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On the idea of the “times have changed in the last several decades” - we are now honoring the villains. In the first video games there was also violence – but you were penalized if you had friendly fire or shot an innocent civilian. I can say the same for TV and our movies – the bad guy got his and the good guy was never hurt. Many of today's video games have no penalties for doing the wrong thing (killing innocents or stealing is rewarded). In our movies or on TV the bad guy that gets the rewards.
This has to play a role. Kids cannot sit for days playing these games and watching the TV and movies and not suffer from this criminal learning experience.
This is another good example of how subtlety violence has crept into our society/media over the decades. The first Atari games were innocent PacMan style games... mesmorizing young children who should have been out riding bikes, playing outdoors. I remember huge debates going on years and years ago over the damage this was doing to our children.. and remember, this was simply "PacMan" and "Burger King" style games.
In today's world this looks very innocent and harmless.. Yet look at how far things have progressed over the decades with modern technology. Same aged children now demand their own Iphones, Ipads and have Facebook accounts.. and parents give it to them so they'll be able to keep up with their peers possessions. These same parents keep guns in their home to "protect" their family. Meanwhile, all this technology has helped pediophiles make contact with our children via "the net" and game playing online.
It's been an downward spiral for years. It worries me to wonder about the future generations.
This is another good example of how subtlety violence has crept into our society/media over the decades. The first Atari games were innocent PacMan style games... mesmorizing young children who should have been out riding bikes, playing outdoors. I remember huge debates going on years and years ago over the damage this was doing to our children.. and remember, this was simply "PacMan" and "Burger King" style games.
In today's world this looks very innocent and harmless.. Yet look at how far things have progressed over the decades with modern technology. Same aged children now demand their own Iphones, Ipads and have Facebook accounts.. and parents give it to them so they'll be able to keep up with their peers possessions. These same parents keep guns in their home to "protect" their family. Meanwhile, all this technology has helped pediophiles make contact with our children via "the net" and game playing online.
It's been an downward spiral for years. It worries me to wonder about the future generations.
I am a senior citizen that also enjoys video games. I know what is right and wrong. Some of the newer video games cannot be won or completed unless you break our fundamental 'real' laws. They encourage people to steal or kill the innocent. They also feature many gray areas – areas that you think you are doing the right thing and it ends up wrong. You could probably say that this is a reflection of real life – but I am not sure if the writers and studios/corporations are not creating their own 'real' life?
I also work a part time job for several months each year. The young adults with the smart phones amaze me. Many have a thousand friends online and cannot talk to the coworker along side of them at lunch – except to show them what their online friends are doing. As far as I can see their cyber friends would probably laugh like heck - if their friend ever took a fall. We are raising kids that can talk to others half a world apart – but cannot talk to each other.
I also worry about the idea of posting everything you do. Many of our young are doing things that they would never want a boss to see. There could be a possibility that they would eventually want to run for public office – anything they say and do will be held against them.
I think they exert an influence; how deep an influence, probably not very deep all by themselves with most people, but it's part of a cumulative effect. If someone (child or adult, it doesn't matter) watches a lot of violent movies there's a good chance it will influence them somehow, even if it only coarsens their disposition in a subtle way. In some sense, a person compromises a certain intangible something -- a sense of offense, maybe? -- if they sit through lurid material many times over. It's almost like they're being trained not to react to what they're watching. It happens with violent material, it happens with pornography. I think lots of people undervalue the instinct of reacting viscerally to bad things even if they're just simulated.
I think they exert an influence; how deep an influence, probably not very deep all by themselves with most people, but it's part of a cumulative effect. If someone (child or adult, it doesn't matter) watches a lot of violent movies there's a good chance it will influence them somehow, even if it only coarsens their disposition in a subtle way. In some sense, a person compromises a certain intangible something -- a sense of offense, maybe? -- if they sit through lurid material many times over. It's almost like they're being trained not to react to what they're watching. It happens with violent material, it happens with pornography. I think lots of people undervalue the instinct of reacting viscerally to bad things even if they're just simulated.
Is this a modern day example of Pavlo's classical conditioning theory??
I never really understood Pavlo's theory in Psych 101.. a dog's salivating at the ring of a bell?.. how would that relate to human behavior??
Now, for the first time, I'm starting to understand it better. This could be a classic example.
I think they exert an influence; how deep an influence, probably not very deep all by themselves with most people, but it's part of a cumulative effect. If someone (child or adult, it doesn't matter) watches a lot of violent movies there's a good chance it will influence them somehow, even if it only coarsens their disposition in a subtle way. In some sense, a person compromises a certain intangible something -- a sense of offense, maybe? -- if they sit through lurid material many times over. It's almost like they're being trained not to react to what they're watching. It happens with violent material, it happens with pornography. I think lots of people undervalue the instinct of reacting viscerally to bad things even if they're just simulated.
To the tight rope walker; how much breeze is too much breeze? Just a little nudge could be too much. If you combine the pressures of the poor economy, lack of jobs, drugs, failing relationships and other modern problems; how much push does it take?
Do you believe that violent movies and violent music create and are the cause of violent children, or do you think they were already violent to start with?
No more than reading the bible & listening to gospel music creates a good Christian.
No more than reading the bible & listening to gospel music creates a good Christian.
I guess it all depends on how well you listen and how seriously you take it. My husband slept thru sermons and can fall asleep during a violent movie. Nothing seemed to bother him.
It Depends on how violent the movie is and the age of a child. I think after the age of reasoning, which I consider 12, children learn that what's seen on television isn't always real.
It all depends on what the parents teach them and expose them to. I'd have no problem letting my child see a violent movie only if I felt he was mature enough. But that child would have to be a preteen/teen.
By age 14 and up- Kids know about violents, hormones, and sex,etc, so I have no reason not to let him watch a violent movie.
I do no believe violent movies or music produce violent children. If that were the case our children throughout suburbia would be running a complete muck! Look inot the stands for all violent music events,concerts,etc...it is filled with our children Rock,Rap, and scream metal.
Same tune for movies! Everyone loves action movies and action movies spew violence!
Violent movies and TV shows desensitize people to violence, both children and adults. Some films seem to glorify violence, another disturbing trend. Portrayals of violence in films seem to be escalating over time, as well, and becoming more graphic. This would seem to prove the idea that viewers of violence become desensitized to a certain level of violence, and need increasingly graphic images in order to be stimulated.
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