1. Do Video Games Affect Children?

A huge debate about this is under way- so why not discuss it here too Here in AZ in Mesa there were 2 little boys age 6 & 7 that were plauing GTA. When they were done playing it they went outside and took a 4 month old kitten and beat it with a rock- then took the game controller cord and hung it to death from a tree branch. So, Were they acting out what they may be learning from a Mature Game that only those 18 and over should be playing in the first place? Or were they just being inharently(sp) evil?

Read the News Article Here

Your thoughts anyone?

Data2link wrote:

A huge debate about this is under way- so why not discuss it here too Here in AZ in Mesa there were 2 little boys age 6 & 7 that were plauing GTA. When they were done playing it they went outside and took a 4 month old kitten and beat it with a rock- then took the game controller cord and hung it to death from a tree branch. So, Were they acting out what they may be learning from a Mature Game that only those 18 and over should be playing in the first place? Or were they just being inharently(sp) evil?

Read the News Article Here

Your thoughts anyone?

well the parents..... um, that's shocking

anyways kids like that use games, such as GTA, to get away with things like this

-it reminds me of the story where this 16 year old girl and her 18 year old boyfriend mocked GTA by beating her sister to death and they went to court and the girl and the guy blamed it on the game not their actions

^(cant find the link for the story above but i remember it, it happened a year ago)^

LOL thats the only thing i had to say..this is so strange but yea the problem is even me when i play those GTA games and i lose i some times get angry and want to do the same stuff in game...like driving at 300 KM/H lol and kill the police..who wouldn't kill them lol

CiviCity wrote:

LOL thats the only thing i had to say..this is so strange but yea the problem is even me when i play those GTA games and i lose i some times get angry and want to do the same stuff in game...like driving at 300 KM/H lol and kill the police..who wouldn't kill them lol

usually when i lose, i get some cheats and some popcorn and start a RAMPAGE on the game

pspmaniac101 wrote:

CiviCity wrote:

LOL thats the only thing i had to say..this is so strange but yea the problem is even me when i play those GTA games and i lose i some times get angry and want to do the same stuff in game...like driving at 300 KM/H lol and kill the police..who wouldn't kill them lol

usually when i lose, i get some cheats and some popcorn and start a RAMPAGE on the game

me too, but at a young age like that yes it would, I play GTA and I'm under that age and I know not to do that stuff bc I'm mature enough to know that it is a no no and if the parents are that dumb to let them play it at that age they should at least be punished, and the kids should be in juvy for murder.

pspmaniac101 wrote:

CiviCity wrote:

LOL thats the only thing i had to say..this is so strange but yea the problem is even me when i play those GTA games and i lose i some times get angry and want to do the same stuff in game...like driving at 300 KM/H lol and kill the police..who wouldn't kill them lol

usually when i lose, i get some cheats and some popcorn and start a RAMPAGE on the game

Lol. I just take a break and start playing again later...

YEa- My Nephew was playing it and he would act it out at school and get in trouble. Really- the parents should be more responsible and not let kids play games like that at such and early - formative age. My brother's son was taken away by DPS- and he had to get rid of those games in order for him to come home (along with other changes of course) Wether people want to admit it or not- the things we watch or listen too affect us. I know when I am listening to the radio and driving, sometimes I get really bad road rage, then I think about what I'm listening to on the radio, and if it some hard core rock, I change the channel, and I can feel my heart rate go down- So I know it affects me, so it could definatly affect a child at that age

Data2link wrote:

YEa- My Nephew was playing it and he would act it out at school and get in trouble. Really- the parents should be more responsible and not let kids play games like that at such and early - formative age. My brother's son was taken away by DPS- and he had to get rid of those games in order for him to come home (along with other changes of course) Wether people want to admit it or not- the things we watch or listen too affect us. I know when I am listening to the radio and driving, sometimes I get really bad road rage, then I think about what I'm listening to on the radio, and if it some hard core rock, I change the channel, and I can feel my heart rate go down- So I know it affects me, so it could definatly affect a child at that age

I agree

Quote :

I get really bad road rage

LOL i dont imagine u O.O not to be rude

lol- I don't cuss them out or flip them off or anything (I don't want to get shot) But I have in the heat of a little angry moment cut someone off, or slammed on my breaks cause they were tailgating me. (Not often though) But for the most part I keep my boiling anger on the road to myself.

One word. No.

I think it does (in the way they act in society) kids in the range of under 15 Should NOT be playing GTA4 and Quake since it affects the way they act and stuff they are into but games like "Spore" or even "Star warss" are more oreinted for people of at least 10 years old.
i would say more but i dont have the best souces but one example is near Thailand a Kid actually shot and stole a car (sayz he did it on GTA 4:videogame: and soo he did it for real)
and now they actually banned some games from Countries

Andrei wrote:

One word. No.

Come on- you can't just say no- tell us why you think that way Give us some meat to chew on

Data2link wrote:

Andrei wrote:

One word. No.

Come on- you can't just say no- tell us why you think that way Give us some meat to chew on

Of course it will slightly affect the way you act, however anything can do that. Friends can do that, tv can do that, movies can do that... if you think that person/character is cool, subconsciously you'll try to act like them, however it wont be significant enough to actually go out and start robbing people and stealing cars.


just my 2 cents

Data can you please look back at the post on page 1 of this? I added some more

PSPowner wrote:

Data can you please look back at the post on page 1 of this? I added some more

Yep- looks good Keep it up

ok thanks, I'll will try to

I don't think that video games effect children, to the effect of killing people and re-enacting their GTA experiences, but video games, as all other media, can effect children, weather that effect is positive or negative, lies within what games they are playing. now, as a kid, I grew up surrounded by video games, my dad really liked them, and he had bought a NES, and today I think I have 300+ games for that system. I think that today, games are getting more violent sure, but at the same time parents are getting stupider. I think it lies within the parents digression of what games the parents are buying the kids, its not like the kids have any money to buy the games.

I personally played a lot of megaman as a kid though, (as seen in my name, lol) but for the NES, I would also play more "violent" games for my NES (Metal Gear, Contra, Battletoads, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) but I never physically harmed anyone by trying to reenact anything that where in the games (that is, imagining with friends) But that was before the rating system came out, and before the shitstorm that Jack Thomson created.

I think all in all, Games are generally a positive effect on kids (yes POSITIVE) because it gives them something to do, and study's have been done, say that the brain stimulation is good for you, and in some cases can possibly prevent Alzheimer's in later years.

Protoman wrote:

I don't think that video games effect children, to the effect of killing people and re-enacting their GTA experiences, but video games, as all other media, can effect children, weather that effect is positive or negative, lies within what games they are playing. now, as a kid, I grew up surrounded by video games, my dad really liked them, and he had bought a NES, and today I think I have 300+ games for that system. I think that today, games are getting more violent sure, but at the same time parents are getting stupider. I think it lies within the parents digression of what games the parents are buying the kids, its not like the kids have any money to buy the games.

I personally played a lot of megaman as a kid though, (as seen in my name, lol) but for the NES, I would also play more "violent" games for my NES (Metal Gear, Contra, Battletoads, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) but I never physically harmed anyone by trying to reenact anything that where in the games (that is, imagining with friends) But that was before the rating system came out, and before the shitstorm that Jack Thomson created.

I think all in all, Games are generally a positive effect on kids (yes POSITIVE) because it gives them something to do, and study's have been done, say that the brain stimulation is good for you, and in some cases can possibly prevent Alzheimer's in later years.

I agree that Video games have a positive effect on stimulating the brain. Parents have gotten dumber- and video games have gotten more violent. I also think that kids are getting more aggressive and angry too- and parents need to think about each individule child and how that game may affect them. Some kids aren't that bright either.

That is also true.

Its like parents think the ESRB rating system is greek..

in a way. i don't think just because kids play games like GTA that they will become criminals or anything but they could have increased violent behavior. parents should be responsible for what kids are playing.

Points have been added for this discussion- thanks everyone who participated. We will keep it open for further discussion- but no more points will be given out. Only the most recent Hot Topic earns you points (We have a new one on it's way )

ok great, I can't wait to see what it is