harleypower69
Member
Just had this discussion with my family and we arrived at the same conclusion.
Video Games
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SweetKnuckles
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Hell, in the 80s we shot at each other with BB guns, and it didn't make me want to shoot up my school.
"NO MORE THAN TWO PUMPS!!"
I'm sure a link can be made with video games, but pardon me for saying, I feel it's more the aggravation of circumstance. i.e. Sooooo much focus on Bullying and how it's insurmountable rather than teaching a kid to stick up for himself with the knowledge that sometimes you'll get your ass kicked, even when righteous.
Sure, bullying is a thing when it's extreme, but that word is tossed around so casually, it's lost its meaning IMO.
As far as every shooter being a gamer, I think that's due to a vast majority of kids being gamers. I'll bet if you spoke with 100 public school kids, 96 would answer yes to "do you or have you ever played video games".
"NO MORE THAN TWO PUMPS!!"
I'm sure a link can be made with video games, but pardon me for saying, I feel it's more the aggravation of circumstance. i.e. Sooooo much focus on Bullying and how it's insurmountable rather than teaching a kid to stick up for himself with the knowledge that sometimes you'll get your ass kicked, even when righteous.
Sure, bullying is a thing when it's extreme, but that word is tossed around so casually, it's lost its meaning IMO.
As far as every shooter being a gamer, I think that's due to a vast majority of kids being gamers. I'll bet if you spoke with 100 public school kids, 96 would answer yes to "do you or have you ever played video games".
I largely agree with SK. Every time I hear stories of 'bullying' and 'shaming' for stuff we would have laughed off when we were kids I want to puke.
Heather teased me for having curly hair and told me to go buy a brush! OMG! I'm going to kill myself! Stand by for the live FB feed of me hanging myself!
Heather teased me for having curly hair and told me to go buy a brush! OMG! I'm going to kill myself! Stand by for the live FB feed of me hanging myself!
I'm with SK on the fact that a majority of kids game. I, along with all of my friends, grew up with 5hr marathons of Counter Strike, BattleField1942, and a host of other first person shooters, and not one of us had any inclination to go shoot the masses... That's not to say that it doesn't have ANY correlation, but in my mind, it would merely be a small piece of the puzzle. There are more than a few screws loose elsewhere for you to go on a shooting rampage, and I hardly feel a game is the catalyst.
samnev
Member
waterdog said:
I have to agree with waterdog that these two things are part a bigger of the problem.
harleypower69
Member
I recall that in school disagreements were settled with fists in the bathroom and the argument was settled toe to toe. Now, to be fair video games were not yet in existence then. Bullies did what they did and sometimes got beat down. Nobody cried to the teacher. Different world today. Issue is parents that don't parent, mental health issues unaddressed and technology that makes killing look painless and shows these kids the reset button fixes all. We have a country full of fat kids, lazy kids and parents that let the little fockers sit on their butts and game instead of getting outside and playing / burning up energy and getting fit. Ask me how I know - I now have 3 grandkids moved in with me between the ages of 3 and 8. When they arrived all they did was game. I sorted that at the router level. Got them bikes and a trampoline and the game fixation is gone, the energy levels lowered at bed time.
I am sure there are many causative factors with this shooter phenomenon. We all know it sure as shit is not the gun's fault.
I am sure there are many causative factors with this shooter phenomenon. We all know it sure as shit is not the gun's fault.
Read “Assassination Generation” by Lt Col Dave Grossman. Great read that addresses this very thing. I have had the opportunity to sit through several of his seminars as well as spent some time chatting with him. He has some very strong opinions on this subject.
Blaming video games is right up there with blaming guns.
I played shitloads of violent video games growing up with my friends.
Played "guns" with my friends too, running around the neighborhood park and our parents' yards trying to kill my friends with toy guns.
Watched tons of graphic and violent movies depicting gun violence with my dad and my friends.
I'm 34 now, never shot up a school. Never even thought about taking a gun to school.
Even when I was in college and started carrying a gun. I never did on campus, I wouldn't even leave one in my truck. Just left it locked up in my safe at home.
Weird huh?
I played shitloads of violent video games growing up with my friends.
Played "guns" with my friends too, running around the neighborhood park and our parents' yards trying to kill my friends with toy guns.
Watched tons of graphic and violent movies depicting gun violence with my dad and my friends.
I'm 34 now, never shot up a school. Never even thought about taking a gun to school.
Even when I was in college and started carrying a gun. I never did on campus, I wouldn't even leave one in my truck. Just left it locked up in my safe at home.
Weird huh?
AstonMiura
Member
Little experiment. Find out how many students were killed by shootings in schools in the last 10 years. (About 300) Then go find out how many students committed suicide during the same period of time. (About 60,000)
The real question, NO ONE IS ASKING. What is so wrong in our society and in our system of education that so many children are choosing death? Those committing suicide are making the same choice as most shooters, they are just not taking others with them. This is why only a couple times we have a mass school shooting with the shooter taken alive.
Most of these shootings are a sick and twisted form of suicide by cop! So the question here is not do we ban guns, or mags, or do we put an armed guard in every door way? But how have we changed so abruptly in the last 30 years to make so many children wish to kill themselves and others and what do we change in the system to reverse it?
The real question, NO ONE IS ASKING. What is so wrong in our society and in our system of education that so many children are choosing death? Those committing suicide are making the same choice as most shooters, they are just not taking others with them. This is why only a couple times we have a mass school shooting with the shooter taken alive.
Most of these shootings are a sick and twisted form of suicide by cop! So the question here is not do we ban guns, or mags, or do we put an armed guard in every door way? But how have we changed so abruptly in the last 30 years to make so many children wish to kill themselves and others and what do we change in the system to reverse it?
SweetKnuckles
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guardyan_angyl said:
Mind giving us Cliff's Notes?
I think it has more to do with how quickly we medicate kids, bullying, and social media. Instead of teaching kids what is acceptable behavior and holding them to that standard, they are medicated into complacency. I worked in a juvenile corrections setting and the majority of kids that came in medicated had the amount or dosage lessened after meeting with the staff psych. Some even came off of the drugs completely because they did not need it. What they needed was structure and people around them that were invested in their success.
I put bullying and social media in the same category. When I was in school, bullying had to be done face to face and we would go toe to toe if need be. But we knew who the bully was and when the person being bullied defended themselves (or someone else defended them) it would typically stop. Now in the face of social media, more kids can gang up on someone and do so anonymously with little to no repercussions. Before social media, the bullying at school would stop when the kid wasn’t at school. Now it can be a constant bombardment of threats and insults.
Dads also have to step up and accept their role as a father. Most of these shootings are kids from single parent households and the father is not in the picture. Without a positive male role model for these young men to look up to, they miss out on important life lessons. My parents divorced when I was young and my dad travelled weekly for work, but he spent every weekend with me and my sister. They did everything they could do to be there for us as much as they could. My dad also had rifles and shotguns and they were never locked up. Hell, from the time I was 10, I kept them all in my closet. I never once had the inclination to take them out and mess with them unless he said it was ok.
We played war, had video games that were considered too violent, grew up on Stallone and Schwarzenegger movies, and our music was violent and profane enough that parental advisory labels were placed on albums but what we didn’t have were over medicated kids and social media. We also had parents and neighbors that would whip our ass when we got out of line.
Video games are not the issue.
I put bullying and social media in the same category. When I was in school, bullying had to be done face to face and we would go toe to toe if need be. But we knew who the bully was and when the person being bullied defended themselves (or someone else defended them) it would typically stop. Now in the face of social media, more kids can gang up on someone and do so anonymously with little to no repercussions. Before social media, the bullying at school would stop when the kid wasn’t at school. Now it can be a constant bombardment of threats and insults.
Dads also have to step up and accept their role as a father. Most of these shootings are kids from single parent households and the father is not in the picture. Without a positive male role model for these young men to look up to, they miss out on important life lessons. My parents divorced when I was young and my dad travelled weekly for work, but he spent every weekend with me and my sister. They did everything they could do to be there for us as much as they could. My dad also had rifles and shotguns and they were never locked up. Hell, from the time I was 10, I kept them all in my closet. I never once had the inclination to take them out and mess with them unless he said it was ok.
We played war, had video games that were considered too violent, grew up on Stallone and Schwarzenegger movies, and our music was violent and profane enough that parental advisory labels were placed on albums but what we didn’t have were over medicated kids and social media. We also had parents and neighbors that would whip our ass when we got out of line.
Video games are not the issue.
I play a few video games, and grew up playing a few back in the Commodore 64 and PC days. Doom, Wolfenstien, etc were all the rage.
My parents limited the time I was allowed on the computer, and they filtered what TV / Movies we watched. However TV was a bit different back then (early 80s) compared to now.
I remember it was a big deal when they allowed me to watch Terminator 2.
I partially agree with Waterdog, as I have seen the effects of non-parent involved overactive video gaming. I have a friend, who's fiance has a son, and since he was about 10 years old - does nothing but play ultra violent video games (Like Grand Theft Auto.)
You wouldn't believe the crap that comes out of this kid's mouth when playing this game. Racial slurs, cursing, threats, all of it. No filter - and he is saying it to other people playing the game (multiplayer/online.) Predictably the kid (who is quite smart...) does poorly in school and has serious issues when in social environment and has trouble dealing with other people "in person." He can't function without a cell phone, and all the social media.
His mother doesn't want to limit/oversee all this because she wants to be the "cool" parent as her and the kid's father are divorced - so it is a competition. She also lets him vape, and of course he is on a couple meds for his ADD / ADHD - ignoring that the issues with the kid are horrible diet, horrible sleep patterns, and staring at screens 12 hours a day.
I really feel sorry for the kid.
The issue I see here is not the games necessarily, but the parents allowing children to play games when they are not mature enough to do so. 10 year olds have no business playing video games that celebrate killing / sex / drug use / crime. When they are older - and have been taught / understand what is acceptable then play away. Same goes for TV. They have the ratings on these things for a reason.
Couple the desensitization provided by these games, TV, and movies - add some un-needed mind altering medication, no parental involvement, and social media ridicule and what do you end up with?
On the flipside - I have a couple friends who actually do parent their children (and video game usage) and both kids are fans of the "Battlefield 1" game (which is set in WW1) and these kids are constantly borrowing my WW1 History books all the time, and any chance that we all go to the range beg me to bring my Enfield or M95. Coincidentally enough, these kids are not on any meds, have involved parents, and are not dependent on what facebook tells them every 5 minutes.
My parents limited the time I was allowed on the computer, and they filtered what TV / Movies we watched. However TV was a bit different back then (early 80s) compared to now.
I remember it was a big deal when they allowed me to watch Terminator 2.
I partially agree with Waterdog, as I have seen the effects of non-parent involved overactive video gaming. I have a friend, who's fiance has a son, and since he was about 10 years old - does nothing but play ultra violent video games (Like Grand Theft Auto.)
You wouldn't believe the crap that comes out of this kid's mouth when playing this game. Racial slurs, cursing, threats, all of it. No filter - and he is saying it to other people playing the game (multiplayer/online.) Predictably the kid (who is quite smart...) does poorly in school and has serious issues when in social environment and has trouble dealing with other people "in person." He can't function without a cell phone, and all the social media.
His mother doesn't want to limit/oversee all this because she wants to be the "cool" parent as her and the kid's father are divorced - so it is a competition. She also lets him vape, and of course he is on a couple meds for his ADD / ADHD - ignoring that the issues with the kid are horrible diet, horrible sleep patterns, and staring at screens 12 hours a day.
I really feel sorry for the kid.
The issue I see here is not the games necessarily, but the parents allowing children to play games when they are not mature enough to do so. 10 year olds have no business playing video games that celebrate killing / sex / drug use / crime. When they are older - and have been taught / understand what is acceptable then play away. Same goes for TV. They have the ratings on these things for a reason.
Couple the desensitization provided by these games, TV, and movies - add some un-needed mind altering medication, no parental involvement, and social media ridicule and what do you end up with?
On the flipside - I have a couple friends who actually do parent their children (and video game usage) and both kids are fans of the "Battlefield 1" game (which is set in WW1) and these kids are constantly borrowing my WW1 History books all the time, and any chance that we all go to the range beg me to bring my Enfield or M95. Coincidentally enough, these kids are not on any meds, have involved parents, and are not dependent on what facebook tells them every 5 minutes.
Tim McBride
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Let's blame video games. Great idea. Or maybe it's D&D getting kids in 'Satanism'? Oh that was the 80's...
Oh and spoons make people fat and guns cause crime.
:icon-rolleyes:
Oh and spoons make people fat and guns cause crime.
:icon-rolleyes:
Ballistic Therapy
Member
Personally I can't stand video games of any kind.
I think they are a waste of time and money.
It amazes me how many people waste their time playing them.
People can't even walk down the street without having their nose stuck in a cell phone or game of some kind.
Todays parents don't want to be bothered with their kids so they give them video games to set around and play for hours on end.
I have no scientific proof that it effects these kids but I am sure it isn't doing them any good.
I think they are a waste of time and money.
It amazes me how many people waste their time playing them.
People can't even walk down the street without having their nose stuck in a cell phone or game of some kind.
Todays parents don't want to be bothered with their kids so they give them video games to set around and play for hours on end.
I have no scientific proof that it effects these kids but I am sure it isn't doing them any good.
Racewin
Member
I've been working with kids and families on a volunteer and professional basis for about 15 years. The parenting part far outweighs the violent video game component. The video games are one of many symptoms of poor parenting.
Tim McBride
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waterdog said:
LOL, because I'm a mod I can't have any opinion?