames (as well as other media) can effect morals.

I was not yet twenty when i got to play one of the GTA games for the first time. I played for several weeks in most of my free time.

So one day i was driving down the road and i saw someone riding a nice looking motorcycle and one of the things that immediately passed through my mind was when I was playing GTA and i drove into a motorcyclist to steal the bike.

Obviously i didn't act as such nor was it something i actually considered doing, but the fact remains the thought passed through my mind. Now replace my mind with that of a 12 year old or anyone with a weak mind. They might have acted on that random thought. These factors do drastically impact those of a weak mind, especially kids.

Moving more towards media influences in general (including video games). Why is it so popular amongst kids to "be a gangsta." That is obviously a poor moral choice given what "being a gangsta" truly entails.

I truly believe video games and other "stepping on people/killing people is a way to live" media has a very big and horrible impact on our society.

[edit on 7-1-2009 by dantrav]

[edit on 7-1-2009 by dantrav]

reply to post by dantrav


You could say the same thing about little kids playing cowboys and indians or cops and robbers. I remember playing games like that as a kid and I remember that a lot of us fought over who got to be the robbers or the pirates or the outlaws.

reply to post by dantrav

I truly believe video games and other "stepping on people/killing people is a way to live" media has a very big and horrible impact on our society.

No...It has an impact on those that are weak minded...

Take this thread for example...

reply to post by predisposed



I think you are finally getting it my friend. And good for you that the games haven't totally brainwashed you into a desensitized borg.

I think those with higher intelligence and a sense of morality are the only ones keeping this world from becoming totally like those kill or be killed games.

reply to post by TH3ON3


So are you saying that people that play "violent" video games are immoral and possess mediocre intelligence?

That's a little presumptuous of you don't you think? I would ask for some statistics but we all know that those can be bended to the will of the poster. If you are weak minded enough to play a video game and then go out on a killing spree then I think you were probably an unstable individual long before Mario ran across your TV screen.

Originally posted by TasteTheMagick
reply to post by dantrav

 

You could say the same thing about little kids playing cowboys and indians or cops and robbers. I remember playing games like that as a kid and I remember that a lot of us fought over who got to be the robbers or the pirates or the outlaws.

Did blood spill when you played cowboys and Indians? Did you ever actually kill one of your friends in the process? Even though they may have played dead in your mind, did you see your friend disappear after fake shooting them? Finally did any of you play the random prostitute or innocent bystander?

Originally posted by TasteTheMagick
reply to post by TH3ON3

 

So are you saying that people that play "violent" video games are immoral and possess mediocre intelligence?

No...I said people who are more intelligent and have a sense of morality that human life is sacred will eventually wake up from the attempt by the mainstream "entertainment" business to hook those with lesser intelligence for life, thus perpetuating the enormous profits inherent in such.

Originally posted by chapter29
reply to post by dantrav

 

No...It has an impact on those that are weak minded...

Take this thread for example...

What defines a weak minded individual? Also to a certain age, people's brains are scientifically proven to be undeveloped and impressionable. Are they simply innocent, weak minded, or something else? Depending on the answer should they play violent video games until hey have fully developed?

I don't believe in censorship at all, i do however feel as though our society is out of control with this dog eat dog bs and it shows through in our entertainment especially in video games.

You can't find a game that's not based on attacking others (NPCs or other players) because anything else is, essentially, solitare.

Human's love to compete, and so we like games with dynamic relations. Games fulfill that by setting us up in adversarial relationships. There are other choices though, take the sims for example.

Originally posted by dantrav

What defines a weak minded individual?

Anyone that supports this thread...

Also to a certain age, people's brains are scientifically proven to be undeveloped and impressionable.

Very poor generalization...try to at least be an 'amateur' study of people before forming an opinion - otherwise you are just setting a poor example for your proponents...

Originally posted by dantrav
Did blood spill when you played cowboys and Indians? Did you ever actually kill one of your friends in the process? Even though they may have played dead in your mind, did you see your friend disappear after fake shooting them? Finally did any of you play the random prostitute or innocent bystander?

Real blood? No. But we did fill up our water guns with water we'd dyed with food coloring. The food coloring all over our clothes never sat well with our parents but we did like to make each other look bloody. We used to scatter fake blood around our "ghost town" or our "back alley" or "saloon" or "ship" that we made with corn syrup and food coloring.

We did make people play innocent bystanders, it was kind of like being picked last for dodge ball. And yeah, when we were playing "mafia" some people would be the token "drug addicts".

If it bothers the Op so much..........

Then why is Tetris one of the most popular games in video game history?

reply to post by predisposed


I play video games too, and I do not project negative intention towards the screen.

For one thing, I am completely and utterly aware that nothing I kill "dies." If I defeat a player in PvP, he is resurrected and after my tail again in no time. If I kill an NPC in a short while there they are again. Even the animals pop back up and begin wandering again shortly after their death.

Since reincarnation is a fact in the game world, (and the reincarnated return in the former bodies with their former memories, abilities etc) I am doing no harm and I am very aware of that.

Now for children, who have not yet come to a very concrete understanding that in the game of real life near instant reincarnation with no suffering is NOT a physical law, I think these games could as you say cause some problems. I think one has to have a very good understanding that there are different laws in these different existences before one can be sure playing does not create problems in the game of life.

I also think that ones inherent personality plays a role. There are those in the game who are hostile and mock and bully newer players of their own "team" that they cannot kill. There are those who are incredibly helpful and kind. I think aside from children what you get from a game really depends what you bring to it.

Originally posted by mr-lizard
If it bothers the Op so much..........

Then why is Tetris one of the most popular games in video game history?

Those who are intelligent have a moral duty to worry about the affairs of those who are simple minded. I think he is worried about the mobs of the simpleminded.

I for one loved Tetris. But I also liked playing an occasional war game. I don't play games much at all anymore since I'm 40ish. It is when someone who is weak minded can't differentiate between the game and real life.

Didn't one of the mass school shooters say it was like he was playing his favorite shoot-em up video game?

I've played video games most of my life. I spent a massive chunk of my time slaying away on Everquest, Everquest 2, WoW, and pretty much anything else I could get my hands on. It never desensitized me towards violence.

I am not disagreeing with you, I believe that some people are really not able to play these games the way they were intended to be played, and some people may have problems playing them. But that definately does not go for the entire gaming population. The only dangerous thing about these games are those that become addicted to them and waste thier lives trying to get that next big piece of uber l33t. But that hardly makes for a bunch of dangerous people... maybe couch potatoes!

There are plenty of great games out there that are not violent, you just need to look for them. I'm sure that you could find more than a few that you would like to play.