Do video games corrupt people?

Captain Fabio

Captain Fabio

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    How do Video Games affect people?

    I decided to make a separate thread about this, because it could be rather interesting to discuss.

    Video games are a very big part of peoples lives and leisure time, with technology constantly being improved and companies thinking of ways to further the people's gaming experience. But, with the technology making the experience more realistic for the players, does this impact on how someone perceives real life?

    Do you think games can affect a person's real life judgement and alter what they feel is right and wrong? Do you think that this is just the media, blowing stories out of proportion?

    What is your opinion?

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    My parents' were always giving me a specific time that I could play games in, because they would it was making me a worse person especially because I was playing a lot of FPS'. Obviously, since I still wanted to play, I had to show them that I wasn't a complete addict and that it wasn't changing me, so I sold some of my favorite games and told them I didn't want them to get in the way of my exams, even though the big ones don't start until later next year. Now, I spend a lot of time playing games, and I learn some things from them in comparison to them harming me. Video Games are fun and entertaining, and a lot of the time, at least for me, sociable since I always talk to my friends' when playing a game. I guess I've dropped down on the FPS' now, and my Dad has started to get into the games I play, he really wants to buy F1 2013 for the both of us since he loves watching it. FIFA, especially 12, is a game that I played for hours and hours, my Parents' had no real problem with this as I never really did rage at the game and was always talking to my friends'.
     
    Corrupt is subjective, but it definitely changes people, for better or worse.

    I don't agree with all the accusations that video games are a gateway to crime. Sure, there might be some very very rare exceptions, but guns and drugs existed way before when interactive computer games were just a silly dream.

    The way I see how video games could "corrupt" people is by making them addicted if they started at an early age. Kids have big attention spans, so they could take whole days just playing video games in their house. It's a whole lot easier than making friends and playing outside, so they'll never know how important they are. They'll most likely grow up being unsociable and unhealthy, which is pretty bad. Though all form of entertainment mediums are guilty of this, I think video games are the biggest offender because of simply how fun they can be.

    On another hand, video games could teach someone some pretty important things. I know I learned english from video games and cartoons, but there are examples of video games teaching player to know what's right and what's wrong, what's good and what's not.


    So they ruin some and they make some I guess. But if you don't expect that at this point, then it's your fault for being arrogant.
     
    Yes, I'd say they most certainly do. They don't effect everyone in this way or even the majority of people, but there's arguably a lot of people in the world who do see video game ethics as a code to live by which in some cases has even lead to public shootings etc spawning from 'corruption' by games such as CoD. I don't know what kind of mind it takes to let video games influence your views and reality to this extent, but I'd wager that the majority of people have had their views on life altered in some way by video games, whether it be a message the game conveyed or even a new style/hobby. Although there's a huge difference between influencing a person's life and corrupting a person, if all those small influences built up upon each other I do wonder if even the most rationally thinking person could be corrupted in this way.
     
    I'm not too sure about it "corrupting" an individual, as Spino pointed out. Yes they can harm people, they think shooting and killing people on a game is fun and unfortunately they think they would get the same joy by shooting a person in real life. But, is it really the games fault? I don't think that it is the game's fault, but the way the player interprets it. This discussion of people getting "corrupted" is not only something that could happen by playing a game, there are other things such as movies that could give the same effect. Surely with the given that not only games can harm one's mind, it shows that it's the person's fault for letting the game "corrupt" or harm them.
     
    I do not believe that games make people do crazy things, but they can influence the weak minded. If people can understand that this is all make believe then no, they are not tools of corruption. But if people look at it and see real life to the point that they can't differentiate, then yes. They will be more likely to go into subways and schools and open fire. That's what I believe. I think every child needs a parent who can talk to them after they play their video games to find out how they feel about it, find out what they are thinking. Make sure that they know that this isn't real and this isn't how they are supposed to behave in real life.
     
    Id say video games have a potential to corrupt certain people,but only as much as just about anything in the form of shared societal mediums and ideals...usually less. Just consider entire wars and genocides caused by religions and philosophies,social class-isms and racism causing a plethora of negative ideals and actions, rap music(which im not bashing completely only certain sub-genres) and crime movies perpetuating back stabbing,drug use and dealing,crime in general, and other negative actions to be desirable.

    Truthfully the only significant negativity video games can bring is addiction,which is generally unhealthy in any situation. I personally am a game addict by my own admission and by the observation of those that know me-but my 12 hour sessions and copious expenses on software and gear are trivial to the woes of others who are addicted to things IMO. Id even go so far as to say my gaming is positive in that it helps me cope with my schizophrenia and got me over my social awkwardness as a teen due to online gaming and enthusiast forums
     
    I wouldn't say a game makes people do anything they wouldn't already do. I literally cannot wrap my head around it when people suggest those around them are so stupid to the point they can't differentiate between a video game and real life. Shooting somebody in a video game is something I don't think twice about specifically because I know it means nothing in real life. That doesn't translate to me saying in my head that it's okay to go and kill somebody in real life.

    This is something I recently debated on facebook about the Sandy Hook shootings. People were so quick to blame video games, but in my mind I immediately thought about how he was treated and how he felt about himself. People being upset or uncomfortable with where they are in life is what contributes to violent behavior, whether it's a result of a disorder or the people around somebody or how they're treated and perceive themselves.. that's no fault of a video game.
     
    There's literally no evidence at all that supports "video games corrupt people". Video games are just the new scapegoat since violence isn't just limited to TV any more.


    Penn and Teller did an episode on video games and how much ******** people spew about them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaF9nbLo8as the video has a lot of swear words, but it's definitely something worth watching(especially the end of it).
     
    I've never heard about video games corrupting people but there was one incident where it led to the death of a teenager. I remember reading article where a boy who kept listening to the Lavender Town theme music over and over again and eventually committed suicide out of depression.
     
    There's too many outside factors that could influence "corruption" of a person. So, no, I don't think that video games directly corrupt people. The Coumbine High incident and all the propaganda surrounding Jack Thompson didn't help matters either.

    However, I do think it's important that parents give guidelines to their children regarding not only how long they play video games, but also what kind and at what age. (i.e. Don't let a 4 year old play FPS games online)

    Regarding whether games have the potential to alter a person's judgment? No, it just seems too farfetched a conclusion to draw to. I had been introduced to video games at an early age, and even then I didn't grow up thinking it was okay to, say, randomly shoot at ducks flying through the air or break into people's houses and break their vases (or other things) looking for money.

    Seems to me like the trend as of lately is to look for the easiest explanation for why bad things happen. Sure, it's easy to say "Video games gave him the idea." but when we stop and think about it, does it really make sense? That would be no different than if someone were watching a horror movie and thought it was perfectly normal to run around with a chainsaw hacking people up. (okay, that's an exaggerated example, but you get the idea) Generally, people watch horror movies to get a thrilling sense of being scared, not to emulate what a character clearly seen as villainous does. Video games and the like get a bad rap when extreme cases such as the recent shootings get attention in the media, and they tend to glaze over the fact that this criminal behavior is not always an emulation of something else.
     
    Spinosaurus said:
    Corrupt is subjective, but it definitely changes people, for better or worse.

    I don't agree with all the accusations that video games are a gateway to crime. Sure, there might be some very very rare exceptions, but guns and drugs existed way before when interactive computer games were just a silly dream.

    The way I see how video games could "corrupt" people is by making them addicted if they started at an early age. Kids have big attention spans, so they could take whole days just playing video games in their house. It's a whole lot easier than making friends and playing outside, so they'll never know how important they are. They'll most likely grow up being unsociable and unhealthy, which is pretty bad. Though all form of entertainment mediums are guilty of this, I think video games are the biggest offender because of simply how fun they can be.

    On another hand, video games could teach someone some pretty important things. I know I learned english from video games and cartoons, but there are examples of video games teaching player to know what's right and what's wrong, what's good and what's not.


    So they ruin some and they make some I guess. But if you don't expect that at this point, then it's your fault for being arrogant.
    Click to expand...

    I think you're thinking a bit too much from your own perspective when you claim that "video games are the biggest offender because of simply how fun they can be". There are tons of people that find television and books way more fun than video games, and something they can do all day. When I was young, before I was into video games, I would lock myself up all weekend and just read. While my vocabulary expanded, I certainly wasn't making any friends and faced the same problems social-wise that people playing games all day would. It's really subjective to say it's a bigger problem due to the fun factor.
     
    I actually did a critical analysis of video game violence and youth, but looked at it with focus on the child's environment, parental interaction and mental history. My parents regularly interacted with me and played with me even though I played games constantly growing up, and still play. They always made sure I knew what was reality and what was fiction.

    My sister works at a school with mentally disturbed juvenile delinquents--those are the kinds of kids who have the issues we see videogames supposedly causing in the media.
     
    No, and it's been said a a million times. At this point, what more is there to say? I'll just throw up the same link I always do: there have been plenty of studies that have failed to find a correlation between gaming and real life violence.
     
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