I'm surprised nobody has made a thread concerning this, with regards to the recent Sandy Hook massacre. Every major news outlet has been talking about how violent video-games, movies, and music are contributing to the violence in the United States and many countries around the world where this type of media is prevalent.

In my youth, I was the first to defend video-games against those such as Jack Thompson and his ilk; but there is definitely something to be said for their arguments.

In the past, people were not as exposed to this level of violence as we are today. One couldn't turn on a television and see a mother being [censored] in a movie or a Father being cut up by a possessed doll. One couldn't fire up an Xbox and start shooting the "baddies", as though they're really that bad as opposed to the player.

Depending on the period and location, war could be as prevalent as it is now, or as peaceful. But let's make something clear, the United States has been in constant conflict for over 200 years. I do not think this is as much a contributing factor as the direct influx of violence that pervades our information though.

People have always been violent, but they can become more violent and more ignorant depending upon where the majority of their information is derived from. Therefore, I do think video-games, movies, and music can be a major contributing factor toward the level of violence in our neighborhoods today.

I think media has desensitized people to violence (ie. gory films aren't as shocking), but the same violent films and media are prevalent all over the world. In Australia there hasn't been an increase in violence, nor has there been a significant worldwide increase in violence, so anyone arguing that the media is to blame for violence in America should consider the fact that Canadians, New Zealanders, Australians, Tasmanians, Japanese and the French are able to watch violent films and play violent games as a society without a rise in violence.

You could also turn things around and say that violent games and media keep people from realizing them in real life. I'm sure some people are affected by violent media, but I'm also sure someone is benefiting from letting out their rage in video games.

People are more exposed to violence than ever before, but whether it's for the better or worse is difficult to say. I'm fairly certain there haven't been an increase in violence due to graphic movies and video games, so I'm far from blaming massacres and shootings on media.

It's obviously that loud rock n roll music. Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry are the devil's messengers.

What rise of violence are you referring to? There were two gang-raqes reported three months apart in France this year that I can recall reading just from the Telegraph. Just a few days ago, a couple travelling in India were beat with iron rods, while the wife was [censored] as well.

I'm not looking for a rise in violence, nor do I suppose I'll see one. I'm looking at the effects we see on our culture. However, do we want to see our culture decline into the level of depravity Rome did? At least, they were not subjected nor did they willfully seek to be bombarded most hours of the day with violent images, music, and rewards based on violent acts as we are today. This is unprecedented, and I don't see much good coming of it.

This isn't going to end well.

I'm pretty certain a mentally healthy person who isn't deeply naive, would "never" kill someone on the basis of seeing it in a movie, unless something else factor in. That could be divorce, death of someone close, bullying, financial problems and so on. With someone who isn't entirely healthy, it's the other way around. Due to a deficit, killing someone on the basis of seeing it in a movie is an indicator of that deficit.

I'm not so sure, violence in media was more prevalent, but when it comes to experiencing violence first hand corporal punishment was used in schools in the 60's and later, and is still used in many homes. If getting hit by teachers didn't give rise to more school shootings I doubt that teens watching Saw has the same effect.

I don't think video-games offer any good outlet for rage. If someone is suffering from that, they'll let it out at any opportunity. If we're talking about stress, well, we all know there are healthier alternatives that seemed to work just fine for our grand-fathers. Why not start there?

There's been a culture of violence ever since Cain first looked sideways at Able. Its nothing new and it will never change, it is in our nature.

Crime has always been apart of society. A rise in crime and violence would indicate something is changing in our society, however there is no rise in crime in most countries, so I do not think that violence in media is making violence more acceptable. Whilst such crimes are unacceptable they have always existed.
The difference is, the Romans actually did kill people to fulfill their bloodlust. In todays society those who desire to see violence can go to the movies rather than feeding a religous minority to a lion, it is in no way unprecedented, take a look at what happens when a fight breaks out, there has always and probably always will be a crows who flocks to watch.

This is just apart of human nature (or at least the animalistic parts of it). By having violent media, individuals who want to see violence have a way of doing so without harming anyone else, and the lack of a rise in violence shows that it is not physically harming anyone.

Psychology disagrees with you. People with stress aren't the Hulk, and the world of our grandfathers was no utopia, I'll take violent media over sixism and racism anyday.

People want to find easy things to blame. And then they want to snap their fingers and say "Doing X will fix it"... then they walk away and pretend that not looking at the deeper issues is okay because they have found a culprit to blame.

I will paraphrase the last panel of the most recent Penny Arcade, which was spot on. "Seems pretty odd to try to destroy the first amendment to protect the second."


I am not sure if this thread will last, but we'll see. Mind the rules please.

Maybe they won't kill someone, but what kinds of behavior will it encourage in them? I know kids who play video-games or watch television shows and then try to mimic what they saw. That can be incredibly dangerous, even fatal, given the right conditions.

At the very least, it is a very unhealthy, fruitless, diversion. What is one getting from Call of Duty when they could be reading the Gallic Wars by Julius Caesar or judging a painting of Napoleon at Eylau. Perhaps, it isn't as exciting, but they're learning about something that will definitely encourage critical thought and reflection on their very own values.