TV/Computer Violence

[Angel One]

*Opens a can of worms*
What does everyone think of violence on screens? Is it harmless entertainment, or does it even help us to release our frustrations on innocent polygons instead of innocent bystanders? Or does it teach children to become sociopaths?
The reason I ask this is because there is a mod being made for a contraversal game I ahve called "Postal 2" which will be based around the events of the Columbine high shool shooting. A lot of players of the game think this is going too far, that violence against adults in a fictional city is ok, but shooting young people in a real life situation, through the eyes of the people involved, is going to far.
What do you think?
I think that its not the gun that kills people, people kill people. Violence on a TV or a computer might desensitise us somewhat, but just look what happens in real life. No game could come close to a new report on the Iraq war, or a rape of murder, or of some new terrorist threat. People know the violence in computer games is fictional, they arent going to go out saving the world from aliens are they?
I think watching the news will do more damage that watching a violent TV program...
As for a mod of columbine? I think it would be better if it was an unnamed school, and yeah it is in poor taste, but if thats they way they want to expres themselves, (The modders) then I say let them, its a free country, you dont have to download it.
*steps off soap box*

[Pigeon]

*steals the soap box and hides in it* those bloody games go too fast and i can never get my person to win.... but if yall like them then its fine with me whether you want to play it or not. I think little kids should not play them though...or watch pro wrestling Then they attack their babysitters lol...

~Kaity

[themnax]

i think the problem isn't what anyone sees or experiences
once
but rather what everyone sees nothing else then
reality is diversity but the entertainment industry in its hot persuit
of the quick buck fails to fairly reflect that reality

when someone encounters and unfamiliar situation
and has only seen anything like it dealt with in one way
and that one way more often then not the least appropreate
then indead media and society as a whole must share some
of the culpability for the consiquences
not that this relieves a perpitrator of theirs by any means

incentives are another and perhapse larger consideration
to what increases crime rates
and incentives are created collectiely after the fact by the
statistical averaging out of our individual choices of what
we have be most important to us

personaly i find the focus and lack of diversity of entertainment
with a capitol e depressing and seldom turn on the idiot box
though i must confess to one existing in my household,
a gift to my wife from her parents

i've even been known on occasion to watch the iful/leara report and bill moyer's now
along with startrek reruns and whatever not too depressing odities i can find on the damd thing when the computer is tied up running a long render in autocad, and i don't suddenly remember i have dishes to do or laundry to wash.

cable we don't have so i don't get to watch mind extention university or the discouvery, sciffy or the weather channel

all of which being just as well since i waste more hours in a day then there are on this thing, the internet that is,
which at least i can talk back to as i'm doing here and now

=^^=
.../\...

[Angel One]

then indead media and society as a whole must share some
of the culpability for the consiquences
not that this relieves a perpitrator of theirs by any means

Of course, true enough. You pull the trigger, but yes society can have a huge impact. I agree with that. But is it computer games and TV that have the impact? Or the underlying dogma of society itself?
Yes this dogma is presented in many media, but computer games and TV and probably the only one to break *away* from the mould, and do things that society says are *wrong* which would promote individuality. True, they sometimes advocate the use of force where it would not be neccessary in real life, and that can lead to problems, but society uses that as an excuse to ban a message it doesnt like, not because its looking out for people.

Good for you for not watching too much TV, I dont have a TV where im living now, so I havent watched anythign since the weekend. I dont watch much TV anymore, the computer seves all my entertainment and informative needs lol...

[Silver Incubus]

Well violence is needed to know wwhat it is, but you then have to have non violence to show the contrast and to show that violence is rarely a solution to problems. I really think death and violence is alright in mild degrees but that is only becaues I am a well ajusted individual, young children on the other hand can be greatly influenced by this, and it is shown. But of course they should be told by their parents that it isn't proper to hit someone because you don't like them.

[Angel One]

Of course, proper education is important,as you said, especially for young kids. I think that... people try to protect kids from violence too much you know? So they grow up knowing nothing about it, and then when they see it in the real world, they dont know how to react...